Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Cisco Umbrella VS F5 Networks

Compare Cisco Umbrella VS F5 Networks and see what are their differences

Cisco Umbrella logo Cisco Umbrella

Cisco Umbrella is a cloud security platform that provides the first line of defense against threats on the internet.

F5 Networks logo F5 Networks

F5 application services ensure that applications are always secure and perform the way they should—in any environment and on any device.
  • Cisco Umbrella Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-07-23
  • F5 Networks Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-15

Cisco Umbrella features and specs

  • Comprehensive Security
    Cisco Umbrella offers a wide range of security features including DNS-layer security, secure web gateway, firewall, and cloud-delivered threat intelligence which collectively provides multi-layered protection against cyber threats.
  • Ease of Deployment
    Cisco Umbrella can be deployed quickly and easily across different types of networks, including on-premises, remote offices, and mobile users, without requiring significant changes to existing infrastructure.
  • High Availability
    Built on a globally distributed network, Cisco Umbrella ensures high availability and redundancy, making it a reliable option for companies that cannot afford downtime.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The centralized and intuitive dashboard makes it easy for administrators to monitor network activities, manage policies, and generate reports, reducing the complexity of security management.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Cisco Umbrella integrates well with other security tools and Cisco products, allowing organizations to build a more cohesive and comprehensive security strategy.

Possible disadvantages of Cisco Umbrella

  • Cost
    Cisco Umbrella can be expensive, especially for smaller organizations with limited budgets, which might find the cost prohibitive relative to their needs.
  • Complexity of Advanced Features
    While the basic features are easy to use, some of the more advanced features require specialized knowledge and training to fully leverage, which can be a barrier for some organizations.
  • Dependence on Internet Connectivity
    Being a cloud-based solution, Cisco Umbrella requires continuous internet connectivity to function effectively. Any disruption in internet service can impact its performance and reduce its effectiveness.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Because it involves routing all DNS queries through its servers, there could be potential privacy concerns for organizations worried about data sovereignty and confidentiality.
  • Limited Offline Protection
    Cisco Umbrella primarily provides online protection. For devices that need security while offline, additional measures need to be implemented, which could complicate the security strategy.

F5 Networks features and specs

  • Comprehensive Security Features
    F5 Networks offers robust security features that include advanced threat protection, SSL encryption, and DDoS mitigation, providing enterprises with strong security measures to protect their infrastructure.
  • Application Delivery Optimization
    F5's solutions optimize application delivery through intelligent traffic management and load balancing, ensuring high availability and performance for critical applications.
  • Versatile Product Range
    F5 provides a wide range of products and services, including hardware, software, and cloud-based solutions, allowing businesses to choose the best fit for their specific needs and environments.
  • Strong Reputation and Market Presence
    F5 has established itself as a leader in the application delivery and security market, with a large customer base, indicating reliability and confidence in its solutions.
  • Integration Capabilities
    F5 solutions integrate well with a variety of third-party technologies and platforms, enabling seamless operations within existing IT infrastructures.

Possible disadvantages of F5 Networks

  • High Cost
    F5 Networks' solutions can be expensive, both in terms of initial setup and ongoing maintenance, which may not be suitable for smaller enterprises with limited budgets.
  • Complex Setup and Management
    Implementing and managing F5 products can be complex and require specialized knowledge or expertise, potentially necessitating additional training or hiring of skilled personnel.
  • Potential Overhead
    The sophisticated features of F5 solutions might introduce additional overhead that can affect performance if not properly configured or managed.
  • Vendor Lock-in Risk
    Adopting F5's technology might result in vendor lock-in, making it challenging to switch to alternative solutions or integrate with non-compatible systems in the future.
  • Resource Intensive
    Some F5 solutions can be demanding on resources, potentially requiring significant hardware capabilities for optimal performance, which may strain existing infrastructure.

Cisco Umbrella videos

How IT Works: Security at the DNS Layer with Cisco Umbrella

More videos:

  • Review - Cisco Umbrella Product Packages
  • Review - Cisco Umbrella Customer Review: Cisco IT
  • Review - What is Cisco Umbrella?
  • Review - Unleash the Power of Cisco Umbrella: A Comprehensive Review

F5 Networks videos

Why you need to learn F5 Networks?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Cisco Umbrella and F5 Networks)
Security & Privacy
83 83%
17% 17
Cyber Security
100 100%
0% 0
Monitoring Tools
82 82%
18% 18
Business & Commerce
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Cisco Umbrella and F5 Networks. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Cisco Umbrella should be more popular than F5 Networks. It has been mentiond 3 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Cisco Umbrella mentions (3)

  • Amazon Outage
    Cisco Umbrella | Leader in Cloud Cybersecurity and SASE Solutions. Source: about 2 years ago
  • How are Vpns blocked?
    A combination of subscription ip blocklists like that sold by MaxMind combined with DNS and application filtering services like Umbrella would catch most services. For good measure I'd toss in local .exe application whitelisting running on each of the schools machines to only allow the applications the school wants using something like applocker which is included in windows so it probably fits into their budget. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Blocking sites
    We've been very happy with Cisco's Umbrella product. A few years back I "test drove" the free version, but thats a very poor substitute for the paid product. It's not cheap, but it has worked very well for us. Over 70% of our users are remote since the start of COVID, so we opted for the "roaming client" installation on every endpoint. We have a "basic" network profile for our office locations that slightly... Source: over 2 years ago

F5 Networks mentions (2)

  • sysadmin career path is not well understood, at least to me
    f5.com - there's tons of documentation to be found there, also "community" or whatever they call it there. So, lots of material one can well read and study ... And usefully a place to ask questions too. BIG-IP - see f5. Source: over 2 years ago
  • F5 cert exam 101 updated 13.1
    I took the 101 and didn't like it; I have a lot of experience with LTM/GTM, but the test was so basic and non-technical, they ended up asking a lot of 'pointless filler questions' (like, what is the URL for f5.com website, where do you click on f5.com to access XYZ info, etc). Source: about 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Cisco Umbrella and F5 Networks, you can also consider the following products

Kaspersky Security for Internet Gateways - Kaspersky Security for Internet Gateways offers secure internet access for the employees.

Entrust Inc. - Entrust Inc. is a third party administrator of health benefits based in Houston, Texas. 

McAfee SmartFilter - McAfee Web Protection is a web security solution that includes an on-premises secure web gateway and SaaS-based web security delivered from the cloud.

Epicor - Implement faster, customize less, and see your ROI sooner with software built to fit your business. Epicor software has your industry best-practices built in. Learn more about software for your industry.

OpenDNS Umbrella - Cloud Security

Kroll Ontrack - Ontrack provides cutting-edge technology services and products to address your critical information needs with data recovery and data erasure.