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F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs Forescout Platform comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

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
6.8
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager offers cost savings, quick ROI, and enhances security by ensuring crucial access and reducing costs.
Sentiment score
6.4
Forescout Platform enhances security by automating risk remediation, identifying devices, and targeting vulnerabilities, leading to cost savings.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.8
F5 BIG-IP APM customer service receives mixed reviews, with some praising responsiveness and others citing delays and communication issues.
Sentiment score
6.8
Forescout Platform's customer service is responsive and knowledgeable but needs improvements in partner interactions and consistent service quality.
Most of the technical support is managed in-house due to our extensive experience with F5 products.
Business Development Manager at Pylones
If there is a solution, they don't always communicate it.
Professional Services Specialist at a security firm with 51-200 employees
F5 technical support is responsive and helpful.
Solutions Manager at Macroview Telecom Limited
We have had experience with their technical support and must pay additionally for maintenance, support, and regional service.
IT Head at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.3
F5 BIG-IP APM scales for diverse deployments, offering flexibility and effective tools, though hardware limitations might challenge scalability.
Sentiment score
7.6
Forescout Platform is praised for scalability and adaptability, accommodating various environments and needs despite network issues.
The product's flexibility and company culture contribute to resolving these challenges.
Business Development Manager at Pylones
I would rate the scalability of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) between seven and eight.
Solutions Manager at Macroview Telecom Limited
Scalability can be costly since a physical box needs to be installed for every site.
Director, International IT Infrastructure Support & Information Security at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.9
F5 BIG-IP APM is praised for reliability, performance, and minimal bugs, with minor suggestions for log clarity improvement.
Sentiment score
8.0
Forescout Platform is highly stable, with minor issues resolved quickly by effective support, earning user confidence in its performance.
On a scale from one to ten for stability, I would rate F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) a ten.
Solutions Manager at Macroview Telecom Limited
Sometimes, the logs are not quite informational or easy to understand.
Professional Services Specialist at a security firm with 51-200 employees
I would rate its stability as 9.5 out of ten.
Director, International IT Infrastructure Support & Information Security at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Room For Improvement

F5 BIG-IP APM requires improvements in pricing, cloud integration, user interface, documentation, support, and additional features for enhanced performance.
Forescout users seek enhanced memory management, detection, integration, reporting, interfaces, AI features, affordability, and improved support.
If I could copy and paste objects instead of picking and configuring them from scratch each time, it would be great.
Professional Services Specialist at a security firm with 51-200 employees
The ability to run the Anycast feature would be valuable, as the current solution only operates on-premises.
Senior Cyber Security Consultant at KoçSistem
The main improvement needed for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is to integrate into the cloud-delivered services from F5.
Business Development Manager at Pylones
It would help if during integration, an admin user could check the password or credential used, as they currently cannot see the password after it is entered and saved.
Security Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Forescout Platform could enhance its integration of AI to improve IoT and OT device security to better meet our needs.
IT Head at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
The console is a fat client, and a web interface would be preferable.
Director, International IT Infrastructure Support & Information Security at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Setup Cost

F5 BIG-IP APM is costly but valued for high performance, with unpredictable cloud pricing and additional fees for features.
Forescout Platform is costly but offers scalable value, with flexible licensing based on devices and potential discounts available.
F5 products are more expensive than other solutions but are valued for their quality and reliability.
Business Development Manager at Pylones
The overall pricing of Forescout Platform is reasonable for the functionality it provides.
IT Head at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Installing a physical box on each site can be expensive.
Director, International IT Infrastructure Support & Information Security at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
The price of Forescout Platform is reasonable and not overly costly.
Security Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
 

Valuable Features

F5 BIG-IP APM offers secure remote access with SSL VPN, multi-factor authentication, and comprehensive integration and security features.
Forescout Platform offers agentless network access, endpoint visibility, and seamless integration for efficient security and compliance management.
APM is quite flexible for customers to use, providing secure remote access through various host-checking conditions for both machines and users.
Solutions Manager at Macroview Telecom Limited
It provides robust security and offers integration with multi-factor authentication systems, which is crucial for an organization's security policy.
Business Development Manager at Pylones
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) provides excellent WAF and bot defense solutions.
Senior Cyber Security Consultant at KoçSistem
When it comes to the effectiveness of Forescout Platform's real-time visibility in reducing the overall attack surface, I give it a 9 out of 10.
Security Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
The most effective feature has been network access management, which has been crucial for our primary use cases in the organization.
IT Head at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
The platform enables automated policy enforcement, allowing us to simulate and test policies before enforcement, streamlining our security operations.
Director, International IT Infrastructure Support & Information Security at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
 

Categories and Ranking

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Man...
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
7th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
18
Ranking in other categories
Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (15th), SSL VPN (5th), Remote Access (10th), Access Management (9th)
Forescout Platform
Ranking in Network Access Control (NAC)
5th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.5
Number of Reviews
78
Ranking in other categories
IoT Security (4th), Endpoint Compliance (5th), Extended Detection and Response (XDR) (21st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Network Access Control (NAC) category, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is 1.2%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Forescout Platform is 10.8%, down from 13.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Access Control (NAC) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Forescout Platform10.8%
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)1.2%
Other88.0%
Network Access Control (NAC)
 

Featured Reviews

Senior Cyber Security Consultant at KoçSistem
Has provided reliable policy controls and secure web access for large enterprises
I consider Cloudflare when evaluating centralized access control features; Cloudflare utilizes multi-factor authentication and full API support, while F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) needs to enhance its API support. I recommend F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) for large companies such as Tüpraş and Ford. Tüpraş is one of the biggest companies in Turkey, along with other customers such as Tofaş, Euroko, Koç Holding, and more. For on-premises deployment, I would rate it a 10. For cloud deployment, I would rate it a seven. I primarily use it on-premises. I rate F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) eight out of ten.
AshishKumar Rai - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Comprehensive visibility has strengthened endpoint control and automated threat response across networks
When it comes to improving Forescout Platform, I have faced some issues recently, particularly with the switch integration part. When integrating a switch, it asks for the vendor type, and often it does not match. For example, one series of HP switches may not be found in that vendor list. This leads to frustration because you have to check again with different HP models, and once you integrate a switch, you cannot edit the vendor list without removing it. Other issues are being worked on, particularly related to switch integration. I believe they will be fixed in the next upgrade or patch fix. There are no major issues, but the configuration changes needed for the switch model are necessary, and I think it would help if during integration, an admin user could check the password or credential used, as they currently cannot see the password after it is entered and saved.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Government
9%
Computer Software Company
8%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise9
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise10
Large Enterprise44
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?
In my opinion, the GUI is perfect with the configuration options provided. F5 BIG-IP has given customization options and policy configuration tools in the GUI. It's good and good enough to work.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?
F5 products are more expensive than other solutions but are valued for their quality and reliability, akin to purchasing a Bentley as opposed to an Audi.
What needs improvement with F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)?
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is not user-friendly and operates slowly. Additional features for architecture such as Anycast would be beneficial. The ability to run the Anycast feature woul...
What advice do you have for others considering Forescout Platform?
Forescout is a very powerful NAC product that does not rely on port level configuration. It can detect and block unauthorized devices very quickly. But it has a lot of capabilities and really would...
What advice do you have for others considering Forescout Platform?
I would rate the Forescout Device and Visibility Control Platform at a six out of ten.
What advice do you have for others considering Forescout Platform?
I recommend doing a compression demo. If people use it, they will buy it. So they have to see the product in place. That's the main recommendation is to do a proof of concept. If they do, they will...
 

Also Known As

F5 Access Policy Manager
Forescout Platform, CounterACT for Endpoint Compliance, ForeScout CounterACT
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

City Bank, Ricacorp Properties, Miele, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office
NHS Sussex, SAP, SEGA, Vistaprint, Miami Children's Hospital, Pioneer Investments, New York Law School, OmnicomGroup, Meritrust
Find out what your peers are saying about F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. Forescout Platform and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.