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F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition vs Kali Linux comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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 Virtual Edition
Ranking in AWS Marketplace
12th
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Kali Linux
Ranking in AWS Marketplace
3rd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
Operating Systems (OS) for Business (11th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the AWS Marketplace category, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is 0.5%, down from 1.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Kali Linux is 1.0%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
AWS Marketplace
 

Featured Reviews

Kodanda Ramji C.S - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers easy-to-use integration capabilities
It is a scalable solution. In F5 BIG-IP i5800, if you have assigned a single CPU and memory for a virtual instance and if it increases, you can just add a CPU and memory to the existing vCMP. What you have to do is spin one more virtual instance with the two CPUs and double the memory, like eight GB memory, for example. You can't just increase the existing VirtualBox. You have to create another VirtualBox parallel, download the configurations, and import it. My company provides one banking application to around ten customers. My company has around seven virtual instances and seven applications, each application having around 70 customers running on one F5 BIG-IP i5800. My company has created seven VirtualBox.
GurpreetSingh4 - PeerSpot reviewer
Has small footprint and low maintenance cycles
Pre-installed tools can provide basic training and security measures, which is helpful. However, these tools may not be sufficient to secure your workload fully. That's why it's important to complement them with other specialized security tools to enhance your overall security. Before using Kali Linux, make sure you know its pros and cons. It's a good system to learn because it's the best choice for some situations. It has default firewall settings that block everything by default. It's up to the user to decide how much they want to open up. Learning Kali Linux takes time because it relies on command-line tasks instead of graphical interfaces. Practice is key to becoming comfortable with it.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The integration capabilities of the product are easy to use, and there is no complexity involved in it."
"It has DoS layer 7 protection, which not many vendors have."
"The tool's investment is less than a physical device."
"It's easy to use, and they have good support."
"The features that I like include LTM and Global Traffic Manager (GTM)."
"I have a specific issue with the network interface connector, the NIC. We're limited to a maximum of two NICs in a virtualized environment. It's a limitation of the tool."
"Additionally, it now includes comprehensive migration analytics and reporting capabilities."
"In general, Kali Linux is used for hosting applications, developing new applications, and operating systems. It's also used in containers and nodes. The tool offers a smaller footprint than Windows because it lacks the functionality of graphical user interfaces. One advantage of Kali Linux is its lower maintenance requirements than Windows, with slower update cycles and easier maintenance procedures."
"The most effective features of Kali Linux include its stability as a Linux operating system, its flexibility in configuring resources such as partitions, its powerful and stable file system, and its multi-user capability, which allows for setting user privileges and rights. Additionally, Kali Linux provides access to a wide range of free and open-source applications for testing and development purposes."
"The tools available in Kali Linux are incredibly effective for conducting security assessments."
"The solution's stability is very good."
"The interface is good and straightforward to use."
"The most valuable feature of Kali Linux is the attack it performs using a CVE script that's already on the internet."
"Kali Linux is much better than other OS because it gives you a good set of tools. It is preferred for vulnerability assessments and cybersecurity."
 

Cons

"F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is a heavy system that needs a lot of CPU, memory, and hard disk."
"I have a specific issue with the network interface connector, the NIC. We're limited to a maximum of two NICs in a virtualized environment. It's a limitation of the tool."
"BIG-IP could improve in supporting microservices, for example, in Docker and Kubernetes environments."
"On-the-go upgrades are an option that the tool currently lacks, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The tool has limitations with respect to code and RAM."
"It's expensive and could be cheaper."
"The tool is already stable and well-developed, so there's minimal feedback for enhancement or change. However, it should improve security, which is crucial, especially with the increasing use of Kali Linux in cloud environments."
"Unfortunately, my current tool runs on Windows 10, and its use is restricted to enterprise versions. Integrating this tool or similar functionalities into Kali Linux for non-enterprise users would be incredibly valuable."
"I would like for them to offer more features for the free version in order for users to test them in their internal environment before purchasing."
"Any new user or someone without deep expertise won't be able to understand how to scale or manage it"
"The installation process of Kali Linux can be slow, particularly when installing and upgrading packages within virtualized environments."
"The product should integrate AI and GPT capabilities."
"The product should improve its security features."
"From an improvement perspective, it should be made possible for users to learn about the product easily."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is standard."
"F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is an expensive solution, but it's worth the price."
"I would rate the pricing a three out of ten, with ten being expensive."
"My company's customers need to make payments for the licensing charges attached to the product. It is an expensive product."
"Kali Linux is a free product, and you don't have to pay for a license."
"I use it free of charge."
"Kali Linux offers a perpetual license, meaning you pay for it once and can use it. While free versions of Linux are available, Kali Linux, being an enterprise edition, usually comes with a perpetual license. I rate its pricing a five out of ten."
"The tool is open-source."
"The price is good because Kali Linux already provides a good bundle of tools."
"It is an open-source tool."
"There is no need to make any payments towards the licensing costs since it is a solution that is available for free."
"Kali Linux is open source."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
22%
Computer Software Company
9%
Retailer
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Comms Service Provider
16%
Computer Software Company
14%
University
13%
Educational Organization
10%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition?
The integration capabilities of the product are easy to use, and there is no complexity involved in it.
What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition?
It's expensive and could be cheaper. At the moment, I can't think of anything to improve.
What advice do you have for others considering F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition?
The solution is very good. I would rate the solution maybe ten out of ten.
What do you like most about Kali Linux?
I use the tool with Nmap to perform network audits. We use it to find vulnerabilities in our network through attacks. It's for those who want to launch or create viruses or perform attacks on syste...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Kali Linux?
Kali Linux offers a perpetual license, meaning you pay for it once and can use it. While free versions of Linux are available, Kali Linux, being an enterprise edition, usually comes with a perpetua...
What needs improvement with Kali Linux?
The tool is already stable and well-developed, so there's minimal feedback for enhancement or change. However, it should improve security, which is crucial, especially with the increasing use of Ka...
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition vs. Kali Linux and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.