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

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. Parallels Access

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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

Microsoft Intune

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2026, in the Remote Access category, the mindshare of Microsoft Intune is 9.2%, down from 10.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is 1.4%, down from 1.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Parallels Access is 1.9%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Remote Access Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Microsoft Intune	9.2%
F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)	1.4%
Parallels Access	1.9%
Other	87.5%

Remote Access

Featured Reviews

AkashKamble

Sr MacOS specialist engineer at Cyber24

Enables management of multiple operating systems with a single license

The best feature is that it's a Microsoft product, so if anything goes wrong, we get quick support for anything required. Remote system functionality allows us to sit anywhere and take control of any device via remote management. We can enhance security for clients' laptops with built-in Microsoft Defender, which is available with the Microsoft Intune license. We use it for reporting purposes through endpoint analytics. When pushing scripting, there are two types available: remediation script and reservation script. Through endpoint analytics, you can push defender policies to clients. It helps with reporting, inventory updates, and monitoring tenant status health.

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SÜ

SalihUcpinar

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.

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Jason Parkinson

CEO at a non-profit with 1-10 employees

Allows users to access and operate their computers remotely

When you want to transfer a file from your iPad or remote device to the computer, the copy-and-paste feature doesn't always work. I'd have to turn on the Bluetooth a lot of times and transfer it that way on both devices, which was troublesome. However, it would sometimes randomly work. I could go on my iPad, find whatever I wanted to do, click copy, then go over to the computer through Parallels Access, click paste, and it would randomly work. I had to call Parallels many times. They would log in and try something, which would temporarily work, but then it wouldn't. When it worked, it made integration between the two things great. That was a very helpful feature that didn't get polished.

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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 honest truth is that Microsoft Intune is the future."

"The Autopilot feature is fantastic; it is a Microsoft product, so it deals best with Microsoft operating systems, but it can integrate with iOS, Mac OS, Linux, and Android."

"The one feature we find most useful is the Mobile Application Manager; we don't give our users phones, it is their own personal phone, and we need to allow them to have access to the company data on their phone while creating a balance between their own personal data and the company data so that we won't be able to interfere with their own personal data."

"Intune device restriction policies enable me to enforce limitations on the device, like blocking the mobile camera or restricting the employees from using and inserting USB devices, including thumb drives and flash drives."

"Intune's compliance features are valuable because they allow immediate visibility into ongoing situations."

"The Autopilot feature is the most valuable because it saves significant time on managing devices. We can ship devices globally, and users can set them up on their own. It's convenient."

"It is much easier to deploy software updates and Windows updates globally because of the cloud base, so I can manage from anywhere, making it quite convenient for me."

"We are transforming our flat network by adopting different cloud solutions, and our own applications are hosted in the cloud. Intune ensures our security throughout our entire cloud-based system, improving our security posture."

More Microsoft Intune pros

"The F5 Access Policy Manager is something that I have experience with and I am happy with it."

"I recommend F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) to others due to its reliability, and it is perceived as critical to security infrastructure."

"This is a product that is easy to install and integrate, and it is simple to use."

"We have had a good experience with customer service and support."

"The product is stable, I haven't noticed any bugs or glitches, and I haven't seen it crash or freeze, so it seems to be reliable and the performance is good."

"I rate the overall solution nine out of ten."

"F5 BIG-IP APM is relatively easy to use."

More F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) pros

"It's great that the total deployment can happen completely remotely."

"The application used to publish for mobile devices is very good and the desktop publishing is very, very good."

"What seems to be the most valuable from the customer side is the ease of operation, and the overall experience they have."

"We don't have problems with stability. Everything is good."

"It's got a very easy-to-use interface."

"We don't have problems with stability. Everything is good."

"Parallels Access gives me full access and control of the computer, and I can do anything I want remotely."

"Parallels Access has flexible licensing policies, which is beneficial for customers who have intermittent usage or users who are on and off the system."

Cons

"I rate Microsoft support four out of 10. Support is one area where Microsoft needs to improve a lot. I recently raised a ticket for a Microsoft Azure issue, and it took two and a half weeks for support to reply. They need to improve support across their entire catalog of products."

"While no specific feature requires immediate improvement, the ongoing expansion of reporting and inventory capabilities promises to enhance its utility."

"Integration with Mac devices requires some improvement."

"There are a lot of small use cases where we realized that some technical solution was missing in Microsoft in comparison to other products. For example, it lacks something similar to sensing or location-based rules and configurations."

"I wanted to check if there is any provision at the Intune level to restrict certain things, such as a website, but unfortunately, that feature is available only in Microsoft Defender. Intune has web filtering capabilities, but they are only useful for protection from malicious websites, whereas we would like to be able to restrict a website. For example, YouTube is a clean website. No one would identify it as a malicious website, but if we want to stop the end-users from going to that website, we have to go for another product, such as Microsoft Defender or another third-party proxy solution. It would be great if this capability is included in Intune."

"If we can not seem to get even half a dozen users working with the product in a way we consider stable, the scalability is in question."

"Automatic updating is pretty rough. It doesn't give me as much control as I had in the past."

"There is always a noise when you are going to manage any endpoint devices, and noise is definitely there with this solution."

More Microsoft Intune cons

"The price of this product can be improved."

"The main improvement needed for F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is to integrate into the cloud-delivered services from F5."

"I'd suggest improved documentation integration directly within the GUI. Right now, finding comprehensive documentation often requires going to external websites like the community portal."

"Cloud services are something that F5 Access Policy Manager could do better."

"The initial setup was not easy."

"Cloud services are something that F5 Access Policy Manager could do better"

"The solution’s GUI looks very old."

"The solution is pretty technical. The initial setup is complex."

More F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) cons

"The scalability is great for small or medium-sized businesses. However, it may not scale well for enterprise-level entities."

"When you want to transfer a file from your iPad or remote device to the computer, the copy-and-paste feature doesn't always work."

"One challenge we do notice is that the application is limited to Windows servers only."

"The solution may not scale well for enterprises."

"They could improve the reporting."

"One challenge we do notice is that the application is limited to Windows servers only. If a customer has a Linux server, things get complicated. They should open it up a bit to be more compatible with different types of servers."

"They could improve the reporting."

"There is room for improvement in the pricing policy. The price point is pretty aggressive."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Its price is quite okay. I wish they provide certain additional features with the same license."

"The purchase of the product was handled by someone else."

"Microsoft Intune is expensive."

"It's monthly for us, but it's built into the license cost that we pay our IT each month. It's maybe 129 Kroner per head, which translates to £10. There are some additional costs. Our IT had to set up and configure their own server, so there is an extra cost for that, but I'm not sure what that costs."

"If you're subscribing to Premium or E3, there are no additional costs for Intune, it's included."

"Cost is not my department, but the product is included in the E5 license that we already pay for every user, so no additional cost is incurred."

"My team members bundled it together with their Microsoft solutions, including Microsoft 365 and related products."

"The E5 license is expensive."

More Microsoft Intune pricing and cost advice

"Recently, they have simplified the licensing"

"The product is very expensive."

"I rate the tool's pricing an eight out of ten."

"The tool is a little bit expensive."

"The licensing costs are about $100 per user."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Educational Organization

University

12%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Healthcare Company

10%

Transportation Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	126
Midsize Enterprise	54
Large Enterprise	168

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	9

No data available

Questions from the Community

How does Microsoft Intune compare with VMware Workspace One?

Microsoft Intune is a great tool for managing a mobile device fleet while keeping access control. The solution makes ...

What are the pros and cons of Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune is a great configuration management tool and has a lot of good things going for it. Here are some of...

How does Google Cloud Identity compare with Microsoft Intune?

Microsoft Intune offers not only an easy-to-deploy data protection and productivity management solution, but also ...

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 ...

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 purchas...

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 ...

What do you like most about Parallels Access?

Parallels Access gives me full access and control of the computer, and I can do anything I want remotely.

What needs improvement with Parallels Access?

When you want to transfer a file from your iPad or remote device to the computer, the copy-and-paste feature doesn't ...

What is your primary use case for Parallels Access?

Parallels Access is an amazing product and a total game changer. The solution allows me to access and operate my comp...

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Product Reports

Microsoft Intune

Download Microsoft Intune product report

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM)

Download F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) product report

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) report

Remote Access

Download Parallels Access product report

Also Known As

Intune, MS Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Manager

F5 Access Policy Manager

No data available

Overview

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service designed for device management, security, and compliance. It supports automation and facilitates endpoint management for Windows, iOS, and Android devices, ensuring data protection and efficient policy enforcement.

Microsoft Intune offers seamless integration with tools like Windows Autopilot to automate device setup and deployment. Integrated with Azure Active Directory, it enhances policy management while providing robust reporting and analytics tools for compliance tracking. Despite its intuitive interface aimed at simplifying navigation and device security management, there are challenges such as compatibility issues with Linux and Mac, limited policy support for Android, and demands for better third-party integration. It's widely used for both corporate-owned devices and BYOD scenarios in dynamic IT environments.

What are the key features of Microsoft Intune?

Windows Autopilot: Automates device setup for rapid deployment.
Azure Active Directory Integration: Enhances user policy management.
Reporting and Analytics: Improves compliance visibility.
Mobile Application Management: Ensures app security without compromising personal data.
Cloud-Based Management: Allows management from any location.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Time Efficiency: Automation reduces time in policy enforcement and configuration updates.
Enhanced Security: Ensures data protection across corporate-owned and BYOD devices.
Improved Compliance: Advanced reporting tools enhance compliance visibility.
Flexible Management: Cloud-based nature supports management from any location.

In industries such as finance and healthcare, Microsoft Intune is implemented to ensure data protection and compliance with regulatory standards. Manufacturing sectors utilize Intune for managing a distributed workforce across global locations, while educational institutions employ it to secure and manage devices in learning environments supporting both students and faculty.

Microsoft

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) is an access management proxy solution for managing global access to the enterprise networks, cloud providers, applications, and application programming interfaces (APIs). Through a single management interface, BIG-IP APM consolidates remote, mobile, network, virtual, and web access.

BIG-IP APM can also serve as a bridge between modern and classic authentication and authorization protocols and methods. For applications which are unable to support modern authentication and authorization protocols, like SAML and OAuth with OIDC, but which do support classic authentication methods, BIG-IP APM converts user credentials to the appropriate authentication standard supported by the application.

BIG-IP APM Benefits:

Ease of use
Flexibility
Ability to integrate with other systems
Security features
Granular access control
Responsive and helpful support team

BIG-IP APM Features:

Support for Identity Aware Proxy (IAP) enabling Zero Trust application access
Context-based authorization with dynamic L4/L7 ACLs
Integration with third-party MFA solutions
DTLS 2.0 mode for delivering and securing applications
SAML 2.0 identity federation support
Support for OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol
SSO support for classic authentication (Kerberos, header- based, etc.), credential caching, OAuth 2.0, SAML 2.0, and FIDO2 (U2F)
AAA server authentication and high-availability
Integration with leading IAM vendor products (Microsoft, Okta, Ping Identity)
BIG IP Edge Client and F5 Access integrate with VMware Horizon ONE (AirWatch), Microsoft Intune and IBM MaaS360
Risk-based access leveraging third-party UEBA and risk engines (HTTP Connector)

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by BIG-IP APM users.

Mahmmoud Rabie, Senior Site Reliability Engineer, writes that BIG-IP APM is "A highly stable solution for load balancing, but the initial setup is complex."

Clyde Livingston, Senior Process Specialist at Telstra, says that BIG-IP APM is "Easy to use, useful access remotely, but lacking stability."

Chris Lam, Senior Solution Consultant at Macroview Telecom Limited, states that BIG-IP APM is "Useful for remote access VPN and VPI integration with VMware.

Parallels Access enables high-performance remote connectivity, letting users access their applications and files from any location.

Parallels Access offers a seamless remote access experience with its ease of operation and reliable connectivity. It supports application publishing and device control through a user-friendly interface, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes and individual users with specific needs. However, improvements are needed in reporting, server compatibility, and file transfer features, particularly for Mac and Unix users. Interaction with technical support can help but often provides temporary solutions.

What are the key features of Parallels Access?

Remote Deployment: Quick and easy to set up for remote access.
Application Publishing: Facilitates smooth application access from remote locations.
User Control: Offers comprehensive control over device access.
Scalability: Adapts from small to large-scale business needs.
Security: Provides a secure environment for data handling.

What benefits do users find in Parallels Access?

Ease of Use: Simple setup and maintenance save time.
Flexibility: Supports varied deployments efficiently.
Accessibility: Enhances device control, especially via mobile devices.
Collaboration: Easy to integrate into centralized management systems.

Parallels Access is widely used across industries such as CAD, ERP, and academia, allowing centralized management and virtual desktop infrastructure implementation. It supports system integrators and channel partners in improving customer service. Educational institutes find it valuable for CAD applications, whereas users operating devices via iPads find it especially transformative.

Parallels

Sample Customers

Mitchells and Buzzers, Callaway

City Bank, Ricacorp Properties, Miele, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office

Gilt Groupe K.K.

F5 BIG-IP Access Policy Manager (APM) vs. Parallels Access