EfficientIP DNS Guardian vs F5 BIG-IP DNS comparison

Why PeerSpot?

EfficientIP and F5 are both solutions in the Domain Name System (DNS) Security category. EfficientIP is ranked #14, while F5 is ranked #7 with an average rating of 9.0. EfficientIP holds a 2.9% mindshare in DS, compared to F5’s 3.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of EfficientIP users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of F5 users who would recommend it.

EfficientIP DNS Guardian

Read 3 EfficientIP DNS Guardian reviews

1,830 Views
1,830 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

F5 BIG-IP DNS

Read 22 F5 BIG-IP DNS reviews

2,549 Views
2,549 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

EfficientIP DNS Guardian

F5 BIG-IP DNS

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 2024

EfficientIP DNS Guardian and F5 BIG-IP DNS compete in the DNS solutions category. F5 BIG-IP DNS seems to have the upper hand due to its extensive features, despite EfficientIP’s strong points in cost-effectiveness and support.

What features are offered by EfficientIP DNS Guardian in comparison to F5 BIG-IP DNS?

EfficientIP DNS Guardian offers seamless integration, advanced security features, and easy deployment. F5 BIG-IP DNS provides a wide array of customization options, superior load balancing capabilities, and a more comprehensive feature set.

What areas of improvement can be found in EfficientIP DNS Guardian in comparison to F5 BIG-IP DNS?

EfficientIP DNS Guardian could improve with a more intuitive management system, faster troubleshooting processes, and enhanced user workflows. F5 BIG-IP DNS could refine its configuration processes, enhance documentation clarity, and simplify its overall setup.

How is the ease of deployment and customer service of EfficientIP DNS Guardian in comparison to F5 BIG-IP DNS?

EfficientIP DNS Guardian offers simpler deployment processes and responsive customer service, making it easier to get up and running. F5 BIG-IP DNS, despite being feature-rich, can present deployment challenges that require more support, which may delay operational readiness.

What setup costs and ROI can be seen with EfficientIP DNS Guardian in comparison to F5 BIG-IP DNS?

EfficientIP DNS Guardian is recognized for reasonable setup costs and faster ROI due to lower initial investment and reduced maintenance fees. F5 BIG-IP DNS, while more expensive upfront, offers long-term value through its extensive features, justifying higher initial costs with better long-term returns.

To learn more, read our detailed EfficientIP DNS Guardian vs. F5 BIG-IP DNS Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

EfficientIP DNS Guardian vs. F5 BIG-IP DNS

September 2026

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Helped 920,929 peers since 2012

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

EfficientIP DNS Guardian

Ranking in Domain Name System (DNS) Security

14th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

F5 BIG-IP DNS

Ranking in Domain Name System (DNS) Security

7th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Domain Name System (DNS) Security category, the mindshare of EfficientIP DNS Guardian is 2.9%, down from 5.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of F5 BIG-IP DNS is 3.2%, down from 4.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Domain Name System (DNS) Security Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
F5 BIG-IP DNS	3.2%
EfficientIP DNS Guardian	2.9%
Other	93.9%

Domain Name System (DNS) Security

Featured Reviews

Stanislav Strijakov

Network Architect at University of Sydney

Helps deal with DNS DoS attacks and corrupt DNS requests

I know my company does come across problems related to the product, sometimes related to a configuration issue or a bug. My company receives good support from EfficientIP DNS Guardian's team, who are responsible and passionate about the product. As far as I know, all of my company's challenges and issues have been successfully resolved. I can't think of any weaknesses or issues which I would like to highlight in a significant manner. EfficientIP DNS Guardian has a certain default behavior that didn't meet our company's requirements. After the consultation with EfficientIP DNS Guardian's IT support, a configuration changed the product's default behavior, which was undesirable for us, to a desirable behavior. Certain issues happen in every product.

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Rajeevkumar Rai

Associate Consultant at HCLSoftware

Global load balancing has ensured continuous availability and optimized user response times

While F5 BIG-IP DNS is a very powerful solution, some improvements could enhance the overall experience. For example, the user interface could be more modern and simplified. The reporting and analytics features can be improved. Simplified deployment for cloud-native environments could be improved. Overall, F5 BIG-IP DNS is a robust and reliable solution for global traffic management and application availability. With its advanced traffic steering capability, we are definitely getting great benefits from that. However, the user interface is the major thing I think can be improved. The cost also can be reduced. Those are the two or three points that need to be improved. There is some scope for improvement, including the user interface and pricing. That is why I gave it a nine.

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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

"This product is very stable."

"You can run a DNS server directly from EfficientIP to help mitigate all DNS attacks from various sources. This is a very good feature."

"It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten."

"The most valuable feature of the solution is DNS security."

"F5 provides us with a mechanism to accomplish complex product balancing."

"For one of our clients, F5 improved global server load balancing with an active-active site configuration for Disaster Recovery."

"The main features valued in F5 BIG-IP include high availability, scalability, and protection of applications from attacks."

"BIG-IP DNS's best features are DNS monitoring and global service load balancing."

"BIG-IP DNS is more expensive than its competitors like Citrix, but it gives good value for money."

"F5 BIG-IP DNS stands out as they are number one when it comes to WAF and load balancing technologies, and they have plenty of add-on features such as APM and AFM to handle DDoS attacks, DNS security, and GSLB."

"F5 BIG-IP DNS has been rock solid in terms of stability for years."

"In summary, this is a good product and I recommend it."

More F5 BIG-IP DNS pros

Cons

"The problem with this vendor is that they are too focused on revenue and sales numbers."

"EfficientIP DNS Guardian has a certain default behavior that didn't meet our company's requirements."

"EfficientIP DNS Guardian's deployment documentation is very hard to find. The tech support's response is slow."

"I would like to see the login facilities improved, as well as more troubleshooting."

"The costs could always be a bit lower."

"The solution can improve by adding cloud integration through plugins or additional configurations so we can use F5 BIG-IP DNS to communicate with the cloud."

"The support response time could use improvement."

"The solution's initial setup is complex compared to Fortinet."

"I would like to see deeper integration with VMware in the sense that F5 compliments VMware, in the context of application availability."

"However, the user interface is the major thing I think can be improved. The cost also can be reduced."

"F5's technical support responds a little slowly."

More F5 BIG-IP DNS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"I rate the product price as three to four on a scale of one to ten, where one is low cost, and ten is high price."

"The solution is subscription-based."

"The price of this product is very reasonable, especially considering that a company's reputation is priceless."

"This product is quite pricey but if you compare the feature set and its compatibility with similar products on the market, you would understand why it's that price."

"They are competitively priced."

"You cannot do much around DDoS protection without an additional license from F5."

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

"BIG-IP DNS is more expensive than its competitors like Citrix, but it gives good value for money."

"In some cases, it is expensive."

"Cost is a factor. It is really costly."

"The on-prem version is only available on a yearly license, but the cloud version can be paid for on a day-by-day basis."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Government

10%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	10

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 BIG-IP DNS?

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing was good. We got great support from the F5 sales team. They helped us to deploy it in our organization.

See all answers

What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP DNS?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for F5 BIG-IP DNS?

My main use case for F5 BIG-IP DNS is creating an active-active setup. With two data centers, if I want to make them active-standby or active-active, my major use case is to redirect traffic from o...

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 10% of the time

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security vs EfficientIP DNS Guardian

Compared 9% of the time

Vercara UltraPlatform vs EfficientIP DNS Guardian

Compared 6% of the time

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Infoblox Advanced DNS Protection vs F5 BIG-IP DNS

Compared 18% of the time

BlueCat Edge vs F5 BIG-IP DNS

Compared 12% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs F5 BIG-IP DNS

Compared 9% of the time

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security vs F5 BIG-IP DNS

Compared 8% of the time

Akamai Secure Internet Access Enterprise vs F5 BIG-IP DNS

Compared 8% of the time

More F5 BIG-IP DNS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Domain Name System (DNS) Security

November 2026

Download EfficientIP DNS Guardian product report

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP DNS

November 2026

Download F5 BIG-IP DNS product report

Also Known As

No data available

F5 BIG-IP DNS, F5 DNS Delivery

Overview

EfficientIP DNS Guardian is designed to optimize enterprise network reliability, focusing on security and performance enhancements for DNS operations. It addresses challenges related to DNS management, providing robust protection against attacks while ensuring seamless network availability.

This solution delivers advanced capabilities for monitoring and managing DNS traffic, which are critical in defending against diverse network threats. EfficientIP DNS Guardian offers real-time analytics to identify and mitigate malicious activities. Its capability to handle high volumes of DNS requests enhances performance and maintains network integrity. Integration with existing infrastructure is streamlined, allowing businesses to achieve maximum efficiency without extensive disruptions.

What are the key features of EfficientIP DNS Guardian?

Advanced Threat Protection: Shields against DNS-based attacks, ensuring network security.
Real-Time DNS Traffic Analysis: Provides instant insights into DNS operations for quick threat detection.
High Availability & Load Balancing: Ensures uninterrupted network performance even under high demand.
Seamless Integration: Easily integrates with current systems to enhance DNS management capabilities.

What benefits can users expect when evaluating EfficientIP DNS Guardian?

Improved Network Security: Reduces the risk of downtime caused by DNS attacks.
Operational Efficiency: Streamlines DNS management and reduces manual intervention.
Cost Savings: Lowers expenses related to DNS-related security breaches and performance issues.

EfficientIP DNS Guardian is effectively implemented across industries like finance and healthcare, where maintaining secure and reliable DNS operations is crucial. These sectors can significantly benefit from its robust protection and efficient management features, ensuring that sensitive data remains protected and available at all times.

EfficientIP

F5 BIG-IP DNS provides intelligent traffic management and DNS security, enhancing application performance and availability through efficient load balancing and DDoS protection.

F5 BIG-IP DNS is a powerful tool for managing global traffic across data centers, offering robust security, scalability, and intelligent traffic steering based on server health and location. It balances traffic through its Global Traffic Manager and Global Server Load Balancing, ensuring high availability and improved performance. Users value its ease of configuration, stability, and cost-effectiveness, though improvements are needed in cloud integration, identity management, documentation, and deployment complexity. Pricing and documentation require refinement, while support response and VMware integration are also areas for potential growth.

What are the key features of F5 BIG-IP DNS?

Robust Security: Provides strong security with DNS and DDoS protection.
Global Server Load Balancing: Balances traffic across multiple servers and data centers to ensure high availability.
Intelligent Traffic Steering: Directs traffic based on server health and location, optimizing application performance.
Scalability: Ensures performance with scalable traffic management solutions.
Scripting Flexibility: Allows customization and automation through scripting capabilities.

What should users look for in reviews when evaluating F5 BIG-IP DNS?

Ease of Configuration: Simplifies setup and management.
Cost-Effectiveness: Provides value for investment with comprehensive features.
Stability: Offers reliable performance without frequent issues.
Availability and Recovery: Enhances disaster recovery and availability through robust load balancing.
DNS Security: Protects against DNS-related threats efficiently.

F5 BIG-IP DNS is often implemented in industries requiring high availability and security, such as finance and healthcare. These industries benefit from its capabilities in managing global server load balancing, DNS protection, and traffic distribution. Many organizations deploy it to ensure disaster recovery and improve application performance. It's used in conjunction with local traffic management and application security management to provide a comprehensive solution for businesses seeking reliability and security in their network operations.

Sample Customers

De Montfort University, STMicroelectronics, Leeds Beckett University

Ricacorp Properties, Bangladesh Post Office, Shawbrook Bank, Shinsegae Internet Duty Free

Buyer's Guide

EfficientIP DNS Guardian vs. F5 BIG-IP DNS

September 2026

Free Report: EfficientIP DNS Guardian vs. F5 BIG-IP DNS

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