F5 BIG-IP vs Gcore
A detailed comparison to help you choose between F5 BIG-IP and Gcore.
Quick Verdict
3.2/5
F5 BIG-IP
0 reviews
3.8/5
Gcore
0 reviews
Gcore is rated higher (3.8 vs 3.2). F5 BIG-IP provides hardware and software load balancing, application delivery, and DDoS mitigation for large-scale enterprise networks. Best for organizations requiring advanced traffic management and security. Gcore is a Luxembourg-based CDN and cloud provider with 210+ PoPs and strong coverage in CIS, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
F5 BIG-IP Enterprise load balancing and DDoS protection for mission-critical infrastructure | Gcore Global CDN with 210+ PoPs, strong CIS and emerging-market coverage | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.2 (0 reviews) | 3.8 (0 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | paid | pay-as-you-go |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Best for | Large enterprises, financial services, healthcare, government and service providers consolidating high-traffic application delivery, WAF, SSL offload and DDoS mitigation on one audited platform | Applications whose audience spans CIS, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, and EU buyers wanting a Luxembourg legal base with predictable per-GB CDN pricing and a real free tier. |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ✓ | |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | ddos protectionteam features | free tierddos protectioneu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenterapi access |
| Visit F5 BIG-IP → | Visit Gcore → | |
F5 BIG-IP
Pros
- + Consolidates load balancing, SSL/TLS offload, WAF, firewall/DoS mitigation, access/VPN and DNS on one policy engine
- + Thirty-year reliability track record in banks, carriers and governments; mature HA clustering
- + Full-proxy architecture with programmable iRules for traffic logic that generic load balancers cannot express
- + Runs everywhere: hardware appliances, VIPRION/VELOS chassis, and Virtual Edition on VMware, KVM, Hyper-V and major clouds
- + Dual-stack IPv6 support and ICSA-certified firewall with automatic and dynamic DoS signature handling
Cons
- - Very expensive: throughput-tiered licenses, module add-ons and six-figure support contracts
- - No public list pricing — real cost only emerges through partner sales processes
- - Steep learning curve: its own OS (TMOS), its own DSL (iRules/TCL, AS3) and its own upgrade rituals
- - Overkill for simple HTTP load balancing where cloud-native or open-source options cost a fraction
- - Company is steering toward subscription and Distributed Cloud; multi-year renewal terms need pinning down
Gcore
Pros
- + First 1 TB of CDN traffic free every month on the full 210+ PoP network, no card required
- + Published progressive per-GB pricing; overage rates cut ~66% versus the old Free tier
- + Strong CIS, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa coverage where US rivals are thinner
- + Free SSL and basic L3/L4 DDoS included in every plan, not sold as add-ons
- + Cash-flow-positive company with reported ~$140M revenue — less pricing-risk than burn-rate challengers
Cons
- - Smaller ecosystem and fewer third-party integrations than Cloudflare
- - WAF is a separate product with a basic self-serve tier; bot and API security are Enterprise
- - Stale pricing pages and inconsistent SLA figures (99% vs 99.9%) across channels
- - Brand less known in Western markets; more support-ticket-driven buying
Stay in the loop
Get weekly updates on the best new hosting and infrastructure providers, deals, and comparisons.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.