EfficientIP DNS Guardian vs F5 BIG-IP DNS comparison

EfficientIP and F5 are both solutions in the Domain Name System (DNS) Security category. EfficientIP is ranked #7 with an average rating of 7.5, while F5 is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.7. EfficientIP holds a 6.7% mindshare in DS, compared to F5’s 6.3% 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

1,161 Views
1,161 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

F5 BIG-IP DNS

Read 21 F5 BIG-IP DNS reviews

1,390 Views
1,390 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

EfficientIP DNS Guardian

F5 BIG-IP DNS

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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: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

EfficientIP DNS Guardian vs. F5 BIG-IP DNS

July 2025

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Helped 867,341 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

7th

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

4th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Domain Name System (DNS) Security category, the mindshare of EfficientIP DNS Guardian is 6.7%, up from 5.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of F5 BIG-IP DNS is 6.3%, down from 6.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Domain Name System (DNS) Security Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
F5 BIG-IP DNS	6.3%
EfficientIP DNS Guardian	6.7%
Other	87.0%

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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Raja Waqar Ahmad

Sr. Network Engineer at Tekboox

Suitable for use cases around multiple data centers and provides good stability

F5 is working on improving its identity management features. This is an important area for improvement, as it is a key component of Zero Trust architecture. So, when I was working on the zero-trust architecture, I noticed that there was a lack of documentation. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published some documentation and frameworks for ZTA implementation. In the NIST framework, multiple vendors can be used for different components of the architecture. For example, for identity management, common vendors include Azure, Intune, AWS, Cisco Duo, and Zscaler. I remember reading about F5 mentioned in the context of the ZTA framework. So, it's encouraging to read that F5 is being considered for ZTA implementations. Netskope is also using F5 for their ZTA solutions. I would also like to see all of F5's features integrated into a single box, as it would be the most beneficial for end customers. F5 is already enhancing its security capabilities. Initially, load balancing and security required separate devices, but now F5 offers solutions that combine both functionalities in a single device.

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

"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."

"One of the most effective feature of F5 BIG-IP DNS is its robustness and integration with our existing F5 infrastructure. It helps us to geographically connect and form an internal topology network with our clients."

"The GTM feature is very good, It's very useful, especially if we have multiple data centers. If we want to load balance traffic from multiple data centers, the GTM feature is very useful."

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

"The management is very easy."

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

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

"F5 technical support is quite good and they follow up if there are any issues."

"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."

More F5 BIG-IP DNS pros

Cons

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

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

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

"In the product, one of the shortcomings is related to its configuration part...Though you can find some manuals or F5 documents, in real life, it's very hard to understand this product."

"The support response time could use improvement."

"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 IP intelligent services are good for mitigating threats, but there are also false positives. So, it's not a standalone solution that can cover everything."

"The initial setup is a step-by-step process, so it can be a bit complicated for someone who's using it for the first time."

"The tool needs to improve its UI."

"CNC (control and command) communication would be beneficial. We would like to have control and command blocking to prevent visiting malicious websites."

More F5 BIG-IP DNS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is subscription-based."

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

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

"They are competitively priced."

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

"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."

"In some cases, it is expensive."

"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."

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

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

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

University

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

16%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	9

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about EfficientIP DNS Guardian?

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

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for EfficientIP DNS Guardian?

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.

See all answers

What needs improvement with EfficientIP DNS Guardian?

See all answers

What do you like most about F5 BIG-IP DNS?

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

See all answers

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

In terms of pricing, F5 BIG-IP is not cheaper compared to other solutions like Fortinet or Citrix. The cost can be high due to its comprehensive modules.

See all answers

What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP DNS?

When it comes to denial of service or DNS security, F5 is not the best vendor as dedicated vendors such as Arbor for denial of service and Infoblox for DNS security offer more comprehensive solutio...

See all answers

Comparisons

Infoblox Advanced DNS Protection vs EfficientIP DNS Guardian

Compared 73% of the time

Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense vs EfficientIP DNS Guardian

Compared 6% of the time

BlueCat Edge vs EfficientIP DNS Guardian

Compared 5% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs EfficientIP DNS Guardian

Compared 4% of the time

Palo Alto Networks DNS Security vs EfficientIP DNS Guardian

Compared 4% of the time

More EfficientIP DNS Guardian Competitors

Infoblox Advanced DNS Protection vs F5 BIG-IP DNS

Compared 59% of the time

Cisco Umbrella vs F5 BIG-IP DNS

Compared 13% of the time

BlueCat Edge vs F5 BIG-IP DNS

Compared 6% of the time

CIRA Anycast DNS vs F5 BIG-IP DNS

Compared 4% of the time

Infoblox BloxOne Threat Defense vs F5 BIG-IP DNS

Compared 3% of the time

More F5 BIG-IP DNS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Domain Name System (DNS) Security

August 2025

Download EfficientIP DNS Guardian product report

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP DNS

September 2025

Download F5 BIG-IP DNS product report

Also Known As

No data available

F5 BIG-IP DNS, F5 DNS Delivery

Overview

DNS Guardian delivers built-in security to cache, recursive and authoritative DNS servers. It is the premier secure DNS appliance on the market offering complete and real-time DNS Transaction Inspection (DTI), enabling in-depth understanding of the context of client requests.

EfficientIP

F5® BIG-IP® DNS distributes DNS and user application requests based on business policies, data center and cloud service conditions, user location, and application performance. BIG-IP DNS is commonly configured as a full proxy to provide global server load balancing (GSLB) for applications and DNS across architectures, and across the globe.

The BIG-IP platform delivers DNS services with visibility, reporting, and analysis; scales and secures DNS responses geographically to survive increased traffic or threats; delivers a real-time DNSSEC solution; designed to provide availability of global applications in all cloud environments.

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

July 2025

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

Find out what your peers are saying about EfficientIP DNS Guardian vs. F5 BIG-IP DNS and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

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