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A10 Networks Thunder ADC vs NetScaler vs Radware Alteon comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
7.9
A10 Networks Thunder ADC delivers cost-effective management and performance, simplifying configuration and reducing staffing needs for operational efficiency.
Sentiment score
8.1
NetScaler ensures data security and operational efficiency, providing significant cost savings and stability for medium enterprises.
Sentiment score
7.6
Radware Alteon enhances efficiency and security, offering affordability, reliability, and robust load balancing with reduced downtime and management complexity.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.4
A10 Networks Thunder ADC support is responsive and helpful, with quick resolutions and knowledgeable regional teams, despite occasional delays.
Sentiment score
6.1
Citrix support is responsive and knowledgeable, though some users report delays and prefer direct access to experienced engineers.
Sentiment score
7.4
Radware Alteon support is praised for efficiency but needs improvement in response times and language communication barriers.
We never face support issues, and their team resolves any critical issues quickly once they are involved.
There is a dedicated expert answering even the toughest questions.
The customer service and support are excellent.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
A10 Networks Thunder ADC efficiently scales and integrates devices, managing traffic and business growth, but could improve some features.
Sentiment score
7.8
NetScaler is praised for high scalability and flexibility, despite some challenges with licensing complexity and multi-tenancy support.
Sentiment score
8.0
Radware Alteon is highly scalable, efficiently handling large traffic volumes and adapts to enterprise needs with robust performance.
It handles peak loads and thousands of concurrent connections without exceeding 10% utilization.
We have it deployed across multiple geographic locations, benefiting from load balancing resiliency.
I would rate it a nine out of ten for scalability.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.4
A10 Networks Thunder ADC ensures high stability and uptime, supporting reliable performance for numerous users with minimal maintenance.
Sentiment score
7.6
NetScaler is highly rated for stability and performance, with some recommending regular maintenance for optimal reliability.
Sentiment score
8.2
Radware Alteon is praised for stability, reliability, and minimal downtime despite past issues resolved through updates.
We've never faced downtime, even during peak transaction hours.
There is minimal downtime, and the solution is quite stable.
 

Room For Improvement

A10 Networks Thunder ADC requires improvements in usability, security, integration, scalability, documentation, cloud support, automation, and pricing.
NetScaler needs improvements in usability, stability, security integration, and support while enhancing documentation, pricing transparency, and deployment processes.
Enhancements in automation, scalability, cloud integration, and improved cybersecurity tools are needed to address user dissatisfaction with Radware Alteon.
They keep integrating new features that sometimes break our production, but we use clustered systems, so we can test those software releases.
Other OEMs offer free courses and hands-on labs on new technologies and features, which we find useful.
Integration with cloud services could be improved.
 

Setup Cost

A10 Networks Thunder ADC is competitively priced with embedded licensing, easy setup, but variable ongoing support costs.
NetScaler pricing is high but offers strong features; cost-saving options include alternatives or negotiating multi-year subscriptions.
Radware Alteon is cost-efficient with flexible licensing, offering great value for performance and support, appealing to budget-conscious enterprises.
For our solution, it was right in the middle of price performance.
The cost of the Radware solution is reasonable and stable.
The implementation and running costs are quite high.
 

Valuable Features

A10 Networks Thunder ADC provides high performance, robust security, and flexibility with easy configuration, supporting various cloud environments.
NetScaler provides flexible deployment, security enhancements, and integration with Citrix for efficient application delivery and robust traffic management.
Radware Alteon excels in load balancing, security, and scalability, offering user-friendly management and reliable performance with excellent support.
The product allows us to manage multiple networks and VLANs into a single box and add numerous web services and farms efficiently.
The most valuable features include the availability with an optional high-availability mode ensuring service continuity because of the resiliency.
I find the best features to be the flexibility and ease of use.
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) category, the mindshare of A10 Networks Thunder ADC is 4.8%, up from 4.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetScaler is 14.3%, down from 15.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Radware Alteon is 4.5%, up from 4.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
NetScaler14.3%
Radware Alteon4.5%
A10 Networks Thunder ADC4.8%
Other76.4%
Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)
 

Featured Reviews

RonaldoDE Melo - PeerSpot reviewer
Protects connection and servers from direct access with control access feature
The initial setup is very simple. The issue is that it achieves high output across all its features, specifically the output ports. This affects the customer's solution because sometimes, the customer is even aware of the user's activity on certain servers. If you have all the necessary information, we can quickly deploy the solution within two to three days. The size of the Thunder ADC depends on its configuration. For example, the cache converter typically includes more than two rack units, often requiring at least three rack units for adequate space. I rate it a ten out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.
DEMİRHAN ÇAVUŞOĞLU - PeerSpot reviewer
A tool for centralized management including inventory and sales tracking
Citrix ADM has the ability to implement policies to tighten security. For instance, you can restrict access to your network from outsiders or lack necessary security measures such as antivirus programs. Additionally, there's the Delivery Controller, which allows for comprehensive monitoring and management tasks such as remote restarts, maintenance, and registration. Another essential component is the Director, which provides detailed insights into sessions, including identifying session failures, connection issues, user lockouts, etc. It presents a list of problems to address, enabling you to click on them and resolve them efficiently.
Ayesha Lata - PeerSpot reviewer
Automated threat detection and blocking helps us manage our security with limited resources
The best thing about Alteon is its automated threat detection and blocking. The university has resource limitations. I am the only one working for the security section, looking after seven products, including Alteon. The automatic blocking of threats and detections is crucial for us. Because there are a lot of things going on, we sometimes miss or do not see the detections on time. So, the most useful thing for us is to have a WAF that automatically blocks anything unusual or suspicious. It is efficient and low maintenance. Once you set it up, you do not have to go back and look into it. It gives us peace of mind that if something comes up, it will block that.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Manufacturing Company
6%
University
6%
Computer Software Company
15%
Government
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business45
Midsize Enterprise23
Large Enterprise57
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business17
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise21
 

Questions from the Community

Which is the best DDoS protection solution for a big ISP for monitoring and mitigating?
I would recommend A10 Networks due that it delivers high performance in a small form factor to reduce OPEX with signi...
Do you recommend A10 Networks Thunder ADC?
I do recommend A10 Networks Thunder ADC. It's very user-friendly, easy to configure, and flexible. It is a very usefu...
What do you like most about A10 Networks Thunder ADC?
A10 Networks Thunder ADC is an easy-to-use and flexible solution.
What do you like most about Citrix ADC?
The most valuable feature for us is the application firewalling in Citrix NetScaler, ensuring only valid traffic ente...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Citrix ADC?
After deployment, Citrix Netscaler shifted to a subscription-based license scheme for support, which is slightly more...
What needs improvement with Citrix ADC?
Citrix NetScaler is a robust product, but mastering it requires significant learning and training due to its complexi...
What do you like most about Radware AppWall?
It saves us a lot of work in terms of management since it has tasks already defined automatically. That enables us to...
What needs improvement with Radware AppWall?
There is room for improvement in reducing the number of false positives I receive. We could benefit from more configu...
What is your primary use case for Radware AppWall?
We primarily use Radware Alteon for load balancing our servers to ensure there are no bottlenecks and to have resilie...
 

Also Known As

Thunder ADC, AX Series
Citrix ADC, Citrix NetScaler VPX, NetScaler Console, NetScaler Web Application Firewall, NetScaler VPX - Customer Licensed
Alteon, Radware AppWall
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

123inkt.nl, Bentley University, Box, Brainshark, Buienradar, Capgemini, CGN/LSN & NAT64, Chengdu Telecom, Club One, Code Ready, CRC Health Group, Cyso, Deutsche Telekom, Earth Class Mail, Excite, FFF Enterprises, Florence County, Framingham State University, From30
ABB Schweiz, Aer Lingus, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Amnet Technology Solutions, Aramex International, Ascenty, Atos, Autodesk
Convergys
Find out what your peers are saying about NetScaler, F5, Microsoft and others in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC). Updated: September 2025.
870,701 professionals have used our research since 2012.