F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) vs Uplynk comparison

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 15, 2026

Uplynk and F5 BIG-IP AFM compete in digital security and streaming markets. While Uplynk is preferred for cost-effective video delivery, F5 BIG-IP AFM is recognized for its superior security features.

Features: Uplynk focuses on adaptive bitrate streaming, a reliable cloud-based infrastructure, and real-time analytics. F5 BIG-IP AFM emphasizes advanced firewall capabilities, detailed attack logging, and Layer 7 protection.

Room for Improvement: Uplynk could enhance security options, expand analytic capabilities, and increase integration with third-party tools. F5 BIG-IP AFM may benefit from simplified deployment, more intuitive user interfaces, and reduction in initial setup complexity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Uplynk offers a straightforward integration process with notable customer support, focusing on ease and speed. F5 BIG-IP AFM provides in-depth customer service and support resources but requires a detailed setup process that may be complex.

Pricing and ROI: Uplynk provides competitive pricing aimed at enhancing ROI through better streaming quality and uptime. Conversely, F5 BIG-IP AFM justifies its higher cost with advanced security features delivering long-term value by minimizing security breaches and enhancing network protection.

To learn more, read our detailed F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) vs. Uplynk Report (Updated: September 2026).

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) vs. Uplynk

September 2026

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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-IP Advanced Firewall...

Ranking in Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection

12th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Uplynk

Ranking in Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection

16th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Data Replication (8th), CDN (8th), Web Application Firewall (WAF) (27th)

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection category, the mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) is 2.0%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Uplynk is 2.1%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)	2.0%
Uplynk	2.1%
Other	95.9%

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection

Featured Reviews

Nawapol Boonlerd

Information Security Engineer at BigFish Enterprise Ltd.

Comprehensive network protection has mitigated DDoS risks and supports secure on-prem operations

Currently, there are no weaknesses or disadvantages in F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) that I have identified. It is a little bit expensive, and I think about additional features they could have in the future to make it even better. For example, I have thoughts about the price. Currently, it does not integrate, and I would assess the importance of F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)'s integration with cloud services as significant. Currently, I use only one site, and I cannot tell you about F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) centralized security policies. I have not used F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)'s Threat Intelligence capabilities. I have not used their dynamic traffic shaping feature. So far, the only thing that could be improved is the pricing of F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM).

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reviewer2597169

manager at a non-profit with 501-1,000 employees

Reliable live streaming has increased our continuous viewership and maintained audience trust

Uplynk is deployed in my organization on-premises and is fully on-site. Uplynk supports our business continuity or disaster recovery plans because it's really well protected and it doesn't lag or crash when there's a spike in all areas. Uplynk helps us comply with regulatory requirements in our industry by keeping us live. Uplynk integrates really well with other systems or tools we use. You need a whole team to really run Uplynk because there are so many moving pieces, the code, the app, and other components. My experience with Uplynk's analytics or reporting capabilities is that they are especially helpful to update the teams and our stakeholders. I would describe Uplynk's flexibility or customization options as really easy, really customizable, and it integrates in many areas. Uplynk helps me deliver content to different devices or platforms by allowing us to upload on and stay live on tablets, computers, and televisions. It allows us to stay live to get those viewerships. Uplynk is a software that saves time, but you need a solid team to run Uplynk to ensure viewership and everything is moving because there are many pieces to keep. I advise others looking into using Uplynk that it takes many different areas: coding, integration, APIs, and all that. It takes a team to run it, and you need to be a big company. If you're streaming and doing all that at a big scale, use it. If you're on a smaller scale, Uplynk is going to be really hard for you to manage. It's not something that's simple; just use the ones that are basic out there if you're an influencer and things like that. I would rate this product a nine overall.

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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 customer service is excellent, and I rate it ten out of ten."

"The product helps us provide security validation by protecting various applications from getting hacked."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the blocking of IPs and F5 has many advantages."

"The solution is very straightforward, and the usability is great."

"The most valuable features for me are stability, availability, and security, along with the ability to manage multiple features to secure my applications."

"It excels in preventing downtime and maintaining application performance, which is crucial for our clients' security and operational continuity."

"The solution is easily deployable and has great functionality."

"The web application firewall has been very helpful. We purchased F5 when we were migrating our applications to the cloud."

More F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) pros

"The customer support and service responsiveness were excellent."

"The tool's most valuable feature is the Uplynk platform for streaming purposes."

"Without EdgeCast, our website was taking 10 to 15 seconds to load; with EdgeCast, it loads under five seconds and it's a good product."

"It's super easy to use and integrate with."

"The product is easy to use and easy to implement."

"I recommend this solution because, for me, it's one of the most efficient and performant CDN operators."

"Uplynk has positively impacted our organization by bringing us more viewership, as it does not glitch and stays stable during spikes in viewership, leading to approximately a 15 to 20 percent increase in viewership because there's no lag and nothing fails."

"The Rules Engine V4 is the most valuable feature."

Cons

"Currently, we have eighty F5s and we need some kind of management software. It would be very helpful."

"F5 should increase its capability to prevent zero-day attacks."

"It is a little bit expensive, and I think about additional features they could have in the future to make it even better."

"Firstly, geolocation currently relies on manual updates. It has to move to automatic updates."

"The web gateway feature could improve in F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)."

"The product is expensive."

"The appliance and features could be enhanced further, especially in terms of security. Some features like the WAF firewall may seem expensive compared to the standard license, so there could be room for adjusting the pricing."

"F5 should increase its capability to prevent zero-day attacks. Having advanced technology similar to other vendors like Palo Alto for zero-day attack prevention would be valuable."

More F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) cons

"We could not create more than 15 custom rules."

"The tool needs to resolve its lack of innovation."

"The web interface of the Verizon Edgecast portal is very old. It's not user-friendly, slow, and it is missing some valuable features like the ability to make bulk changes."

"In the next release, I would like to see more global endpoints for their CDN and a lower price."

"The pricing was initially very expensive."

"The comparable features that we are looking at fits into Cloudflare's free version, as opposed to Verizon EdgeCast, which we are paying for."

"To improve Uplynk, it should be made more user-friendly, as it takes a lot of moving pieces to make it work."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We need to pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution."

"F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager is not an expensive solution."

"The price of F5 BIG-IP AFM is a little more expensive than other firewalls on the market."

"It is somewhat on the expensive side although it is worth the additional cost."

"The product is expensive."

"F5 BIG-IP AFM is an affordable solution. There were not any additional fees other than the standard licensing."

"The solution is slightly on the higher priced side."

"It's very expensive, and you pay extra for the models."

More F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) pricing and cost advice

"The product is cheaper compared to other solutions."

"When I modeled it out, we are spending somewhere between $600 to $800 a month with Verizon EdgeCast."

"Be careful about the options because to have all the features can be very expensive."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection solutions are best for your needs.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Construction Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Comms Service Provider

14%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Construction Company

12%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	14

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	3

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 Advanced Firewall Manager?

The standard license is reasonably priced, but additional features like the WAF can be more expensive. There are plenty of technical documents and a supportive community available, which helps mana...

What needs improvement with F5 Advanced Firewall Manager?

What is your primary use case for F5 Advanced Firewall Manager?

I am starting to learn and working with F5 team to conduct a proof of concept, and I do have experience with F5 Rules for AWS WAF. I have experience with BIG-IP, not BIG-IQ, and I may have experien...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Edgio Global CDN?

I wasn't a part of the pricing, setup cost, and licensing discussions, but from what I heard from my colleagues, they said it was really good and it was fair, so they went with that.

What needs improvement with Edgio Global CDN?

To improve Uplynk, it should be made more user-friendly, as it takes a lot of moving pieces to make it work. Uplynk is very complex software with many moving pieces. If you're a big company, Uplynk...

What is your primary use case for Edgio Global CDN?

My main use case for Uplynk is live channels around the clock. Since we're in the television business, we're constantly showcasing shows, and it's a continuous operation.

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Product Reports

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)

October 2026

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) report

Download F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) product report

Download Uplynk product report

October 2026

Also Known As

F5 AFM, F5 Advanced Firewall Manager

Edgio, Limelight Content Delivery, Limelight Orchestrate Delivery, Limelight Origin Storage, Global CDN, Verizon EdgeCast

Overview

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager provides robust network protection with advanced DDoS features and efficient load balancing. Its design prioritizes scalability and ease of management, catering to securing data centers and applications.

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager is a strategic choice for combating cyber threats, including DDoS attacks. With powerful network defenses, integrated WAF, and adaptable capabilities, it efficiently handles web services on-premise and in the cloud. Users value its application-level threat defense with IP blocking and AI-enhanced reporting. Advanced integration with SIEM solutions allows comprehensive monitoring and enhanced threat detection through dynamic resource allocation. However, areas for improvement include better dashboard statistics and pricing adjustments. Enhancing integration with BIG-IQ and intuitive configuration would streamline its operation. Automatic geolocation updates and improved support could address current challenges alongside its high cost and complex initial setup.

What are the standout features?

Integrated WAF: Enhances security by protecting applications from online threats.
DDoS Protection: Defends against large-scale DDoS attacks efficiently.
AI-Enhanced Reporting: Provides detailed insights through AI-driven analytics.
IP Blocking: Offers IP-based threat defense and geolocation capabilities.
Resource Allocation: Dynamically allocates resources for optimized performance.

What are the benefits and ROI to consider?

Ease of Management: Simplifies management processes with user-friendly features.
Comprehensive Monitoring: Through SIEM integration for better visibility.
Superior Threat Detection: Identifies and mitigates threats proactively.
Scalability: Adapts to evolving network needs and traffic demands.

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager is widely used in sectors requiring stringent security measures, such as finance and healthcare. These industries deploy it as a data center and web application firewall to protect against cyber threats, manage client connections, and ensure the security of on-premise and cloud applications.

Uplynk is a robust platform providing CDN integration and optimized streaming services, improving user experience and application performance. It offers control over CDN caching, redirects, and asset transformations, supporting seamless asset management and mobile security.

Uplynk enhances application performance through efficient API calls, optimized web server loads, and robust CDN configurations. It ensures high availability and performance by leveraging Verizon EdgeCast CDN, crucial for managing high-volume traffic on e-commerce platforms. Though Uplynk excels in asset caching and mobile security with JWT tokens and AES encryption, some users note its global reach needs improvement, and its interface lacks modern user-friendliness. Deployment of new rules can be slower compared to competitors, while documentation and rate limiting features require enhancement. Despite this, Uplynk remains a preferred choice for organizations seeking streamlined web server load optimization and enhanced application performance.

What are Uplynk's key features?

Rules Engine V4: Manages CDN caching, redirects, and asset transformations.
Seamless Integration: Easily integrates with Verizon's existing offerings.
Efficient API Calls: Enhances streaming and application performance.
Staging Support: Testing in staging environments without impacting production.
Mobile Security: Includes JWT tokens and AES encryption.

What benefits should users expect in reviews?

Improved Load Times: Efficient CDN configurations enhance site speed.
Enhanced User Navigation: Optimized performance for high-volume traffic.
DDoS Protection: Layer 3, 4, and 7 protection for comprehensive security.
Performance Optimization: Mobile development and streamlined caching.

Organizations deploy Uplynk to optimize web server load, enhance streaming service performance and support high-traffic volume management, especially in e-commerce. Its security measures, combined with Verizon EdgeCast CDN, ensure high availability and reliable performance, enhancing mobile engagement through specialized frameworks.

Sample Customers

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

TD Ameritrade, Plus500, Solvay Bank, Yahoo, Deckers Brands, and Coach