Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition vs Security Onion 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
13th
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Security Onion
Ranking in AWS Marketplace
11th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.5
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
Log Management (20th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the AWS Marketplace category, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is 0.6%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Security Onion is 1.1%, down from 7.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
AWS Marketplace
 

Featured Reviews

Lilian Blaitt - PeerSpot reviewer
Virtual deployment boosts efficiency and support is quick
In my company, we use NGINX. I don't work with NGINX. For us, it is better to have the virtual solution because we have more virtual VJPs on fewer machines. This is the reason we are using it today It's easy to use, and they have good support. When we open tickets, they are answered quickly, and…
Jörg Kippe - PeerSpot reviewer
A mature and affordable solution that is easy to install and easy to update
The product takes time to learn, it's not that easy. In the beginning we had a lot of questions. If you want to use such a tool in an real (industrial) environment, you have to ask how to get the network data. Can we do a full packet capture? Can we provide agents to our end systems? There are no simple solutions to these questions. It's a general problem when running such systems in an industrial environment.

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."
"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."
"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)."
"It has DoS layer 7 protection, which not many vendors have."
"The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports."
"We use Security Onion for internal vulnerability assessment."
"Security Onion is the most mature solution in the market."
 

Cons

"It's expensive and could be cheaper."
"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."
"The tool has limitations with respect to code and RAM."
"On-the-go upgrades are an option that the tool currently lacks, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The product is not easy to learn."
"Security Onion's user interface could be improved."
"The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition is an expensive solution, but it's worth the price."
"The pricing is standard."
"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."
"It is an open-source solution."
"Security Onion is a free solution."
"Security Onion is an open-source solution."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which AWS Marketplace solutions are best for your needs.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
13%
Retailer
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Computer Software Company
11%
University
11%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Government
11%
 

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 Security Onion?
The most valuable feature of Security Onion for security monitoring is its ability to find infected ports.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Security Onion?
Security Onion is an open-source solution. On a scale from one to ten, where ten is expensive and one is cheap, I rate the solution's pricing a six out of ten.
What needs improvement with Security Onion?
The initial setup of the solution is a little bit difficult.
 

Overview

Find out what your peers are saying about F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition vs. Security Onion and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.