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BlueCat Edge vs F5 BIG-IP DNS comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Aug 12, 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

BlueCat Edge
Ranking in Domain Name System (DNS) Security
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
F5 BIG-IP DNS
Ranking in Domain Name System (DNS) Security
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
8.0
Number of Reviews
21
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Domain Name System (DNS) Security category, the mindshare of BlueCat Edge is 3.4%, up from 2.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of F5 BIG-IP DNS is 6.4%, down from 6.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Domain Name System (DNS) Security
 

Featured Reviews

David Muscat - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides good visibility and control, and we can quickly put it in place and integrate it
About Nine months ago, we were still using their Edge endpoint version 3. We recently moved to version 4 of their Edge endpoint. In Edge endpoint version 3, we did not have the ability to clean up our dashboards properly. As we decommissioned sites and commissioned new sites, we were left with a mess of data still sitting there because of the way they had originally designed version 3. Now the old data is gone, and the function of the new version 4 has really helped with that. It was a nuisance for the past few years. One pain point concerning DNS Edge is the inability to see per Edge endpoint, what devices are querying against it. They do have the capability for you to look at that data, but the data is roughly 24 to 48 hours old. I am looking for real-time data, and I cannot get that per Edge endpoint. I would call it a work in progress. I am still finding things that bug me in terms of how something functions. I might find out how to do something when it is not documented. That is great, but documentation becomes an issue with me on that.
Raja Waqar Ahmad - PeerSpot reviewer
Suitable for use cases around multiple data centers and provides good stability
F5 is working on improving its identity management features. This is an important area for improvement, as it is a key component of Zero Trust architecture. So, when I was working on the zero-trust architecture, I noticed that there was a lack of documentation. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published some documentation and frameworks for ZTA implementation. In the NIST framework, multiple vendors can be used for different components of the architecture. For example, for identity management, common vendors include Azure, Intune, AWS, Cisco Duo, and Zscaler. I remember reading about F5 mentioned in the context of the ZTA framework. So, it's encouraging to read that F5 is being considered for ZTA implementations. Netskope is also using F5 for their ZTA solutions. I would also like to see all of F5's features integrated into a single box, as it would be the most beneficial for end customers. F5 is already enhancing its security capabilities. Initially, load balancing and security required separate devices, but now F5 offers solutions that combine both functionalities in a single device.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It allows us to easily monitor our subnets and routers."
"BlueCat has increased security efficiency tremendously within the first month of deployment."
"Edge has reduced the complexity and has been more reliable."
"What I found most valuable is the ability to put it in place and integrate it very quickly. It allows us to create routing rule sets to route DNS traffic where it needs to go most efficiently in our environment."
"We implemented BlueCat Edge to solve the visibility and security issues we were having."
"IP Address Management (IPAM) is the most valuable."
"The unparalleled visibility offered by BlueCat Edge is arguably the most critical benefit we receive."
"The namespace and access control features are notable."
"One of the most effective feature of F5 BIG-IP DNS is its robustness and integration with our existing F5 infrastructure. It helps us to geographically connect and form an internal topology network with our clients."
"F5 technical support is quite good and they follow up if there are any issues."
"For one of our clients, F5 improved global server load balancing with an active-active site configuration for Disaster Recovery."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is security."
"F5 BIG-IP DNS is useful, depending on how you use it."
"F5 provides us with a mechanism to accomplish complex product balancing."
"BIG-IP DNS's best features are DNS monitoring and global service load balancing."
"It's very stable."
 

Cons

"The main improvement for BlueCat Edge's security configuration would be more granular control."
"I would like to see improvements in threat detection and the ability to add categorization for blocking queries, such as those related to adult entertainment."
"A more graphical user interface would be a benefit."
"I have concerns about several aspects of BlueCat's site management."
"BlueCat should consider deploying feature enhancement requests faster, especially if they are simple to implement."
"BlueCat should consider deploying feature enhancement requests faster, especially if they are simple to implement."
"Its price is on the higher side."
"One pain point concerning DNS Edge is the inability to see per Edge endpoint, what devices are querying against it. They do have the capability for you to look at that data, but the data is roughly 24 to 48 hours old. I am looking for real-time data, and I cannot get that per Edge endpoint."
"I would like to see deeper integration with VMware in the sense that F5 compliments VMware, in the context of application availability."
"In the product, one of the shortcomings is related to its configuration part...Though you can find some manuals or F5 documents, in real life, it's very hard to understand this product."
"The tool needs to improve its UI."
"F5's technical support responds a little slowly."
"The IP intelligent services are good for mitigating threats, but there are also false positives. So, it's not a standalone solution that can cover everything."
"The initial setup could be easier."
"The costs could always be a bit lower."
"There is room for improvement in pricing. It is very pricey."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"One of the nice benefits of getting DNS Edge is that you buy the subscription, and you are allowed to deploy as many Edge endpoints as you need. You do not need a separate license for each one. If you deploy 20 of them, you will not be billed for that many. It is one subscription. You can deploy as many as you need and consume as much as you need. The cost comes in based on the number of IPs that you are consuming and running through DNS Edge. We have that pretty much locked in for what we need for internal purposes. Being able to save money on deploying Edge endpoints has saved us drastically from deploying other BlueCat products in lieu of that."
"I'm doing a costing and licensing comparison between the BlueCat DNS Integrity and Micetro by Men&Mice. BlueCat has given me a range instead of a specific price. They gave me a range of ten thousand to two hundred thousand USD. That was a bit too wide for the cost comparison. Based on what I'm seeing, they are definitely on the higher side and very expensive."
"The licensing model for BlueCat Edge seems very good, although I can't confirm if it's specific to our contract."
"We find the current pricing model more reasonable compared to the previous per-IP pricing."
"You cannot do much around DDoS protection without an additional license from F5."
"They are competitively priced."
"In some cases, it is expensive."
"This product is quite pricey but if you compare the feature set and its compatibility with similar products on the market, you would understand why it's that price."
"Cost is a factor. It is really costly."
"BIG-IP DNS is more expensive than its competitors like Citrix, but it gives good value for money."
"I would rate the pricing a three out of ten, with ten being a low price."
"The on-prem version is only available on a yearly license, but the cloud version can be paid for on a day-by-day basis."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
University
8%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
10%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about BlueCat Edge?
We implemented BlueCat Edge to solve the visibility and security issues we were having.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for BlueCat Edge?
I'm not aware of the exact pricing and licensing as I was not part of the procurement process. However, there was a significant cost reduction thanks to BlueCat Cloud DNS managing external solutions.
What needs improvement with BlueCat Edge?
BlueCat should consider deploying feature enhancement requests faster, especially if they are simple to implement. They need to focus and deploy such features in the next version itself, which woul...
What do you like most about F5 BIG-IP DNS?
For one of our clients, F5 improved global server load balancing with an active-active site configuration for Disaster Recovery.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 BIG-IP DNS?
In terms of pricing, F5 BIG-IP is not cheaper compared to other solutions like Fortinet or Citrix. The cost can be high due to its comprehensive modules.
What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP DNS?
The support response time could use improvement. In critical cases, such as in the big environment projects, faster support is needed to address critical issues promptly.
 

Also Known As

BlueCat DNS Edge
F5 BIG-IP DNS, F5 DNS Delivery
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Swisslos, Cologne Bonn Airport, TYROLIT
Ricacorp Properties, Bangladesh Post Office, Shawbrook Bank, Shinsegae Internet Duty Free
Find out what your peers are saying about BlueCat Edge vs. F5 BIG-IP DNS and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.