IBM Tivoli NetCool vs NetScaler comparison

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IBM Tivoli NetCool

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 2, 2025

IBM Tivoli NetCool and NetScaler compete in network management and optimization. NetScaler appears to have the upper hand due to its advanced traffic management and application delivery features, despite higher costs.

Features: IBM Tivoli NetCool offers customizable alerts, real-time monitoring, and a robust event management system with a focus on adaptability and scalability. NetScaler provides traffic management, load balancing, and security features such as SSL offload and application firewalls, aiming to enhance network performance.

Room for Improvement: IBM Tivoli NetCool could improve its integration capabilities and reduce setup complexity to better fit diverse environments. Additionally, enhancing user interface intuitiveness and simplifying deployment could offer significant improvements. For NetScaler, refining documentation and support responses, enhancing the GUI for more intuitive navigation, and addressing issues with specific Citrix integrations could be beneficial.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Tivoli NetCool utilizes a traditional deployment model with comprehensive support, though setup can be complex. NetScaler allows for quick system integration with a user-friendly approach, streamlined processes, and reliable customer service that simplifies deployment and integration.

Pricing and ROI: IBM Tivoli NetCool involves higher initial costs but offers scalability and long-term ROI for larger infrastructures. NetScaler may have more competitive initial pricing and delivers value through efficiency and performance. The investment is justified by its robust capabilities, offering a compelling option for businesses prioritizing performance optimization.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Tivoli NetCool vs. NetScaler Report (Updated: July 2025).

IBM Tivoli NetCool vs. NetScaler

July 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

IBM Tivoli NetCool

Ranking in Network Management Applications

13th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

NetScaler

Ranking in Network Management Applications

5th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

107

Ranking in other categories

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) (1st), Web Application Firewall (WAF) (14th)

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of IBM Tivoli NetCool is 2.2%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetScaler is 1.5%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Management Applications

Featured Reviews

Petar Ganev

Senior Enterprise Monitoring Engineer at Commerzbank

Reliable for enterprise monitoring but no longer actively developed

There are problems with the latest security requirements because many things have changed in recent years, and now the security audits are very strict. And we need to switch to something else. We need to patch it constantly. Moreover, it is a very old tool and a little bit difficult to support. Otherwise, they work okay.

Read full review

DEMİRHAN ÇAVUŞOĞLU

Cloud Consultant at Migros Ticaret A.Ş.

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.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's very easy to use."

"Tivoli NetCool allows us to grasp a lot of data that can be applied toward predictive analytics and auto-remediation."

"The feature I have found most valuable with NetCool is how it collaborates all the alarms, and then it does a predictive analysis, providing a consolidated alarm view and management."

"The tool had many built-in automation capabilities."

"The scalability of monitoring, the breadth of supported network components, the scale of the number of monitoring events, and the flexibility in customization make this a well-rounded product."

"It's very easy to use."

"The tool is much easier to manage than running scripts and figuring out how many endpoints have been exceeded."

"The solution has very good integration capabilities."

More IBM Tivoli NetCool pros

"One feature that works really well is the SSL VPN. It's very easy to set up and you can go very granular with it. You can define what user groups get what kind of access and the management overhead is very low."

"The most valuable features are for the ADMs and the overall monitoring environment."

"The most valuable feature of Citrix ADC is its ease of use."

"It is the best product out there."

"The maintenance of the solution is not complex."

"It is a stable solution. It crashed only once, four years ago...There is a return on investment using the solution."

"The NetScaler appliance has provided a lot of customers with greater high availability for their enterprise applications within a single site and across multiple locations."

"The best feature of Citrix is its track record of stability in its features."

More NetScaler pros

Cons

"Tivoli NetCool is based on a Linux platform, it would be beneficial if they moved it to Windows because not everyone is acquainted with Linux."

"In terms of improvement, I would like to see more AIOps, Artificial Intelligent Operations in the next release. IBM develops new features for Power BI or Cognos Analytics, which is good. As of now, we use Cognos Analytics, we are not using Power BI. They have the Insight concept but we don't like that."

"The installation could be simplified, and technical support could be faster."

"UI is outdated, very old legacy."

"The installation could be simplified, and technical support could be faster."

"The solution is too expensive."

"Tivoli NetCool's has medium scalability - there are some problems with its replications not being mature."

"The solution is not user-friendly."

More IBM Tivoli NetCool cons

"Currently, it is not easy to use the configuration capabilities of the product."

"Citrix ADC can be really complex. It isn't very simple like some other appliances that I've worked with. You need a lot of skill and experience to manage it. I'm not talking about a year or two. You need at least four years to understand it very well. It is not that easy to learn. They should make it a lot simpler for users to understand the management of it. They can also provide some additional training. The material they have on the site is not sufficient enough for you to understand how to manage it. Their training is expensive, and not everyone has the funds and experience for it. Citrix isn't very popular around these parts of the world. So, it can use some more marketing, sales, enlightenment, and advertisement. These could bring more market for them. Basically, there are just a few companies that really go for Citrix. Most of the companies go for VMware because they marketed themselves more than Citrix. There isn't much difference between Citrix and VMware. VMware is a little more robust than Citrix. Citrix has focused more on desktops rather than server virtualization, and that's the advantage VMware has over Citrix. Citrix also needs to educate and inform users about the infrastructure that is supported with a version. Currently, if the customers don't look at the datasheet, they might miss this important information."

"Currently, the support team's responsiveness is lacking, and the technical personnel on calls often seem unfamiliar with the issues or inadequately trained."

"The interface needs to be improved because the competition is coming up with ones that are more eye-catching, straightforward, and sophisticated."

"The solution could be more secure."

"Manageability and adaptability can also be challenging for end customers."

"We had some bugs in the previous firmware. These were not big issues, but more testing on the firmware would be key to happier customers."

"The GUI should be improved."

More NetScaler cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Customers are required to pay a licensing fee."

"The price of the product is too expensive."

"Licensing fees are paid on a yearly basis."

"It costs around 100k for every ten servers, which is lower than similar products from other vendors."

"Its licensing cost is much higher than other products, but it is acceptable because it is a one-time investment, and we are getting our requirements fulfilled when we buy this product. So, there is no issue with the pricing."

"Citrix ADC could improve the price and make it less expensive, other competitors have a better prices. This would allow Citrix ADC to keep dominating the market."

"The pricing for Citrix Web App and API Protection is unreasonable. I don't know the exact price, but I heard it's tens of thousands and it's a bit too much for the small country I live in."

"We have been evaluating F5, Citrix, and other ADC products. Citrix is the most expense of all of them."

"You get the value for your money. There aren't any hidden fees."

"Regarding pricing, while it's expensive, I can't comment on the exact ROI without a budget analysis. However, in terms of service quality, it's worth the price."

"On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing an eight or nine out of ten."

"Our licensing fees including technical support are approximately $3,500 USD."

More NetScaler pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

30%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What is the best network monitoring software for large enterprises?

I have worked from 1973 with all kind of systems in large enterprises across the world. And have experience with all kind of software in monitoring from infra to end to end, it depends on the funct...

What do you like most about IBM Tivoli NetCool?

The tool had many built-in automation capabilities.

What needs improvement with IBM Tivoli NetCool?

The main challenge is its licensing model, which is very complicated.

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 enters our environment.

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 expensive.

What needs improvement with Citrix ADC?

Citrix NetScaler is a robust product, but mastering it requires significant learning and training due to its complexity. While it could be easier to manage, it is like transitioning from driving a ...

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Product Reports

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IBM Tivoli NetCool

June 2025

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June 2025

Also Known As

Tivoli NetCool

Citrix ADC, Citrix NetScaler VPX, NetScaler Console, NetScaler Web Application Firewall

Overview

IBM Tivoli Netcool delivers near real-time, consolidated event management across business infrastructure, data centers, complex networks and IT domains. The software provides full management and automation to help you deliver continuous uptime of business services and applications.

IBM

One platform for a consistent application delivery and security experience because nobody has time to learn multiple systems to manage ADC deployments. NetScaler is built with a single code base using a software-based architecture, so no matter which ADC form factor you choose — hardware, virtual machine, bare metal, or container — the behavior will be the same.

Sample Customers

Claranet, Consolidated Communications, Telus, €sterreichische Bundesbahnen (€BB), Telekom Srbija, Bendigo Community Telco, Capgemini, Schweizerische Bundesbahnen (SBB)

ABB Schweiz, Aer Lingus, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Amnet Technology Solutions, Aramex International, Ascenty, Atos, Autodesk