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

F5 and Venn Software are both solutions in the Remote Access category. F5 is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.2, while Venn Software is ranked #23 with an average rating of 9.0. F5 holds a 1.3% mindshare in VUS, compared to Venn Software’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 88% of F5 users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Venn Software users who would recommend it.

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 7, 2024

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) and Venn Software are two leading products in the market. User reviews suggest that F5 BIG-IP APM is more favored for its support and deployment capabilities, whereas Venn Software is praised for its comprehensive feature set.

Features: F5 BIG-IP APM is valued for its robust security features, scalability, and seamless integration capabilities. Users particularly appreciate its policy-based access controls and versatile authentication options. Venn Software is known for its intuitive design, extensive customization, and easy management.

Room for Improvement: F5 BIG-IP APM users suggest enhancements in documentation, a more user-friendly learning curve, and lower initial setup costs. Venn Software users seek more advanced features, better integration with third-party applications, and improved performance monitoring tools.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: F5 BIG-IP APM is praised for quick deployment but has a steep learning curve. Its customer service is rated highly with a responsive support team. Venn Software stands out for its straightforward deployment process and user-friendly approach but has mixed reviews on customer service.

Pricing and ROI: F5 BIG-IP APM's setup costs are high, but users acknowledge the long-term return on investment due to its wide-ranging security features. Venn Software has a more affordable initial cost but mixed feedback on ROI, balancing its user-centric features against its lower price.

To learn more, read our detailed F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. Venn Software Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. Venn Software

April 2025

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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

Microsoft Intune

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 9.4%, down from 11.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is 1.3%, down from 1.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Venn Software is 0.6%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Remote Access

Featured Reviews

Joseph Merusi

Collaborations engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

Everything has worked better since we started using it

Sometimes the syncing is inconsistent. I'm confident that the devices are checking in every eight hours, but sometimes the devices aren't picking up the settings as quickly as I would expect. Some features haven't been updated in a while, and Microsoft doesn't seem interested in developing them. Unless you talk to an engineer, you don't know whether there will be an update. There are communication issues, so you might start working with a feature without knowing if it will be deprecated six months from now. Some reporting areas still need development. For example, I noticed that the reporting for driver updates is still confusing.

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Ashish Kumar Rai

Associate Network Engineer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Offers remote access control, good GUI and easy to configure

I'd suggest improved documentation integration directly within the GUI. Right now, finding comprehensive documentation often requires going to external websites like the community portal. In the APM interface itself, they could add direct hyperlinks to relevant online documentation. This would provide easy access to admin guides and other resources when working within the GUI.

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reviewer2110356

Growth Specialist at Digitrends Soultions

Great for hybrid workers, minimizes latency and delivers great performance

We haven't encountered major issues with the solution. We are really happy that we decided to purchase Venn Software, although they are quite new. The initial setup is seamless. It's not overly complex. In our experience, for the most part, the solution is reliable. We haven't experienced any bugs or glitches. That said, the performance could be a bit better. We'd like to see a bit more done with the deployment capabilities. The solution needs to offer better local or regional support to cater to offshore users.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The insights, even though we're talking about charts and graphs, are super valuable to customers who might not otherwise know what's in their ecosystem or the current state of things within their ecosystem."

"The initial setup is not complex."

"For our clients, the conditional access feature along with different compliance policies that they can set is valuable."

"The best features include the management, which is quite good, and endpoints."

"Implementing Microsoft Intune has provided a more streamlined and consistent method for device management across our multiple domains, effectively consolidating our administrative efforts."

"There are no complaints about the stability. It works one hundred percent of the time."

"Intune makes our organization more secure and flexible. We can onboard new employees faster and more securely. We are a governmental organization with strict regulations, and Intune helps us comply with those requirements."

"The aspects I find most valuable are the managing the data and applications. I can also restrict the users to install any applications. I can also wipe the data if the phone was missplaced or stolen. These are the basics for me."

More Microsoft Intune pros

"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."

"On a scale from one to ten for stability, I would rate F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) a ten."

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

"Stickiness is the most valuable feature of the product."

"The tool is reliable and easy to configure."

"F5 BIG-IP APM is relatively easy to use."

"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."

"The performance of the solution is valuable."

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

"It allows us to improve our security and prevent company files and data leaks."

"Since the software is launched directly from the computer, not remotely delivered, it has minimized latency and response time."

"We don't need to go to the physical office, and it only requires minimal supervision or assistance from our IT Team."

Cons

"In terms of what can be improved, I am looking for better enhancements regarding Apple management, not only on the mobile device, but also on the laptop."

"There is room for improvement in the remediation and detection modules, which are currently about eighty percent fully functional."

"Intune should support platforms other than Windows. We have encountered several limitations, especially when handling iOS devices."

"Customer service used to be better, but as we are nearing the end of the contract, the focus on investing in us as a customer has diminished. It is what one would expect in such a situation."

"We do not utilize Microsoft customer service and technical support since it is generally a waste of time."

"It would be better if I could integrate it with my core group policy. I would like to have a group policy in my current environment, which has strict control, but those things are still missing. Although it has maximum compliance and security, it's not available on-premise."

"Intune could be improved by expanding its third-party patching capabilities for a more comprehensive solution."

"The synchronization could be improved."

More Microsoft Intune cons

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

"The main improvement needed for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is to integrate into the cloud-delivered services from F5."

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

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

"I'd suggest improved documentation integration directly within the GUI. Right now, finding comprehensive documentation often requires going to external websites like the community portal."

"The operational deployment is not great."

"If I could copy and paste objects instead of picking and configuring them from scratch each time, it would be great."

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

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

"It would be better to have the back end more efficient."

"We'd like to see a bit more done with the deployment capabilities."

"Currently, Venn only uses two platforms/applications: Windows and Mac. It would be great if they could also add more platforms since some BYOD employees might be using an application other than Windows or Mac - for example, Linux."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is offered as part of a Microsoft standard bundle. The pricing can be competitive to Airwatch, and Maas360."

"Any bundle package, such as Security E3, covers multiple things, such as AAP, BitLocker, etc. If you go for them individually, they would be more expensive. Bundling makes the price more attractive and competitive."

"The pricing is inherently reasonable, as Microsoft leverages market insights to maintain the total cost of ownership at around ninety to ninety-five percent of what would be incurred in an on-premise scenario."

"Microsoft Intune has been incorporated into our Microsoft E5 licenses."

"Its price is in the medium range. It is acceptable because you're paying for the features. I am not aware of any additional costs."

"It is expensive. The cost depends on the license that we choose."

"There is a license needed to use the solution and we are on an annual license."

"For organizations that are a Microsoft shop, the pricing is compelling."

More Microsoft Intune pricing and cost advice

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

"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

Educational Organization

19%

Computer Software Company

12%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

11%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

15%

University

10%

Outsourcing Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

How does Microsoft Intune compare with VMware Workspace One?

Microsoft Intune is a great tool for managing a mobile device fleet while keeping access control. The solution makes ...

See all answers

What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune is a great configuration management tool and has a lot of good things going for it. Here are some of...

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How does Google Cloud Identity compare with Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune offers not only an easy-to-deploy data protection and productivity management solution, but also ...

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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 ...

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 purchas...

See all answers

What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM ( /categories/application-performance-monitoring-apm-and-observability )) does n...

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What do you like most about Venn Software?

We don't need to go to the physical office, and it only requires minimal supervision or assistance from our IT Team.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Venn Software?

There is one minor area of improvement for Venn. Compatibility. Currently, Venn only uses two platforms/applications:...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Venn Software?

We use Venn for our BYOD employees since we have implemented the remote work model. Remote work has become the 'new n...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Intune

April 2025

Download Microsoft Intune product report

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

May 2025

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

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

Buyer's Guide

Remote Access

May 2025

Download Venn Software product report

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager

F5 Access Policy Manager

No data available

Overview

Microsoft Intune provides centralized management of mobile devices and applications, ensuring security, compliance, and productivity through integration with Microsoft services like Microsoft 365 and Azure Active Directory.

Organizations use Intune for managing mobile devices and applications, enhancing security and compliance across platforms. With features like single sign-on, conditional access, and zero-touch deployment via Autopilot, it facilitates efficient operations. Intune's scalability, easy enrollment, and capabilities such as remote wipe support diverse device management, offering robust data protection and efficient operation. Despite its features, improvement areas include reporting, compatibility with non-Microsoft devices, and better support for macOS and Linux devices.

What are the key features of Microsoft Intune?

Seamless Integration: Works with Microsoft 365, Azure Active Directory, and System Center for streamlined management.
Conditional Access: Enhances security with policies that restrict access based on conditions.
Autopilot: Provides zero-touch deployment for setting up new devices efficiently.
Mobile Device Management: Enables control over both personal and corporate devices.
Application Deployment: Facilitates app delivery across a range of devices.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Centralized Management: Reduces complexity by managing devices and applications in one place.
Security Enhancement: Protects data with features like remote wipe and compliance monitoring.
Improved Productivity: Enhances efficiency with seamless integration and automation features.
Device Scalability: Supports diverse device management for growing business needs.

In industries such as finance, healthcare, and education, Microsoft Intune is implemented to ensure secure and compliant device management. Companies leverage its capabilities to deploy security policies and manage both corporate-owned and BYOD environments, facilitating a unified approach to data protection and compliance.

Microsoft

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.

Venn Software is a powerful platform lauded for its robust features, intuitive UI, and responsive customer support. Users appreciate its scalability, customization options, and seamless integration capabilities. However, a few reviews mention occasional performance issues and a steep learning curve, making it challenging for beginners. Based on user reviews, Venn Software provides a reliable solution for businesses seeking advanced functionality, but newcomers may require additional time and support to fully utilize its potential.

Venn Software

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway

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

Venn is currently being used by 700+ organizations. The newest version of our secure workspace is selling not only to our existing customer base but to new companies like Voya, ModSquad, TTech and many others.

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. Venn Software

April 2025

Free Report: F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. Venn Software

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