Aruba ClearPass vs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) comparison

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HPE Aruba Networking Logo
19,466 views|13,272 comparisons
95% willing to recommend
F5 Logo
823 views|693 comparisons
85% willing to recommend
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Aruba ClearPass and F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Network Access Control (NAC) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Aruba ClearPass vs. F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) Report (Updated: March 2024).
768,415 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"It eliminated the management of 10 different individual discrete RADIUS servers.""Aruba is a highly scalable product. It just works. We have no issues with scalability.""The solution has been working well.""ClearPass's best feature is its comprehensiveness.""ClearPass is effortless to use and configure. It's not hard to learn the tool, and it has lots of features.""I like the stability and the GUI, which is always improving.""It is beneficial from a security perspective because not everyone can connect to our wifi without going through an authentication process.""Support is decent."

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"We have seen a return on investment from F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager. It provided access at a time when we didn't have it.""The portal access was very good.""Stickiness is the most valuable feature of the product.""Our customers have never complained about the stability""The most valuable feature is the virtual IP creation. It's our most frequently used feature.""The product allows us to create customized portals for your users.""In my opinion, the GUI is perfect with the configuration options provided. F5 BIG-IP has given customization options and policy configuration tools in the GUI. It's good and good enough to work.""The solution is stable and reliable."

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Cons
"Instructions on adding layouts are not as clear as they could be.​""The user interface should be improved. The logs and how the logging mechanism works can also use an upgrade.""Aruba needs to improve and the processes must be clear.""A specific component is part of the solution called ClearPass Onboard, which can sometimes be complex and challenging to set up. If they could simplify the process and make it easier, that would be a benefit.""The pricing policy could be more flexible.""Aruba ClearPass could improve when it comes to troubleshooting, it can be difficult. Some advanced problems are difficult.""There is room for improvement in the support.""The technical support has some room for improvement. It takes them a long time to respond sometimes. I rate Aruba support six out of 10."

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"The solution’s GUI looks very old.""F5 BIG-IP APM disconnects when you leave it for long enough, but that is natural for IT solutions to do. That's a little bit frustrating.""Cloud services are something that F5 Access Policy Manager could do better""F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager has room for improvement in integration with other products.""In my opinion, the GUI side needs some improvement based on my usage. Sometimes, it doesn't work as efficiently as the CLI side.""I'd suggest improved documentation integration directly within the GUI. Right now, finding comprehensive documentation often requires going to external websites like the community portal.""The operational deployment is not great.""Integrating identity providers and single sign-on solutions can simplify user authentication and access control."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "Licensing and pricing are extremely straightforward."
  • "Run a 90 day free Proof of Concept (POC) for each product by implementing and using it fully in your environment. This way you will be educated on its features, functionality, and manageability.​"
  • "​Cost is important. I switched because Aruba's costs were well below Cisco's."
  • "We pay an annual licensing fee for Aruba and there are no additional costs."
  • "The pricing is not bad and everything is included."
  • "It is affordable. In Lebanon, companies are small, and they do not have a big budget. They cannot invest a lot of money, and Aruba ClearPass is quite affordable for them."
  • "The licensing model is very straightforward. There are two types of licensing for Aruba ClearPass, a perpetual license, and a subscription. Both of them are straightforward. We don't need to read an ordering guide, it's very clear."
  • "Aruba is a little more expensive than other products in the market here."
  • More Aruba ClearPass Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Recently, they have simplified the licensing"
  • "The product is very expensive."
  • "The tool is a little bit expensive."
  • More F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer: Aruba ClearPass is a Network Access Control tool that gives secure network access to multiple device types. You can adapt the policies to VPN access, wired, or wireless access. You can securely… more »
    Top Answer:I've done quite a lot of work with ClearPass, and not a lot with FortiNAC/Bradford. ClearPass incorporates a number of different functions including ClearPass Guest for creating complex wireless… more »
    Top Answer:If you are looking at the base installation, then it was a very straightforward process, which I would rate an eight or nine out of ten.
    Top Answer:The most valuable feature is the virtual IP creation. It's our most frequently used feature.
    Top Answer:The tool is a little bit expensive. I rate the pricing a six out of ten.
    Top Answer:In my opinion, the GUI side needs some improvement based on my usage. Sometimes, it doesn't work as efficiently as the CLI side. Feature-wise, sometimes when I log in to the GUI and want to see the… more »
    Ranking
    Views
    19,466
    Comparisons
    13,272
    Reviews
    29
    Average Words per Review
    428
    Rating
    8.4
    Views
    823
    Comparisons
    693
    Reviews
    9
    Average Words per Review
    348
    Rating
    8.1
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Avenda eTIPS
    F5 Access Policy Manager
    Learn More
    Overview

    Aruba ClearPass is a network access control (NAC) solution that provides a range of security and access management capabilities for wired, wireless, and VPN networks. ClearPass enables organizations to secure their networks and devices, enforce security policies, and provide secure access to network resources.

    Aruba ClearPass Features

    Aruba ClearPass has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

    • Device profiling: Aruba ClearPass automatically profiles and classifies network devices based on type, manufacturer, operating system, and more, to help organizations secure their networks.
    • Guest management: The solution provides a secure and easy-to-use guest management system for organizations to provide guest access to their networks.
    • User-friendly interface: The Aruba ClearPass includes a user-friendly interface, enabling administrators to easily manage and enforce security policies, monitor network activity, and respond to security threats.
    • Policy enforcement: Users can enforce security policies based on device type, user role, and other factors, to help secure their networks and devices.
    • Threat detection and response: With its real-time monitoring and threat detection capabilities, organizations are able to quickly identify and respond to security threats.
    • Authentication and authorization: Aruba ClearPass offers a range of authentication and authorization methods, including certificate-based authentication and 802.1X, to provide secure access to network resources.
    • Reporting and analytics: The solution Includes real-time reporting and analytics capabilities, enabling administrators to monitor network activity, track security incidents, and improve security over time.

    Aruba ClearPass Benefits

    There are many benefits to implementing Aruba ClearPass. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

    • Comprehensive solution: Aruba ClearPass integrates with a range of network security technologies, including firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and VPN gateways, to provide a comprehensive security solution.
    • Scalability: Designed to scale from small to large organizations, ClearPass provides a solution that can grow with an organization's needs.
    • Increased visibility: By implementing Aruba ClearPass, administrators can monitor network activity, track security incidents, and improve security over time.
    • Improved user productivity: The solution’s secure and seamless access to network resources helps users be more productive and access the resources they need, when they need them.
    • Better business agility: With the solution, organizations can quickly respond to security threats and enforce security policies, improving overall business agility.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Aruba ClearPass is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are that it’s easy to use, has a valuable Guest Captive Portal and virtual security enforcement, and has a good web dashboard and policy manager.

    “It is easy to use and more integrated with the Aruba wireless networks,” says Muhammad N., Network & Information Security Engineer at a healthcare company.

    Ammar F., Head of IT at Hubtech, explains, “What I like most about Aruba ClearPass is that it has the best enforcement feature for the network. I also like its Guest Captive Portal and virtual security enforcement features, but the virtual security enforcement feature is still under testing by my company. Aruba ClearPass also has a wonderful UI which I find valuable."

    Another PeerSpot reviewer mentions, "The web dashboard and the policy manager are very intuitive and very easy for the engineers to use."

    F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is an access management proxy solution for managing global access to the enterprise networks, cloud providers, applications, and application programming interfaces (APIs). Through a single management interface, BIG-IP APM consolidates remote, mobile, network, virtual, and web access. 

    BIG-IP APM can also serve as a bridge between modern and classic authentication and authorization protocols and methods. For applications which are unable to support modern authentication and authorization protocols, like SAML and OAuth with OIDC, but which do support classic authentication methods, BIG-IP APM converts user credentials to the appropriate authentication standard supported by the application.

    BIG-IP APM Benefits:

    • Ease of use
    • Flexibility
    • Ability to integrate with other systems
    • Security features
    • Granular access control
    • Responsive and helpful support team

    BIG-IP APM Features:

    • Support for Identity Aware Proxy (IAP) enabling Zero Trust application access
    • Context-based authorization with dynamic L4/L7 ACLs
    • Integration with third-party MFA solutions
    • DTLS 2.0 mode for delivering and securing applications
    • SAML 2.0 identity federation support
    • Support for OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol
    • SSO support for classic authentication (Kerberos, header- based, etc.), credential caching, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0, and FIDO2 (U2F)
    • AAA server authentication and high-availability
    • Integration with leading IAM vendor products (Microsoft, Okta, Ping Identity)
    • BIG IP Edge Client and F5 Access integrate with VMware Horizon ONE (AirWatch), Microsoft Intune and IBM MaaS360
    • Risk-based access leveraging third-party UEBA and risk engines (HTTP Connector)

    Reviews from Real Users

    Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by BIG-IP APM users.

    Mahmmoud Rabie, Senior Site Reliability Engineer, writes that BIG-IP APM is "A highly stable solution for load balancing, but the initial setup is complex."

    Clyde LivingstonSenior Process Specialist at Telstra, says that BIG-IP APM is "Easy to use, useful access remotely, but lacking stability."

    Chris LamSenior Solution Consultant at Macroview Telecom Limited, states that BIG-IP APM is "Useful for remote access VPN and VPI integration with VMware.

    Sample Customers
    Consulate Health Care, Los Angeles Unified School District, Science Applications International Corp (SAIC), San Diego State University, KFC, ACTS Retirement-Life Communities
    City Bank, Ricacorp Properties, Miele, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider18%
    Computer Software Company18%
    Manufacturing Company11%
    Healthcare Company11%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company17%
    Government9%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider27%
    Media Company18%
    Computer Software Company18%
    Financial Services Firm18%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm12%
    Computer Software Company12%
    Government11%
    Manufacturing Company8%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business42%
    Midsize Enterprise23%
    Large Enterprise35%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business23%
    Midsize Enterprise17%
    Large Enterprise60%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business46%
    Large Enterprise54%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business17%
    Midsize Enterprise14%
    Large Enterprise69%
    Buyer's Guide
    Aruba ClearPass vs. F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Aruba ClearPass vs. F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    768,415 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Aruba ClearPass is ranked 2nd in Network Access Control (NAC) with 75 reviews while F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is ranked 8th in Network Access Control (NAC) with 13 reviews. Aruba ClearPass is rated 8.6, while F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is rated 8.2. The top reviewer of Aruba ClearPass writes "Easy to use, multifeatured, and reliable policy management platform for identity authentication and new device onboarding". On the other hand, the top reviewer of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) writes " Facilitates packet inspection, modification, and offloading and offers visibility and troubleshooting capabilities, allowing for pre-production server testing". Aruba ClearPass is most compared with Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine), Fortinet FortiNAC, Forescout Platform, Microsoft Intune and Ivanti NAC, whereas F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is most compared with Citrix Gateway, CyberArk Privileged Access Manager, Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine), Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and IBM Security Verify Access. See our Aruba ClearPass vs. F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report.

    See our list of best Network Access Control (NAC) vendors.

    We monitor all Network Access Control (NAC) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.