NGINX Plus vs NetScaler comparison

NetScaler and F5 are both solutions in the Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) category. NetScaler is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.3, while F5 is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.0. NetScaler holds a 14.3% mindshare in ADC, compared to F5’s 7.5% mindshare. Additionally, 91% of NetScaler users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of F5 users who would recommend it.

NetScaler

Read 107 NetScaler reviews

7,295 Views
5,836 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

NGINX Plus

Read 31 NGINX Plus reviews

4,266 Views
2,645 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

NetScaler

NGINX Plus

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 25, 2025

Citrix NetScaler and NGINX Plus compete in application delivery controllers. NGINX Plus seems to have the upper hand with its focus on efficiency, flexibility, and modularity.

Features: Citrix NetScaler stands out with its flexible deployment model, TriScale architecture, and robust traffic management with multitenancy and SSL offload. NGINX Plus is known for efficiency in load balancing, strong reverse proxy capabilities, and its modular, customizable architecture favored by developers.

Room for Improvement: Citrix NetScaler users often cite issues with configuration complexity, problematic updates, and inconsistent technical support. NGINX Plus users criticize the GUI and scalability limitations and express concerns about pricing despite its flexibility.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Citrix NetScaler integrates well in on-premises and hybrid cloud setups but receives mixed feedback on customer service response times. NGINX Plus is valued for its adaptability across public and hybrid clouds, with strong community support, though specific customer service data is limited.

Pricing and ROI: Citrix NetScaler is perceived as costly due to its varied licensing models, yet provides favorable ROI for comprehensive security and management. NGINX Plus's modular licensing can increase costs with additional features, but its free open-source version offers a cost-effective entry point. Both show positive ROI in effectively managing IT resources.

To learn more, read our detailed NGINX Plus vs. NetScaler Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

NGINX Plus vs. NetScaler

September 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:

ROI

Sentiment score

8.1

NetScaler ensures data security and operational efficiency, providing significant cost savings and stability for medium enterprises.

Sentiment score

7.4

NGINX Plus improved website speed, reduced costs, and enhanced application accessibility, offering varied returns despite higher costs than alternatives.

No quotes available

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No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the NGINX Plus report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

6.1

Citrix support is responsive and knowledgeable, though some users report delays and prefer direct access to experienced engineers.

Sentiment score

6.8

Most users rely on community resources and documentation, but those who use technical support rate it effective despite variable response times.

No quotes available

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No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the NGINX Plus report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.8

NetScaler is praised for high scalability and flexibility, despite some challenges with licensing complexity and multi-tenancy support.

Sentiment score

8.0

NGINX Plus is highly scalable, adaptable to configurations, and efficiently manages load balancing, especially on AWS or GCP.

No quotes available

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While some people use NGINX for web servers, my current use case focuses on networking and tunneling, which does not necessitate much scaling.

Michael Olayemi

Senior Software Engineer at Checkit

For more quotes and insights, download the NGINX Plus report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

7.6

NetScaler is highly rated for stability and performance, with some recommending regular maintenance for optimal reliability.

Sentiment score

7.9

NGINX Plus is stable and reliable with minor concerns, often attributed to configuration, performing well in production environments.

No quotes available

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I require ninety-nine point nine percent uptime, and NGINX has been pivotal in helping me achieve this along with our other DNS services.

Michael Olayemi

Senior Software Engineer at Checkit

For more quotes and insights, download the NGINX Plus report

Room For Improvement

NetScaler needs improvements in usability, stability, security integration, and support while enhancing documentation, pricing transparency, and deployment processes.

NGINX Plus needs improvements in scalability, ease of use, pricing, performance, security integration, and standalone deployment options.

No quotes available

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NGINX could provide a means to generate self-signed SSL certificates.

Michael Olayemi

Senior Software Engineer at Checkit

As with any application, there were initial issues, however, after receiving support, everything was rectified.

AnilKumar44

Executive Director at Geojit

For more quotes and insights, download the NGINX Plus report

Setup Cost

NetScaler pricing is high but offers strong features; cost-saving options include alternatives or negotiating multi-year subscriptions.

NGINX offers a free version, while NGINX Plus requires a paid license with flexible, feature-based pricing options.

No quotes available

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My use case involves using the free and open-source version of NGINX, making it cost-effective as I haven't incurred any costs.

Michael Olayemi

Senior Software Engineer at Checkit

The solution offers a cost advantage.

AnilKumar44

Executive Director at Geojit

For more quotes and insights, download the NGINX Plus report

Valuable Features

NetScaler provides flexible deployment, security enhancements, and integration with Citrix for efficient application delivery and robust traffic management.

NGINX Plus provides efficient load balancing, caching, and security with high performance, modularity, and seamless integration for flexible traffic management.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the NetScaler report

For API management, the WebSocket, and the WebServer, NGINX provides a cost advantage, value addition, and effective support.

AnilKumar44

Executive Director at Geojit

For more quotes and insights, download the NGINX Plus report

Categories and Ranking

NetScaler

Ranking in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

107

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (5th), Web Application Firewall (WAF) (11th)

NGINX Plus

Ranking in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

7th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Infrastructure (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) category, the mindshare of NetScaler is 14.3%, down from 16.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NGINX Plus is 7.5%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
NetScaler	14.3%
NGINX Plus	7.5%
Other	78.2%

Application Delivery Controllers (ADC)

Featured Reviews

DEMİRHAN ÇAVUŞOĞLU

Cloud Consultant at Migros Ticaret A.Ş.

A tool for centralized management including inventory and sales tracking

Citrix ADM has the ability to implement policies to tighten security. For instance, you can restrict access to your network from outsiders or lack necessary security measures such as antivirus programs. Additionally, there's the Delivery Controller, which allows for comprehensive monitoring and management tasks such as remote restarts, maintenance, and registration. Another essential component is the Director, which provides detailed insights into sessions, including identifying session failures, connection issues, user lockouts, etc. It presents a list of problems to address, enabling you to click on them and resolve them efficiently.

Read full review

Michael Olayemi

Senior Software Engineer at Checkit

Enables public access and secure configurations through reverse proxy

The primary valuable feature of NGINX for me is its ability to provide a reverse proxy. I have found that this feature supports our local server, and I am able to connect through our DNS system, making it accessible publicly. Additionally, the integration with SSL certificates and the configuration capabilities make it a valuable solution for my use case. Without NGINX, users would not be able to access our application, which means there is positive ROI from using NGINX as it is crucial for the functioning of my organization.

Read full review

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

15%

Government

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	45
Midsize Enterprise	23
Large Enterprise	57

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	15
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	10

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Citrix ADC?

The most valuable feature for us is the application firewalling in Citrix NetScaler, ensuring only valid traffic enters our environment.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Citrix ADC?

After deployment, Citrix Netscaler shifted to a subscription-based license scheme for support, which is slightly more expensive.

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What needs improvement with Citrix ADC?

Citrix NetScaler is a robust product, but mastering it requires significant learning and training due to its complexity. While it could be easier to manage, it is like transitioning from driving a ...

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Which is better - IIS or NGINX Plus?

IIS is a flexible, secure, and manageable web server to host anything on the web. IIS’s scalable and open architecture can handle the most demanding tasks. From media streaming to web applications,...

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What do you like most about NGINX Plus?

It performs very well. That's one of the primary reasons we use NGINX.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NGINX Plus?

My use case involves using the free and open-source version of NGINX, making it cost-effective as I haven't incurred any costs.

See all answers

Comparisons

HAProxy vs NetScaler

Compared 10% of the time

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway vs NetScaler

Compared 9% of the time

Fortinet FortiADC vs NetScaler

Compared 9% of the time

F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) vs NetScaler

Compared 8% of the time

VMWare Avi Load Balancer vs NetScaler

Compared 6% of the time

More NetScaler Competitors

IIS vs NGINX Plus

Compared 15% of the time

Apache Web Server vs NGINX Plus

Compared 13% of the time

HAProxy vs NGINX Plus

Compared 11% of the time

F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) vs NGINX Plus

Compared 10% of the time

Kemp LoadMaster vs NGINX Plus

Compared 9% of the time

More NGINX Plus Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

NetScaler

August 2025

Download NetScaler product report

Buyer's Guide

NGINX Plus

August 2025

Download NGINX Plus product report

Also Known As

Citrix ADC, Citrix NetScaler VPX, NetScaler Console, NetScaler Web Application Firewall, NetScaler VPX - Customer Licensed

NGINX

Overview

NetScaler is an advanced application delivery controller providing load balancing, SSL offloading, and enhanced network performance. Users benefit from its robust security features, seamless Citrix integrations, and cost-effective infrastructure.

Designed to optimize and secure application delivery, NetScaler offers high availability and supports data centers with its load balancing and reverse proxy capabilities. It ensures effective traffic management and provides valuable insights into network health while integrating easily with Citrix products. Users appreciate its centralized management via ADM and flexible deployment options tailored to their infrastructure needs. However, there is room for improvement in its management tools, interface, and documentation, alongside a need for security enhancements and better licensing flexibility.

What are the most important features of NetScaler?

Flexible Deployment: Allows adaptation to different environments and needs.
Load Balancing: Efficiently distributes traffic to enhance performance.
SSL Offloading: Offloads encryption to optimize server performance.
Content Switching: Enables tailored content delivery based on user needs.
Robust Security: Includes firewalling and AAA authentication.
Global Server Load Balancing: Distributes load across multiple locations for high availability.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Cost-effectiveness: Delivers an efficient infrastructure without high costs.
Reliable Performance: Ensures consistent delivery and resilience.
High Availability: Maintains network uptime and service quality.
Technical Support: Offers responsive assistance for operational issues.

NetScaler is implemented across sectors like healthcare, finance, and education to guarantee secure remote access, enhance application network management, and support virtual desktops. Its application gateways and VPN access capabilities make it ideal for industries needing secure and efficient connectivity solutions.

NetScaler

NGINX Plus is a versatile solution that offers load balancing, caching, proxying, and API deployment capabilities. It can be deployed on private or public clouds and is ideal for building CDN solutions. The solution can also be used to secure web applications and replace web services like Apache.

NGINX has helped organizations improve functioning, reduce downtimes, and offer a DevOps-friendly solution. Its community support and documentation are highly regarded, and its configuration is more straightforward, making it a recommended choice over HAProxy.

Sample Customers

ABB Schweiz, Aer Lingus, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Amnet Technology Solutions, Aramex International, Ascenty, Atos, Autodesk

Locaweb, AppNexus, Wix, Reliam, Montana Interactive, MuleSoft, Warpwire, Discovery Education, InkaBinka, WordPress.com, Gogo, GOV.UK, NASA

Buyer's Guide

NGINX Plus vs. NetScaler

September 2025

Free Report: NGINX Plus vs. NetScaler

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