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

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.4
ExtremeControl's ROI opinions varied, with mixed views on financial returns, Wi-Fi connectivity, security benefits, and cost concerns.
Sentiment score
6.8
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager offers cost savings, quick ROI, and enhances security by ensuring crucial access and reducing costs.
Having good connectivity through Wi-Fi is essential for the entire business.
Manager, Service Delivery & Support at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
ExtremeControl's support is praised for problem-solving but criticized for upgrade policies, varying satisfaction levels among users.
Sentiment score
6.8
F5 BIG-IP APM customer service receives mixed reviews, with some praising responsiveness and others citing delays and communication issues.
For technical support of ExtremeControl, I have no doubts that they cope with problems effectively.
System Engineer at Poczta FM
They do not offer straightforward support if there is an issue unless we upgrade.
Manager, Service Delivery & Support at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
Most of the technical support is managed in-house due to our extensive experience with F5 products.
Business Development Manager at Pylones
Even if they respond, they don't update me with the process or what's going on.
Professional Services Specialist at a security firm with 51-200 employees
F5 technical support is responsive and helpful.
Solutions Manager at Macroview Telecom Limited
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.7
Opinions on ExtremeControl's scalability vary, with some praising its capacity while others find it limited across platforms.
Sentiment score
7.3
F5 BIG-IP APM scales for diverse deployments, offering flexibility and effective tools, though hardware limitations might challenge scalability.
For scalability in larger environments, it can be rated a maximum of 10.
System Engineer at Poczta FM
The product's flexibility and company culture contribute to resolving these challenges.
Business Development Manager at Pylones
I would rate the scalability of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) between seven and eight.
Solutions Manager at Macroview Telecom Limited
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.7
ExtremeControl is highly stable, with users consistently rating it 8-9/10, indicating reliable performance meeting expectations.
Sentiment score
7.9
F5 BIG-IP APM is praised for reliability, performance, and minimal bugs, with minor suggestions for log clarity improvement.
On a scale from one to ten for stability, I would rate F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) a ten.
Solutions Manager at Macroview Telecom Limited
Sometimes, the logs are not quite informational or easy to understand.
Professional Services Specialist at a security firm with 51-200 employees
 

Room For Improvement

ExtremeControl requires better user control, third-party integration, on-premise enhancements, and clarity on wireless component configuration for optimal performance.
F5 BIG-IP APM requires improvements in pricing, cloud integration, user interface, documentation, support, and additional features for enhanced performance.
We rely more on the cloud for analytics rather than on-premise, and some customers prefer relying on an on-premise solution rather than a cloud solution.
Engineer at NewLogics
There is also another product called UZTNA, which is said to have NAC in this solution, but it is not as advanced as our regular ExtremeControl.
System Engineer at Poczta FM
For their wired network, especially with third-party switching, this is where most of the features are lost.
Manager, Service Delivery & Support at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
The main improvement needed for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is to integrate into the cloud-delivered services from F5.
Business Development Manager at Pylones
If I could copy and paste objects instead of picking and configuring them from scratch each time, it would be great.
Professional Services Specialist at a security firm with 51-200 employees
The ability to run the Anycast feature would be valuable, as the current solution only operates on-premises.
Senior Cyber Security Consultant at KoçSistem
 

Setup Cost

ExtremeControl offers competitive pricing for large enterprises, but may be costly for smaller ones due to minimum user requirements.
F5 BIG-IP APM is costly but valued for high performance, with unpredictable cloud pricing and additional fees for features.
Compared to other competitors, they have the best pricing.
Manager, Service Delivery & Support at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
The pricing of ExtremeControl is considerable; I would rate it at eight or nine.
Engineer at NewLogics
Below this number, we are not competitive with other vendors.
System Engineer at Poczta FM
F5 products are more expensive than other solutions but are valued for their quality and reliability.
Business Development Manager at Pylones
 

Valuable Features

ExtremeControl provides robust security, seamless integration, and easy use with flexible policies and comprehensive network monitoring.
F5 BIG-IP APM offers secure remote access with SSL VPN, multi-factor authentication, and comprehensive integration and security features.
The biggest benefits for my customers from ExtremeControl include the ability to integrate third-party devices, integration with user databases like Microsoft Active Directory or other directory software, and it is easy to maintain by customers.
System Engineer at Poczta FM
Integrating ExtremeControl with ExtremeConnect provides an additional layer of security and control over what devices are onboarding to the network, granting full visibility.
Engineer at NewLogics
The most effective feature of ExtremeControl is that whenever any user is connected through the network, I can really dig down and check exactly what applications they have been using.
Manager, Service Delivery & Support at a consultancy with 51-200 employees
APM is quite flexible for customers to use, providing secure remote access through various host-checking conditions for both machines and users.
Solutions Manager at Macroview Telecom Limited
It provides robust security and offers integration with multi-factor authentication systems, which is crucial for an organization's security policy.
Business Development Manager at Pylones
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) provides excellent WAF and bot defense solutions.
Senior Cyber Security Consultant at KoçSistem
 

Categories and Ranking

ExtremeControl
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
11th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.1
Number of Reviews
8
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Man...
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
8th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (13th), SSL VPN (5th), Remote Access (12th), Access Management (11th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Network Access Control (NAC) category, the mindshare of ExtremeControl is 2.1%, up from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is 1.4%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Access Control (NAC) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)1.4%
ExtremeControl2.1%
Other96.5%
Network Access Control (NAC)
 

Featured Reviews

JZ
System Engineer at Poczta FM
Features support flexible integration and high compatibility with third-party equipment
I have a little experience with reporting and analytics tools for network visibility in ExtremeControl, but I am not a specialist. I'm not a big fan of this analytics feature because it is an in-built component, and customers usually don't use it frequently since they often don't measure it. It is not very popular among my customers right now. I would definitely recommend ExtremeControl to customers because we can support many features as they need, and we can provide a demo license for even 80 days for testing all required features, which is not a problem for us. On a scale of 1-10, I rate ExtremeControl a 10.
Senior Cyber Security Consultant at KoçSistem
Has provided reliable policy controls and secure web access for large enterprises
I consider Cloudflare when evaluating centralized access control features; Cloudflare utilizes multi-factor authentication and full API support, while F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) needs to enhance its API support. I recommend F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) for large companies such as Tüpraş and Ford. Tüpraş is one of the biggest companies in Turkey, along with other customers such as Tofaş, Euroko, Koç Holding, and more. For on-premises deployment, I would rate it a 10. For cloud deployment, I would rate it a seven. I primarily use it on-premises. I rate F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) eight out of ten.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
University
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Performing Arts
8%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise3
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise9
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about ExtremeControl?
It has effectively enhanced network security and integrated with other security tools to streamline operations.
What needs improvement with ExtremeControl?
Regarding improvements for ExtremeControl, I think it is good as it is; however, some other products can support features like certificate management, which ExtremeControl currently lacks. Adding c...
What is your primary use case for ExtremeControl?
The main use cases for ExtremeControl among my customers are to authenticate the users here for the end systems in their companies and to manage authentication, authorization, and systems, and they...
What do you like most about F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?
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.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?
F5 products are more expensive than other solutions but are valued for their quality and reliability, akin to purchasing a Bentley as opposed to an Audi.
What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is not user-friendly and operates slowly. Additional features for architecture such as Anycast would be beneficial. The ability to run the Anycast feature woul...
 

Also Known As

Extreme Access Control, Enterasys NAC
F5 Access Policy Manager
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Street Crane, Robert Bosch, Molex Chengdu, Weir Valves & Controls UK, Renault, AESSEAL, Ducati, Alexander Dennis, UK Ministry of Defence, Manz
City Bank, Ricacorp Properties, Miele, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office
Find out what your peers are saying about ExtremeControl vs. F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
884,706 professionals have used our research since 2012.