Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

Citrix Intelligent Traffic Management [EOL] vs NetScaler comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 25, 2025

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

Citrix Intelligent Traffic ...
Average Rating
8.0
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NetScaler
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
107
Ranking in other categories
Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) (1st), Network Management Applications (5th), Web Application Firewall (WAF) (10th)
 

Featured Reviews

reviewer982137 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager IT Technical Teams / Organizational Consulting at a computer software company with 201-500 employees
It's a robust and proven solution that we've been working with for many years
Citrix solutions are increasingly complex. I think this is a disadvantage for Citrix now. One or two weeks is long enough to implement Citrix's core products. However, you have to set up all features and user parameters, which takes one or two months. We need about 30 people to deploy and maintain this solution.
LD
Information Technology Division Director at Ethiopian Roads Administration
Offers better visibility into user sessions compared to other solutions
Improvements are needed to address the issue of machines becoming unregistered, ensuring stability for end users. Troubleshooting with Citrix support can be challenging, so clearer diagnostics would be beneficial. As for global server load balancing, it works well on-premises, depending on user volume and service stability. Overall, it's satisfactory for us.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We use the HDX protocol, a high-performing component of the Citrix solutions. We also use provisioning to generate VM and NetScaler ADC solutions to propose access to applications for our customers."
"Citrix is good for application protection."
"I like app flows and custom flows. They integrate with multiple flows."
"For desktop application management, I recommend the NetScaler edition. This product is like a Swiss army knife. Citrix NetScaler ADC supports the education front-end."
"Content Switching provides flexibility for routing traffic as desired to designated real servers. It also provides good geo capabilities through its GSLB feature."
"It is a very stable solution."
"It allows students to access required software for their studies."
"The load balancing feature of this solution is very good."
"The solution's technical support is good."
 

Cons

"We discussed problems with the network products with the Indian teams. The support center for network products is located in India. There are language barriers and issues with the time difference, so we sometimes face restrictions when dealing with this team."
"The technical support could be improved. They do not respond or assist customers in a timely manner."
"We are looking for some in-depth monitoring and analytics and more information that Citrix Director doesn't provide. ControlUp has insights that not only give you an overview but also allow you to do some drill-down troubleshooting for what's going on in your environment. We are looking for some more analytical and monitoring data to be able to monitor the environment better, not only from an application standpoint but also from the standpoint of the infrastructure to everything it sits on. They can provide more data to the administrators about what's going on within the application. They can provide data not only on the application side but also about what the application sits on. They're making strides with Citrix Analytics in regards to that."
"Native integration needs to be improved. You cannot build ISE codes natively. For DevOps, integration would be very helpful because it would be a lot simpler from an operational standpoint."
"There are certain features that are very useful and Citrix makes you pay a bit more for them."
"Currently, it is not easy to use the configuration capabilities of the product."
"In terms of what could be improved, I would say the user interface because sometimes it can be complicated."
"Some of our customers have questioned the security of this solution lately, wondering whether it is safe or not, so enhancements in this respect would be good."
"The WAF component needs to be simplified so that it is easier to use."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available
"F5 BIG-IP is much more expensive than Citrix ADC. For example, If we choose two platforms, Citrix ADC, 3000 version, and we choose F5, F4200 version. F5 BIG-IP has connections, timers, and throughput similar to Citrix ADC, but the price is very expensive."
"Price-wise, I feel that the solution is a little bit expensive."
"When compared to other solutions, the cost is high."
"I rate the pricing an eight out of ten since it is expensive."
"Citrix ADM costs us approximately $5000 per month."
"The client pays for the Citrix NetScaler license annually."
"For partners, NetScaler is not as expensive price-wise versus F5."
"In Turkey, everything is good, but it seems expensive for us due to the currency exchange. I don't have a specific rating scale, but if I had to rate the price, I would say it's around a six out of ten."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) solutions are best for your needs.
879,310 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
No data available
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business45
Midsize Enterprise23
Large Enterprise57
 

Questions from the Community

Ask a question
Earn 20 points
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 ...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

Citrix ITM
Citrix ADC, Citrix NetScaler VPX, NetScaler Console, NetScaler Web Application Firewall, NetScaler VPX - Customer Licensed
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Dataport, Bet365, VFLI, Rhode & Schwartz
ABB Schweiz, Aer Lingus, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Amnet Technology Solutions, Aramex International, Ascenty, Atos, Autodesk
Find out what your peers are saying about NetScaler, F5, HAProxy and others in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC). Updated: December 2025.
879,310 professionals have used our research since 2012.