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

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 5, 2024

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 Advanced Firewall...
Ranking in Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection
9th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Prolexic
Ranking in Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection
21st
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection category, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) is 1.3%, up from 1.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Prolexic is 3.9%, down from 4.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection
 

Featured Reviews

Pawel Augustyn - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
SA
Scaling is very easy but more options are needed for enterprise environments
Our company uses the solution to provide customized infrastructure and cloud services to our customers. We currently have five to ten customers using the solution.  Our model is to continue to move toward software as a service. We already offer infrastructure and platforms as a service.  The…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The product’s most valuable features are LTM and WAF."
"The most valuable feature of F5 BIG-IP AFM is the iRules where I can customize the configuration."
"The web application firewall has been very helpful. We purchased F5 when we were migrating our applications to the cloud."
"The features of F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager that have proven most effective in securing the network are significant."
"F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager's most valuable feature is load balance. It is readily available and uncomplicated."
"The solution is easily deployable and has great functionality."
"The most valuable features of F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) are the web gateway, load balancing, services, and applications available."
"I find the signature base is very helpful to see traffic"
"The solution does not have hardware or maintenance requirements and is very easy to scale."
 

Cons

"The initial setup of F5 BIG-IP AFM in a complex environment was simple. However, the full deployment took us approximately one year."
"The solution’s initial setup is not easy."
"Apart from the price, I feel no other areas need improvement."
"This would be absolutely the best network security solution if the price were not so high."
"Currently, we have eighty F5s and we need some kind of management software. It would be very helpful."
"Some spam can go by the firewall."
"We would have preferred to have support when we first started"
"NGINX, which F5 purchased, has room for improvement in its features, particularly its load balancing or application load balancing features."
"The solution needs additional product options for small and medium enterprises."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We need to pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution."
"It's very expensive, and you pay extra for the models."
"It is somewhat on the expensive side although it is worth the additional cost."
"The product is expensive."
"F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) is an expensive solution. They are one of the best in the market, but the price could be cheaper."
"We have purchased a five-year licensing package for the product."
"The price of F5 BIG-IP AFM is a little more expensive than other firewalls on the market."
"F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager is not an expensive solution."
"The pricing is a pay-as-you-go model that is charged by the hour."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection solutions are best for your needs.
859,129 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
17%
Government
9%
Performing Arts
7%
Financial Services Firm
25%
Educational Organization
17%
Computer Software Company
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

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...
Which is the best DDoS protection solution for a big ISP for monitoring and mitigating?
Cloudflare. We are moving from Akamai prolexic to Cloudflare. Cloudflare anycast network outperforms Akamai static GRE tunnels. We have decreased site load times on Mobile 3G from 8 to 1,6 seconds ...
 

Also Known As

F5 AFM, F5 Advanced Firewall Manager
Akamai Prolexic Routed
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

City Bank, Ricacorp Properties, Miele, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office
Fidor Bank
Find out what your peers are saying about F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) vs. Prolexic and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
859,129 professionals have used our research since 2012.