F5 BIG-IP vs StackPath
A detailed comparison to help you choose between F5 BIG-IP and StackPath.
Quick Verdict
3.2/5
F5 BIG-IP
0 reviews
1.0/5
StackPath
0 reviews
F5 BIG-IP is rated higher (3.2 vs 1.0). 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. Defunct edge platform. StackPath closed all products and began liquidating assets in June 2024; its CDN line had already ceased in November 2023. Not purchasable.
F5 BIG-IP Enterprise load balancing and DDoS protection for mission-critical infrastructure | StackPath Defunct edge platform (closed 2024) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.2 (0 reviews)✓ | 1.0 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | paid | discontinued |
| 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 | Nobody in 2026 — StackPath was dissolved in June 2024. For the same CDN + WAF + DDoS + edge compute combination, look at Cloudflare, Fastly, or Akamai. |
| 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 datacenter |
| Visit F5 BIG-IP → | Visit StackPath → | |
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
StackPath
Pros
- + Historically bundled CDN, WAF, DDoS, and edge compute under one account
- + Large final footprint (73 edge locations across 43 metro markets, company's own count)
- + Edge compute with VMs and containers in the same PoPs as content delivery
- + Backing from Juniper, Cox, and ABRY gave it enterprise credibility while it lasted
Cons
- - Company defunct since June 2024 — all products closed, assets liquidated, support switched off
- - CDN business sold to Akamai in 2023; customers stranded through three platform migrations in five years
- - Conflicting PoP counts across its own marketing pages (45 / 50+ / 73)
- - Any pricing or feature list found online is historical, not purchasable
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