F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs SonicWall Global VPN Client comparison

F5 and SonicWall are both solutions in the SSL VPN category. F5 is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.3, while SonicWall is ranked #7 with an average rating of 10.0. F5 holds a 7.3% mindshare in SV, compared to SonicWall’s 2.6% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of F5 users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of SonicWall users who would recommend it.

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Man...

Read 18 F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) reviews

2,814 Views
478 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

SonicWall Global VPN Client

Read 3 SonicWall Global VPN Client reviews

227 Views
227 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Man...

SonicWall Global VPN Client

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager APM and SonicWall Global VPN Client compete in the VPN and access management category. SonicWall Global VPN Client emerges as the more budget-friendly option, while F5 BIG-IP APM offers superior security features.

Features: F5 BIG-IP APM provides advanced access control, application security, and granular policy enforcement suitable for complex network environments. SonicWall Global VPN Client focuses on simplicity, ease of use, and strong network connection stability, making it appealing to those who prefer straightforward solutions.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: F5 BIG-IP APM's deployment may require more resources and expertise, with comprehensive customer service support. SonicWall Global VPN Client presents a simpler deployment with a faster setup, accessible to small to medium-sized businesses and backed by good customer service.

Pricing and ROI: F5 BIG-IP APM typically incurs higher setup costs but can offer significant ROI for large, security-oriented organizations. SonicWall Global VPN Client offers a competitive pricing model that ensures efficient cost savings, delivering satisfactory ROI for smaller enterprises and budget-conscious buyers.

To learn more, read our detailed F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. SonicWall Global VPN Client Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. SonicWall Global VPN Client

December 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 880,481 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

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Man...

Ranking in SSL VPN

5th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (15th), Network Access Control (NAC) (7th), Remote Access (10th), Access Management (9th)

SonicWall Global VPN Client

Ranking in SSL VPN

7th

Average Rating

10.0

Reviews Sentiment

4.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the SSL VPN category, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is 7.3%, down from 14.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SonicWall Global VPN Client is 2.6%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

SSL VPN Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)	7.3%
SonicWall Global VPN Client	2.6%
Other	90.1%

SSL VPN

Featured Reviews

SÜ

SalihUcpinar

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.

Read full review

Winsley De Oliveira

Owner at ANOC

Reliable and efficient remote access boosts our network management capabilities

The SonicWall Global VPN Client is a very good product. Once I was connected for four days in a row with no faults or interruptions. It's fast, stable, and works. It's simple and effective. We use robust encryption protocols with the SonicWall Global VPN Client. These protocols help with maintaining confidentiality and security of the network data across our organization. Today it's a fact that you have to cryptograph your servers, hard disks, desktops, everything. The VPN is just part of that. The experience with the setup process and user interface of the SonicWall Global VPN Client is very easy. With the SonicWall Global VPN Client, you create a connection to the firewall, set up the cryptographic settings, keys, and passwords. Then download, create a download file, import in the client, enter username and password, and it's done. It is absolutely very simple.

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

"The product allows us to create customized portals for your users."

"Our customers have never complained about the stability"

"The most valuable feature is the virtual IP creation. It's our most frequently used feature."

"The solution is stable and reliable."

"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."

"The portal access was very good."

"This is a product that is easy to install and integrate, and it is simple to use."

"A lot of features are useful to me, including mostly the authentication, SAML, or SSO, with no sign-on."

More F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) pros

"It simplifies connecting remote clients to secure networks without extensive configuration."

"This VPN has a secure tunnel created between the end user and the standard machine. This secure connection facilitates the transfer of data without compromising on security or speed."

Cons

"The initial setup was complex."

"I have had a lot of issues in the past few months with the agents, which was disappointing."

"F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) does not have a direction for SaaS."

"We do not have knowledgeable support teams locally."

"The solution is quite costly."

"The technical support’s response time must be improved."

"Integrating identity providers and single sign-on solutions can simplify user authentication and access control."

"In my opinion, the GUI side needs some improvement based on my usage. Sometimes, it doesn't work as efficiently as the CLI side."

More F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) cons

"The product's integration process need improvement with certain regional network configurations, especially in locations where ISP practices can affect performance."

"There is always a delay in response when I try to work on the VPN."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Recently, they have simplified the licensing"

"The tool is a little bit expensive."

"I rate the tool's pricing an eight out of ten."

"The product is very expensive."

"It is a cost-effective product."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which SSL VPN solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

880,481 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

Computer Software Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	9

No data available

Questions from the Community

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.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SonicWall Global VPN Client?

In terms of pricing, normally a firewall box or appliance comes with some licenses. When we develop a solution for a company with a hundred users, normally 10% of that has remote access. So 10 VPN ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SonicWall Global VPN Client?

The only thing that we don't really appreciate about SonicWall, not specifically SonicWall but in general, is the SSL VPNs. We're still using GVC, the SonicWall Global VPN Client. The SonicWall Glo...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SonicWall Global VPN Client?

I have been using the SonicWall Global VPN Client for thirty years. We have a company here in Brazil that has extensive access to our customers' networks, all through site-to-site VPNs for managing...

See all answers

Comparisons

Ivanti Connect Secure vs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

Compared 6% of the time

CyberArk Privileged Access Manager vs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

Compared 5% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

Compared 5% of the time

Citrix Gateway vs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

Compared 4% of the time

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) vs F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

Compared 4% of the time

More F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) Competitors

Ivanti Connect Secure vs SonicWall Global VPN Client

Compared 100% of the time

More SonicWall Global VPN Client Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

January 2026

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

Download F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) product report

Buyer's Guide

SSL VPN

January 2026

Download SonicWall Global VPN Client product report

Also Known As

F5 Access Policy Manager

No data available

Overview

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is an access management proxy solution for managing global access to the enterprise networks, cloud providers, applications, and application programming interfaces (APIs). Through a single management interface, BIG-IP APM consolidates remote, mobile, network, virtual, and web access.

BIG-IP APM can also serve as a bridge between modern and classic authentication and authorization protocols and methods. For applications which are unable to support modern authentication and authorization protocols, like SAML and OAuth with OIDC, but which do support classic authentication methods, BIG-IP APM converts user credentials to the appropriate authentication standard supported by the application.

BIG-IP APM Benefits:

Ease of use
Flexibility
Ability to integrate with other systems
Security features
Granular access control
Responsive and helpful support team

BIG-IP APM Features:

Support for Identity Aware Proxy (IAP) enabling Zero Trust application access
Context-based authorization with dynamic L4/L7 ACLs
Integration with third-party MFA solutions
DTLS 2.0 mode for delivering and securing applications
SAML 2.0 identity federation support
Support for OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol
SSO support for classic authentication (Kerberos, header- based, etc.), credential caching, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0, and FIDO2 (U2F)
AAA server authentication and high-availability
Integration with leading IAM vendor products (Microsoft, Okta, Ping Identity)
BIG IP Edge Client and F5 Access integrate with VMware Horizon ONE (AirWatch), Microsoft Intune and IBM MaaS360
Risk-based access leveraging third-party UEBA and risk engines (HTTP Connector)

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by BIG-IP APM users.

Mahmmoud Rabie, Senior Site Reliability Engineer, writes that BIG-IP APM is "A highly stable solution for load balancing, but the initial setup is complex."

Clyde Livingston, Senior Process Specialist at Telstra, says that BIG-IP APM is "Easy to use, useful access remotely, but lacking stability."

Chris Lam, Senior Solution Consultant at Macroview Telecom Limited, states that BIG-IP APM is "Useful for remote access VPN and VPI integration with VMware.

SonicWall Global VPN Client provides a secure and scalable VPN solution suited for businesses seeking robust remote access with easy deployment and centralized management.

This VPN client offers a comprehensive range of features for secure remote connectivity, making it appropriate for businesses of all sizes. It supports centralized management, allowing IT teams to configure and monitor connections with ease. With a focus on security, it uses advanced encryption technologies to protect data transmissions. It integrates seamlessly with SonicWall's hardware and software, ensuring optimal performance and reliability. This flexibility makes it a favored choice for businesses aiming to maintain secure operations with employees working remotely.

What are the valuable features of SonicWall Global VPN Client?

Easy Deployment: Facilitates quick setup and configuration.
Centralized Management: Offers comprehensive control over multiple users.
Advanced Encryption: Ensures secure data transmission across networks.
Seamless Integration: Works well with SonicWall products for enhanced performance.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces overhead related to secure remote access infrastructure.
Scalability: Supports growing businesses without sacrificing performance.
Enhanced Security: Protects sensitive corporate data from cyber threats.
Improved Productivity: Enables uninterrupted workflow for remote employees.

SonicWall Global VPN Client is widely implemented in sectors like healthcare, finance, and education, where data security is crucial. Its advanced security features and seamless remote access integration support industries with stringent compliance and remote collaboration requirements.

SonicWall

Sample Customers

City Bank, Ricacorp Properties, Miele, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. SonicWall Global VPN Client

December 2025

Free Report: F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. SonicWall Global VPN Client

Find out what your peers are saying about F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. SonicWall Global VPN Client and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

880,481 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. SonicWall Global VPN Client report.

See our list of best SSL VPN vendors.

We monitor all SSL VPN reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.