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F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) vs Link11 comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 18, 2026

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
7.2
F5 BIG-IP AFM offers ROI and cost efficiency when integrated, but standalone ROI is below average, despite perceived value.
Sentiment score
7.2
Link11 provided cost-effective security management, ensuring network protection, compliance, and seamless e-commerce operations with complete return on investment.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.5
F5 BIG-IP AFM support is praised for professionalism but needs faster ticket resolution and improved recommendation accuracy.
Sentiment score
8.3
Link11 customer service is praised for its expert support, though time zone differences can impact communication efforts.
The responses are generally fast and effective.
System Advisor at CRIF SpA
The customer service is excellent, and I rate it ten out of ten.
Network Security Engineer at IIPL
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager offers scalable, efficient management for hybrid setups, supporting organizational growth and cloud migration.
Sentiment score
7.6
Link11 offers seamless scalability, efficiently managing high-traffic and adapting to changes while ensuring uninterrupted service during digital attacks.
The solution is highly scalable, allowing me to add or remove nodes and manage traffic without interruption, which is essential for meeting application demands.
System Advisor at CRIF SpA
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.4
F5 BIG-IP AFM is lauded for its stability and reliability, with high user ratings and minimal operational issues.
Sentiment score
8.3
Link11 users appreciate its reliability, stability, and performance, noting minimal downtime and resolved setup challenges, reinforcing confidence.
 

Room For Improvement

F5 BIG-IP AFM is costly, complex, needs dashboard improvements, enhanced features, better integration, and concerns over CPU and support.
Enhance Link11 with intuitive interfaces, real-time alerts, automated reporting, improved WAF, unified panels, and better bot management.
Having advanced technology similar to other vendors like Palo Alto for zero-day attack prevention would be valuable.
Network Security Engineer at IIPL
The appliance and features could be enhanced further, especially in terms of security.
System Advisor at CRIF SpA
 

Setup Cost

F5 BIG-IP AFM is costly but justified by its features, with pricing for licenses and potential extra feature fees.
Link11 offers adaptable pricing with flexible plans and discounts, enhancing value despite perceived high costs for enterprises.
The standard license is reasonably priced, but additional features like the WAF can be more expensive.
System Advisor at CRIF SpA
If considering a one-stop solution that provides load balancing, DNS security, AAA authentication, and firewalling on the same hardware, the cost is reasonable.
Network Security Engineer at IIPL
 

Valuable Features

F5 BIG-IP AFM offers robust network security, ease of use, and supports cloud migration with AI-driven features.
Link11 and Reblaze provide advanced security features, effective threat management, and seamless integration for comprehensive protection across platforms.
The solution provides behavioral analysis via AI to detect malicious traffic.
Network Security Engineer at IIPL
The most valuable features for me are stability, availability, and security, along with the ability to manage multiple features to secure my applications.
System Advisor at CRIF SpA
 

Categories and Ranking

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall...
Ranking in Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection
13th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Link11
Ranking in Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection
23rd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
10
Ranking in other categories
CDN (15th), Web Application Firewall (WAF) (36th), Bot Management (10th), API Security (22nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection category, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) is 1.2%, down from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Link11 is 2.4%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)1.2%
Link112.4%
Other96.4%
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection
 

Featured Reviews

Pawel Augustyn - PeerSpot reviewer
System Advisor at CRIF SpA
Provides outstanding resource management and application security across multiple geographies
The most valuable features for me are stability, availability, and security, along with the ability to manage multiple features to secure my applications. The solution also monitors and blocks unconventional requests and maintains security efficiently. The scalability feature also allows me to manage and allocate resources dynamically without disrupting production traffic.
SS
Senior Director of Engineering - Information Security at Apna
Offers flexibility with a kill switch for bypassing Reblaze if needed and provides a reliable Layer 7 defense against attacks
There is still some room for improvement when it comes to bot management from Reblaze because they are relatively new compared to other vendors in the town. AWS WAF, the Web Application Firewall from AWS, has a vast database of bad IP addresses due to its long-standing presence in this business. Reblaze, being a new entrant, is still building its database of bad IP addresses and malicious systems. So, Reblaze needs to work on that aspect. But other than that, I don't think scaling Reblaze has been an issue. There were some initial glitches, but they were all sorted out. So currently, I would say that the bot management and the database are areas they should focus on for further improvement.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Performing Arts
9%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
13%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Educational Organization
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business8
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise14
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 Advanced Firewall Manager?
The standard license is reasonably priced, but additional features like the WAF can be more expensive. There are plenty of technical documents and a supportive community available, which helps mana...
What needs improvement with F5 Advanced Firewall Manager?
The appliance and features could be enhanced further, especially in terms of security. Some features like the WAF ( /categories/web-application-firewall-waf ) firewall may seem expensive compared t...
Ask a question
Earn 20 points
 

Also Known As

F5 AFM, F5 Advanced Firewall Manager
Reblaze
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

City Bank, Ricacorp Properties, Miele, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office
CBC, Hermes, Gartner
Find out what your peers are saying about F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) vs. Link11 and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,114 professionals have used our research since 2012.