F5 BIG-IQ vs IBM Cloud Pak for Automation comparison

F5 and IBM are both solutions in the Process Automation category. F5 is ranked #27 with an average rating of 8.0, while IBM is ranked #21 with an average rating of 9.0. F5 holds a 0.2% mindshare in PA, compared to IBM’s 0.4% mindshare. Additionally, 80% of F5 users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of IBM users who would recommend it.

F5 BIG-IQ

Read 14 F5 BIG-IQ reviews

246 Views
91 Comparison Views

80% willing to recommend

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Read 2 IBM Cloud Pak for Automation reviews

261 Views
150 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

F5 BIG-IQ

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

F5 BIG-IQ and IBM Cloud Pak for Automation are competing in IT management. IBM Cloud Pak for Automation appears superior due to extensive features and perceived value.

Features: F5 BIG-IQ offers centralized management, application visibility, and advanced analytics, focusing on network traffic management. IBM Cloud Pak for Automation automates complex business processes, supports AI-driven decisions, and integrates with enterprise systems. The main difference is F5's focus on network management, while IBM emphasizes process automation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: F5 BIG-IQ is known for smooth deployment and responsive service, serving network-focused organizations well. IBM Cloud Pak for Automation provides a robust deployment model for large enterprises with highly regarded support. F5 enables quicker deployment for network solutions, whereas IBM supports comprehensive automation-focused implementations.

Pricing and ROI: F5 BIG-IQ generally has lower upfront costs, offering good ROI for those prioritizing network management. IBM Cloud Pak for Automation may have higher initial costs but delivers significant ROI through efficient automation. Cost vs. value favors IBM for enterprises focusing on broad automation, while F5 provides cost-effective network management solutions.

To learn more, read our detailed F5 BIG-IQ vs. IBM Cloud Pak for Automation Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IQ vs. IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

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

F5 BIG-IQ

Ranking in Process Automation

27th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Ranking in Process Automation

21st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Process Automation category, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IQ is 0.2%, down from 0.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation is 0.4%, down from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Process Automation

Featured Reviews

AshutoshMalik

IT Architect at kyndryl

Seamless migration enhances user management for data center administrators

The product is excellent. It is easily manageable and user-friendly for administrators working on both the GUI and CLI. The best part is the seamless migration of the configuration from one box to another, even when hardware changes. This is particularly beneficial during migrations from old boxes to new ones. While other vendors might have issues, F5 BIG-IQ ( /products/f5-big-iq-reviews ) provides a smooth transition.

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SYEDMUJTABA

Vice President - Digital Automation Services at Techvista Systems

Effectively handles parallel instances effectively

I find it quite straightforward, perhaps around 8.5 out of 10 in terms of ease. When we upgraded from the old version of IBM BPM to the new one within IBM Cloud Pak for Automation, we didn't encounter any major issues. There were some minor ones, but they were easy to overcome.The migration process was part of our deployment strategy. We had a plan to migrate two processes per week from on-premises to the cloud. The migration involved taking the instances and migrating them to the new environment. There is an inbuilt feature in IBM Cloud Pak for Automation that facilitates the migration process, although I personally haven't conducted it myself; it's managed by my team. Overall, the setup process was relatively smooth.

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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 reporting feature is quite good."

"The GUI is fine, at least from an engineer's perspective."

"Features like AFM, the gateway, and Global DNS are the coolest features that save work for us."

"The customer service is great."

"Scalability: To move from larger boxes to smaller boxes, along with virtualization. So, we are not locked into a particular size."

"F5 BIG-IQ is a central management system for the BIG-IP."

"F5 BIG-IQ has always provided us with great support."

"The most valuable features are load balancing and WAF."

More F5 BIG-IQ pros

"What this product allows us to do is to move from on-prem instances where we are running independent instances of FileNet, Datacap, and ODM. It allows us to leverage container-based resiliency and availability modeling so that we have some visibility across the CP4BA ecosystem. We're now migrating all of our data to be in the Cloud Object Storage, and we can now use some of the features of Azure in terms of how we store and retrieve content for our members and our providers."

"I believe two significant features of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation are the focus on SLA management and the capability to handle parallel instances effectively. Parallel instances, for instance, are valuable when dealing with a large number of users, enabling tasks to be performed concurrently for efficient system operation. The SLA aspect is crucial for tracking and ensuring timely completion of tasks. Additionally, the cloud compatibility of IBM BAW allows for seamless migration from on-premises to the cloud. This version also includes a business rule management system for storing and managing business rules effectively."

Cons

"Sometimes the solution does not work."

"Integration with VAS is something that they need to work on."

"The shell, kernel, or Linux has something like a delay, especially with the Virtual Edition, when you are trying to implement it in the cloud and you want to access it remotely with web management. It would be great if they could improve their kernel. It was difficult for me, especially when I got started with BIG-IP. I was struggling to find which commands work with it. If you want to work with it, you have to be a Linux guy."

"F5 BIG-IQ is a complex solution, and it cannot manage everything related to BIG-IPs."

"A bug caused me to lose all the configuration."

"F5 BIG-IQ should improve by being a complete certificate management solution because currently, it is only for Venafi. Other automation platforms, should be added."

"From a hands-on experience perspective, more resources should be available on the Internet, like labs and lab preparations."

"The solution should improve pricing. It's expensive in comparison to other American solutions."

More F5 BIG-IQ cons

"I believe there is room for improvement in the user interface, particularly in the Process Portal that customers use to view and manage their tasks. The UI of the Process Portal needs enhancement. Additionally, in the next release, I would like to see improved compatibility with Angular, allowing for direct integration with front-end systems. It would be beneficial to have built-in GUI features based on Angular within the system, rather than developing separate applications externally. This, in turn, would provide a more seamless and enhanced front-end experience."

"One of the challenges we're having is finding vendors who have experience in developing on the cloud. We can find developers on the old platform, but it is leading-edge technology. So, we are having some challenges, and IBM is assisting us to find vendor partners. To be able to leverage all the capabilities of the new platform, we have to upgrade our existing ecosystem of FileNet applications. Upgrading to the new platform while trying to modernize is always challenging because it is like you have a moving target."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"F5 BIG-IQ is a cheap solution."

"Users have to pay an annual subscription fee for the solution's iSeries."

"I would like the product to be cheaper."

"There is only one licensing fee for F5 BIG-IQ and everything is included in the price."

"IBM Cloud Pak for Automation is relatively expensive, especially considering it is designed for long-living processes, not for normal automation needs. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the pricing at around 9. There are no additional costs beyond the standard licensing fees, but IBM has multiple pricing models that make it expensive in its own way. Different plans are available, but overall, the experience suggests it is a costly solution."

"Its cost is almost the same or comparable to what we pay with FileNet, but I'm not sure what we pay a year. A good part of CP4BA is the CPU-based licensing model. When we're dealing with 50,000 dentists, for example, if we were to use Salesforce, we would be hit with the licensing of 50,000 dentists, whereas when we build out in CP4BA, it is just based on our CPU usage, not on individual licenses."

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Company Size

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Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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Questions from the Community

What do you like most about F5 BIG-IQ?

F5 BIG-IQ is a central management system for the BIG-IP.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 BIG-IQ?

F5 BIG-IQ is a cheap solution.

See all answers

What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IQ?

The product is really good with no significant downsides. However, better and simpler integration with ACI could improve the product.

See all answers

What do you like most about IBM Cloud Pak for Automation?

I believe two significant features of IBM Cloud Pak for Automation are the focus on SLA management and the capability to handle parallel instances effectively. Parallel instances, for instance, ar...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IBM Cloud Pak for Automation?

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation is relatively expensive, especially considering it is designed for long-living processes, not for normal automation needs. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate the pr...

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Cloud Pak for Automation?

I believe there is room for improvement in the user interface, particularly in the Process Portal that customers use to view and manage their tasks. The UI of the Process Portal needs enhancement. ...

See all answers

Comparisons

No data available

IBM BPM vs IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

Compared 100% of the time

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F5 BIG-IQ

April 2025

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Process Automation

April 2025

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Overview

F5® BIG-IQ® Centralized Management provides a unified point of visibility and control for the entire F5 portfolio, ensuring administrators remain aware on the pulse of F5 devices, modules, and licenses and enabling them to deliver optimal application availability, performance, and security.

BIG-IQ manages policies,licenses, SSL certificates, BIG-IP images, and configurations for F5 appliances and for the following BIG-IP moduals across hardware and virtual editions:

BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager™ (LTM)
F5 Advanced Web Application Firewall™ (WAF)
BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager™ (AFM)
F5 SSL Orchestrator®
F5 DDoS Hybrid Defender®
BIG-IP Access Policy Manager® (APM)
F5 Secure Web Gateway Services
BIG-IP DNS

IBM Cloud Pak for Automation offers design, build, run, and automation services to rapidly scale your programs and fully execute and operationalize an automation strategy.

IBM

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IQ vs. IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

April 2025

Free Report: F5 BIG-IQ vs. IBM Cloud Pak for Automation

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