F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) and GoodAccess compete in the network security category. F5 appears to have the upper hand in handling complex network environments, while GoodAccess excels in simplicity and cost-effectiveness for smaller teams.
Features: F5 BIG-IP APM provides advanced login capabilities, SSL VPN, and comprehensive customization tools, ideal for large organizations. GoodAccess emphasizes robust security measures, fixed IP functionality, and straightforward centralized access controls, facilitating a seamless connection.
Room for Improvement: F5 BIG-IP APM could enhance cloud service integration, update its interface, and improve its support system. GoodAccess might expand server regions, refine its interface, and strengthen threat detection mechanisms. Both solutions would benefit from better update communications.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: F5 BIG-IP APM is predominantly on-premises and hybrid, supported by detailed but sometimes slow customer service. GoodAccess offers efficient cloud deployment with excellent support responsiveness and flexible assistance across various environments.
Pricing and ROI: F5 BIG-IP APM has a high cost reflecting its complexity but delivers strong ROI for many users. GoodAccess provides competitive pricing, particularly attractive to smaller organizations, underscoring simplicity and scalability in its cost framework. Both offer significant ROI aligning with user business needs.
With iboss, whenever you turn on your laptop, the iboss agent automatically connects to the iboss cloud, enforcing all security policies. So with respect to the security side, it strengthens measures.
I have seen some cost effectiveness from iboss; it has reduced certain support requirements, making it a more hands-off solution.
They are very fast, responsive, and knowledgeable.
The quality of the support is fantastic.
We had promising discussions about resolving these issues, but no real action followed.
Even if they respond, they don't update me with the process or what's going on.
Most of the technical support is managed in-house due to our extensive experience with F5 products.
F5 technical support is responsive and helpful.
They are also able to meet on-demand requirements based on your contract with them, and can easily provide adequate resources and scalability.
I would rate it a nine out of ten for scalability.
If I start seeing sluggishness or anything like that, I just reach out to my rep, and they connect with their dev team, typically resolving it the same day.
The product's flexibility and company culture contribute to resolving these challenges.
I would rate the scalability of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) between seven and eight.
It's been pretty solid; I've never had an outage with them, and if I ever had, it's only been once out of the seven years.
We've experienced zero downtime.
Our biggest problem with their service was it did not recognize the device despite our ClearPass sending information to the iboss box.
On a scale from one to ten for stability, I would rate F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) a ten.
Sometimes, the logs are not quite informational or easy to understand.
It is not as intuitive as the rest of the platform.
We also had a problem with a transition when we upgraded from one appliance of theirs to another, but their engineer lost a good deal of our data.
Our iboss subscription access should be more secure with an OTP or VPN etc.
If I could copy and paste objects instead of picking and configuring them from scratch each time, it would be great.
The main improvement needed for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is to integrate into the cloud-delivered services from F5.
The ability to run the Anycast feature would be valuable, as the current solution only operates on-premises.
I would like to see more options and more granular controls for users who know what they are doing as an administrator.
It offers the same features you would get from a vendor that charges 250,000 British pounds for a fraction of the price.
The following year, the cost of just licensing was similar to what was paid the previous year for a new appliance along with the implementation and licensing costs.
Regarding pricing, setup costs, and licensing, iboss is not cheap, and that's my only concern.
F5 products are more expensive than other solutions but are valued for their quality and reliability.
The solution's mental health function can detect if someone needs help.
It's given us a lot more visibility into our computer assets that may be infected with viruses and also shows us people who have unusually large uploads or might be engaging in high-risk activities, such as searches or going to sites not categorized by their web crawler.
iboss was the best solution for us because, no matter what domain you were in, everything is under a single pane of glass, which is exactly what we wanted.
APM is quite flexible for customers to use, providing secure remote access through various host-checking conditions for both machines and users.
It provides robust security and offers integration with multi-factor authentication systems, which is crucial for an organization's security policy.
A lot of features are useful to me, including mostly the authentication, SAML, or SSO, with no sign-on.
GoodAccess has positively impacted my organization as we have fewer IPs to whitelist and limited access for anybody outside of our organization into our internal systems.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| iboss | 3.5% |
| F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) | 1.5% |
| GoodAccess | 0.9% |
| Other | 94.1% |


| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 7 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 7 |
| Large Enterprise | 9 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 9 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 2 |
| Large Enterprise | 9 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 21 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 4 |
| Large Enterprise | 1 |
Iboss offers a comprehensive cloud-based security platform valued for its scalability and autonomous features, ensuring robust security with easy deployment and management capabilities.
Renowned for its robust security architecture, Iboss integrates seamlessly within diverse networks, delivering efficient granular filtering and advanced content categorization. Its single pane of glass console provides ease of management, allowing rapid scalability suitable for rapidly deploying environments. Operates in BYOD setups due to inline filtering without device installation. Integration with cloud-based applications enhances user control, and features like SASE, SSL inspection, and ChatGPT risk protection stand as highlights. Despite its strengths, users have pointed out areas for enhancement like direct navigation in reports, SSL decryption, and better cloud integration while having room to improve data loss prevention.
What are the most important features of Iboss?The usage of Iboss spans educational institutions, specifically K-12, to enforce internet policies, protect data, and support remote work environments. It provides web filtering and security frameworks to ensure safe browsing. Its platform-as-a-service model offers flexibility for both cloud-based and on-premises requirements, integrating seamlessly to deliver enhanced security features suitable for various deployment needs including zero trust, CASB, and network security for work-from-home setups.
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) enhances access management by offering remote application access through SSL VPN, secure access verification, and login capabilities. Its user-friendly interface and robust security ensure efficient scalability and performance.
F5 BIG-IP APM serves enterprises by integrating multiple authentication protocols and supporting remote access via SSL VPN for secure application and network connections. Known for its strong performance and reliable scalability, APM allows custom policy management, facilitating load balancing and enhanced server management through virtual IP creation. It offers a secure bridge for users to connect to private networks while managing access through portals and enforcing compliance checks. Despite its efficient and user-friendly interface, APM has areas needing improvements such as updates for MacOS access, comprehensive reporting features, and simplifying the initial setup process. Better documentation and improved cloud integration are also areas for potential enhancement, alongside more efficient management and automation capabilities. Pricing and integration with other systems could be more competitive, and improvements in support response times would benefit users significantly.
What are the key features of F5 BIG-IP APM?In sectors like finance and healthcare, F5 BIG-IP APM ensures secure access management for sensitive data networks. Retailers utilize it to manage seasonal traffic efficiently with its load balancing and scalability, while educational institutions leverage its robust security and remote access features for faculty and students accessing campus networks remotely. These industries benefit from tailored policy management and comprehensive authentication integration to meet specific security and access needs.
GoodAccess is a cybersecurity platform enabling medium-sized enterprises to implement Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) effortlessly, offering protection for remote and hybrid workforces.
GoodAccess empowers enterprises by providing a low-code, hardware-free SASE/SSE platform. It simplifies deploying zero trust architectures quickly, integrating with both modern SaaS applications and legacy systems. This makes it an ideal choice for businesses with 50-5,000 employees, particularly those adopting multi-cloud and SaaS environments. GoodAccess safeguards infrastructures by unifying them under a stringent zero-trust model, utilizing advanced technologies to address major cybersecurity challenges.
What are the key features of GoodAccess?GoodAccess finds application in industries focusing on remote work, particularly those needing secure point-to-point network connections. It serves technical teams seeking to optimize cloud operations, enhance network management, and ensure compliance. The platform is valuable for organizations aiming to support a hybrid workforce and achieve robust endpoint protection.
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