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

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 15, 2026

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

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Man...
Ranking in Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
18th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
Network Access Control (NAC) (11th), SSL VPN (7th), Remote Access (18th), Access Management (14th)
Prisma Access Browser
Ranking in Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
16th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
4.4
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Browsers (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Secure Web Gateways (SWG) category, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is 1.4%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Prisma Access Browser is 2.5%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Prisma Access Browser2.5%
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)1.4%
Other96.1%
Secure Web Gateways (SWG)
 

Featured Reviews

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.
reviewer2750658 - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant Avant Vente Cybersécurité at a comms service provider with 5,001-10,000 employees
Browser security has strengthened web DLP and protects unmanaged devices from data exfiltration
SD-WAN capability is another solution, and it is not Prisma Access Browser; we do not have SD-WAN capability with Prisma Access Browser. I would like to improve the private access to do the ZTNA. I think that Palo Alto has released the versions and integrated the private access in Prisma Access Browser, but I'm not sure. The feature that is missing in Prisma Access Browser is the capability to monitor the private access where a user can access a private app with authentication, posture, and granular access. Regarding the pricing aspect, many customers find that the solution is a little bit expensive. Palo Alto should reconsider the pricing as it is a bit expensive.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Our customers have never complained about the stability"
"On a scale from one to ten for stability, I would rate F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) a ten."
"F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) provides excellent WAF and bot defense solutions."
"The performance of the solution is valuable."
"The tool is reliable and easy to configure."
"We have seen a return on investment from F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager. It provided access at a time when we didn't have it."
"This is a product that is easy to install and integrate, and it is simple to use."
"It was very stable, the solution itself."
"Prisma Access Browser is the most capable, advanced, and flexible product."
"The most interesting use case that interests our customers is the DLP features on Prisma Access Browser; it is a great DLP solution with watermark and prevents data exfiltration."
"Prisma Access Browser improves security because the browser is one of the attack surfaces, it needs more security on the endpoint device and standardization of device usage, and it also helps standardize the access policy to the internet."
 

Cons

"F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) does not have a direction for SaaS."
"I have had a lot of issues in the past few months with the agents, which was disappointing."
"F5 BIG-IP APM disconnects when you leave it for long enough, but that is natural for IT solutions to do. That's a little bit frustrating."
"F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager has room for improvement in integration with other products."
"If I could copy and paste objects instead of picking and configuring them from scratch each time, it would be great."
"The solution’s GUI looks very old."
"Integrating identity providers and single sign-on solutions can simplify user authentication and access control."
"The stability of the F5 BIG-IP APM could be better."
"The maturity of the product needs improvement as the implementation is very complex."
"On a scale of one to 10, I would rate Palo Alto's customer service or technical support as three. Their support is very poor."
"In the beginning, the solution may not be very user-friendly and could be complex."
"Regarding the pricing aspect, many customers find that the solution is a little bit expensive."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Recently, they have simplified the licensing"
"The product is very expensive."
"The tool is a little bit expensive."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
8%
Construction Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
University
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise9
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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...
What is your primary use case for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?
I am using F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) along with Bot Management, API Gateway, API Security, and F5 Cloud. I am using F5 Advanced WAF, but I switch between ZTNA solutions such as FortiSAS...
What needs improvement with Prisma Access Browser?
SD-WAN capability is another solution, and it is not Prisma Access Browser; we do not have SD-WAN capability with Prisma Access Browser. I would like to improve the private access to do the ZTNA. I...
What is your primary use case for Prisma Access Browser?
We are integrators, and we do not use Prisma Access Browser for our personal use or professional use; we use Prisma Access Browser to present the solution to our customers and to try to sell this s...
What advice do you have for others considering Prisma Access Browser?
With granular policy enforcement, we can enforce policy for users, groups of users, or many domains; we can whitelist, blacklist, and in DLP, we have a main use case to block or prevent exfiltratio...
 

Also Known As

F5 Access Policy Manager
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

City Bank, Ricacorp Properties, Miele, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office
Lemonade, Rapyd, Telit Cinterion, Landry’s, Golden Nugget, Houston Rockets
Find out what your peers are saying about F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. Prisma Access Browser and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
909,725 professionals have used our research since 2012.