A10 Networks Lightning ADC vs F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition comparison

A10 Networks and F5 are both solutions in the Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) category. A10 Networks is ranked #18, while F5 is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.8. A10 Networks holds a 1.1% mindshare in ADC, compared to F5’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of A10 Networks users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of F5 users who would recommend it.

A10 Networks Lightning ADC

Read 3 A10 Networks Lightning ADC reviews

291 Views
285 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition

Read 7 F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition reviews

1,600 Views
80 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

A10 Networks Lightning ADC

F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between A10 Networks Lightning ADC and F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed A10 Networks Lightning ADC vs. F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

A10 Networks Lightning ADC vs. F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition

December 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

A10 Networks Lightning ADC

Ranking in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

18th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition

Ranking in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

11th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) category, the mindshare of A10 Networks Lightning ADC is 1.1%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is 0.5%. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition	0.5%
A10 Networks Lightning ADC	1.1%
Other	98.4%

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

Featured Reviews

RONALDO DE MELO

Sales Account Executive at l8

Efficient application security while optimizing connections

The initial setup is simple; it is not complex. The configuration itself is simple and can be done in a couple of hours. However, the migration of the system to A10 Networks takes longer due to critical applications. Clients prefer to move them one by one, which is why it takes a significant amount of time. The configuration itself is simple, especially for this application.

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reviewer2716224

System Administrator at a non-tech company with 501-1,000 employees

Focuses on securing application access with dependable integration

I do not use the load balancing and traffic management features of F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition. I use other container orchestration platforms, but they are not relevant to F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition. I have utilized F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition's ability to integrate with cloud platforms including AWS, Azure, GCP, and Salesforce. I have no idea how this integration has helped my organization manage hybrid or multi-cloud environments. The seamless integration of F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition with existing F5 technologies is not important to me as I do not use other technologies from F5. Financially, we require F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition because we need the product. We don't have anything else that performs the same functions, so we use it without trying alternatives. I just use and manage F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition, though I didn't handle its deployment. I would recommend F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition as a solution to others. I would rate F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition an eight out of ten overall.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"What I like about Lightning ADC, is that instead of having a big appliance sitting in front of the Kubernetes cluster, Lightning can pretty much go inside of Kubernetes."

"It allows you to secure the application while balancing the connections for many other customers, reducing CPU usage and server load."

"Our clients appreciate that this is a security enabled solution."

"I have a specific issue with the network interface connector, the NIC. We're limited to a maximum of two NICs in a virtualized environment. It's a limitation of the tool."

"It has DoS layer 7 protection, which not many vendors have."

"The features that I like include LTM and Global Traffic Manager (GTM)."

"It's easy to use, and they have good support."

"The integration capabilities of the product are easy to use, and there is no complexity involved in it."

"The tool's investment is less than a physical device."

"The advanced web application firewall protection and SSL offloading capabilities of F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition have been utilized in my organization; these features are contributing to our application security and compliance posture."

Cons

"The support from A10 should be improved."

"We would like to see some improvement in the rapidity with which we can customize security facts within the solution."

"A10 documentation is not as open and accessible as AWS and Azure documentation is."

"On-the-go upgrades are an option that the tool currently lacks, making it an area where improvements are required."

"BIG-IP could improve in supporting microservices, for example, in Docker and Kubernetes environments."

"F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is a heavy system that needs a lot of CPU, memory, and hard disk."

"The tool has limitations with respect to code and RAM."

"I have a specific issue with the network interface connector, the NIC. We're limited to a maximum of two NICs in a virtualized environment. It's a limitation of the tool."

"It's expensive and could be cheaper."

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The pricing is standard."

"My company's customers need to make payments for the licensing charges attached to the product. It is an expensive product."

"I would rate the pricing a three out of ten, with ten being expensive."

"F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is an expensive solution, but it's worth the price."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	2

Questions from the Community

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What do you like most about F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition?

The integration capabilities of the product are easy to use, and there is no complexity involved in it.

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What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition?

I believe F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition can be improved because the 25 megabits throughput cap is small.

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition?

My advice for others looking into using F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is to be aware of the throughput cap and how complex it can be. I would rate this product a 9 overall.

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

December 2025

Download A10 Networks Lightning ADC product report

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition

January 2026

Download F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition product report

Also Known As

Lightning ADS

No data available

Overview

A cloud-native, software-defined solution that provides integrated advanced load-balancing, performance optimization, application security and per-application analytics to increase operational agility and application performance.

A10 Networks

When you need to move faster than hardware allows, BIG-IP Virtual Editions (VEs) deliver the application services you need in a more agile and flexible form factor. Get the scalability, security, and automatability BIG-IP products are known for—all in software designed for use in single-, hybrid-, or multi-cloud architectures.

Sample Customers

Handle Financial

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

A10 Networks Lightning ADC vs. F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition

December 2025

Free Report: A10 Networks Lightning ADC vs. F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition

Find out what your peers are saying about A10 Networks Lightning ADC vs. F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

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