Junior System Engineer at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
Efficiently optimizing and securing application delivery, providing robust load balancing and reverse proxy features for enhanced performance
Pros and Cons
  • "The flexibility in configuration options is impressive."
  • "It was challenging explaining to customers that it's no longer NetScaler but ADC, and now it's not just ADC but also the rebranding from NetScaler."

What is our primary use case?

We provide services to our customers related to Citrix ADC.

What is most valuable?

The reverse proxy for virtual apps and desktops, along with load balancing, stands out as the most valuable feature. The flexibility in configuration options is impressive.

What needs improvement?

I just hope they don't change the name again. It was challenging explaining to customers that it's no longer NetScaler but ADC, and now it's not just ADC but also the rebranding from NetScaler. When I first started working with NetScaler, it seemed a bit complex. However, with experience, I've come to appreciate its user-friendly nature, especially when you know your way around it.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with it for three years now.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate its stability capabilities eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It offers exceptional scalability. I would rate it ten out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

I've only reached out to tech support once, and they swiftly resolved my issue. I would rate it nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

I would rate the initial setup eight out of ten.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

For the specific use case that my customers primarily engage with, I would give the pricing a rating of seven out of ten. However, if you're exploring the full range of NetScaler's capabilities, my rating would drop to four out of ten.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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CEO Iberia & Latam at a recruiting/HR firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Reliable, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is very stable."
  • "Technical support could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We have Citrix StoreFront to access everything from a remote desk. We use it with Office 365 so that we can access Teams. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is very stable.

The product is scalable. 

What needs improvement?

It would be ideal if there were more integration capabilities. That's something that could improve. 

Technical support could be improved. 

The solution could offer a higher level of security.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for about five or six years. It's been a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution has been very stable. I don't recall dealing with bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can scale. If a company needs to expand usage, it can do so. It's not a problem.

We currently have 400 users on the solution right now. 

How are customer service and support?

I've contacted technical support in the past. Their level of service is inconsistent. Sometimes it's good and other times not as much. It depends. 

How was the initial setup?

The installation was handled by a specific department and not by myself. I work in an area of the government and don't contact that department directly. Therefore, I can't speak to the overall experience of the initial setup. I can't say if it is difficult or straightforward. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't have any details in relation to the pricing. It's not an aspect of the solution that I take care of. 

What other advice do I have?

I'm a customer and an end-user. I don't have any special relationship with Citrix. 

I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten. We've been very happy with its capabilities overall.

I would recommend the solution to other users, departments, and companies. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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IT Project Management /Research & Development Team Leader at Ethiopian Roads Administration
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Offers better visibility into user sessions compared to other solutions
Pros and Cons
  • "Citrix Netscaler makes it easy to provide services to end users, offering better visibility into user sessions compared to VMware. However, instability in network or machine can cause headaches as it's hard to pinpoint issues. SSL offload feature enhances security posture by providing secure connectivity between end users and backend systems. We use additional Azure remote security solutions for comprehensive protection."
  • "Improvements are needed to address the issue of machines becoming unregistered, ensuring stability for end users. Troubleshooting with Citrix support can be challenging, so clearer diagnostics would be beneficial. As for global server load balancing, it works well on-premises, depending on user volume and service stability. Overall, it's satisfactory for us."

What is our primary use case?

For our VDI setup, we have two types of Citrix Netscaler solutions: one for providing application and desktop services, and another for load balancing. We sometimes face challenges like virtual appliances becoming unregistered, but we usually resolve them through checklists. Overall, Netscaler works well for load balancing in our infrastructure.

What is most valuable?

Citrix Netscaler makes it easy to provide services to end users, offering better visibility into user sessions compared to VMware. However, instability in network or machine can cause headaches as it's hard to pinpoint issues. SSL offload feature enhances security posture by providing secure connectivity between end users and backend systems. We use additional Azure remote security solutions for comprehensive protection.

What needs improvement?

Improvements are needed to address the issue of machines becoming unregistered, ensuring stability for end users. Troubleshooting with Citrix support can be challenging, so clearer diagnostics would be beneficial. As for global server load balancing, it works well on-premises, depending on user volume and service stability. Overall, it's satisfactory for us.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Citrix NetScaler for the past four years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Citrix Netscaler is rated at 7 out of 10. Approximately 2,000 to 2,015 users are currently using it, and we plan to increase usage. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is considered to be good, almost 8 out of 10.

How was the initial setup?

Some aspects of deploying Citrix Netscaler are straightforward, while others require professional services due to complexity. Skilled manpower and previous deployment experience are crucial. Initially, deployment required around five to six technical experts, but internalization of administration processes made it easier for us.

What about the implementation team?

We handled it internally, though it took time to finalize and analyze. We didn't use third-party integrators. 

What was our ROI?

The return on investment for us with Citrix Netscaler is favorable. By centralizing user support and management, we save costs on user device procurement and resource allocation. This approach is more cost-effective compared to traditional methods.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

After deployment, Citrix Netscaler shifted to a subscription-based license scheme for support, which is slightly more expensive. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate Citrix Netscaler around 7.5 out of 10. For remote connectivity, I highly recommend it for its ease of use. As for analytics and reporting, it helps in decision-making. The main area for improvement is stability, which could be better.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Technical Manager at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 20
Offers a superior user experience by delving into the HDX protocol
Pros and Cons
  • "Citrix NetScaler offers robust security features, including SmartAccess and customizable policies, making it a reliable choice for safeguarding user data."
  • "There is room for improvement regarding the pricing policy for Citrix offices."

What is our primary use case?

I use Citrix NetScaler as a gateway to provide secure access to virtualized desktops and applications.

What is most valuable?

Citrix NetScaler offers robust security features, including SmartAccess and customizable policies, making it a reliable choice for safeguarding user data. The seamless integration with Citrix tools enhances both performance and security, creating a powerful combination for optimal IT environments.

What needs improvement?

There is room for improvement regarding the pricing policy for Citrix offices. In the past, the gateway was cost-effective, but there has been a shift, and the current pricing seems too high.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Citrix NetScaler for many years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability of the solution as a seven out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the scalability of the solution as an eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

Tech support for NetScaler can be frustrating. When opening a case, I often spend much time with first-level support, who sometimes lack programming knowledge. The process involves repeating details when the case is escalated to an engineer which causes delays. Overall, I would rate the support as a three out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Before using Citrix NetScaler, I had experience with similar products. I recall working with Citrix Gateway for server access, but it involved a server running an application on a Windows server. I have also dabbled a bit with other vendors like F5 for feature integration. However, integrating with Citrix has been challenging as they are not very open to external integrations.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is quite expensive. Regular security audits reveal frequent vulnerabilities, requiring monthly patches.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate Citrix NetScaler as a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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Department manager at a media company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
User-friendly and great functions
Pros and Cons
  • "Most of the functions are user-friendly and great."
  • "There are some drawbacks, such as using EUG for specific configurations. It could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We're using NetScaler for compression and optimization features.

What is most valuable?

Most of the functions are user-friendly and great. We also have mobile features that are simple but effective.

What needs improvement?

There are some drawbacks, such as using EUG for certain configurations. It could definitely be improved. Moreover, compression features could be better since it uses too much CPU and is not very effective.

In terms of additional functionality, the capture feature could be improved to make it easier to use, and schedules could also be better for me.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for eight years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There are nine users in our organization using this solution. It is a stable solution within this capacity. Sometimes we faced bugs, but in general, it hasn't affected the general usage.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

If you use the latest version, it is quite a scalable solution. I would rate the scalability of NetScaler an eight out of ten. 

How are customer service and support?

We've had poor experiences with customer support partners in the past two years. If some company changes, it's a bad thing. The customer support is not good for us. It is not helpful as well as have very slow response time. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is actually very simple.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. I would definitely recommend using the solution.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Retief Zietsman - PeerSpot reviewer
Citricx solution achitecht at Troye
Real User
A well-rounded, well-featured product with good reliability
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution can scale."
  • "Technical support could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for web applications, firewalling, EDOS protection, load balancing, and content switching. There are quite a lot of use cases that we use it for. It just depends on what the client requires. It's a multi-purpose software.

What is most valuable?

It's a well-rounded, well-featured product that is quite flexible in terms of covering quite a lot of use cases depending on the client's environment.

It's quite a competitive solution if you compare it to others. It's one of the market leaders in terms of functionality and features.

It's a stable product.

The solution can scale.  

What needs improvement?

Technical support could be improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for seven years or so. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's a stable product. I'd rate its reliability eight out of ten. There are few bugs, and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is fine. I'd rate its ability to scale ten out of ten. 

How are customer service and support?

We aren't fully satisfied with technical support at this time. We'd like them to have a faster response time. Sometimes those responding to requests aren't technical enough, and the case needs to be passed through to someone else. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not previously use a different solution. 

How was the initial setup?

How long the solution takes to deploy depends on what features are deployed. The deployment of the VPN and general balancing stuff doesn't take too much time. However, if you are looking at web applications and/or firewalling, it can get a bit more complex. The implementation will take longer. 

I'd rate the ease of setup an eight out of ten. There are some complex configurations, however, it isn't something that we generally can't handle ourselves. 

What about the implementation team?

The initial setup is usually done by our team. We would usually reach out to the vendor for support in the case of a bug or something like that.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I'm not involved in licensing aspects of the solution and cannot speak to the exact cost of the product. 

There is only a licensing fee. There aren't any extra costs attached.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not previously evaluate other options. We use Citrix a lot. It's our bread and butter. 

What other advice do I have?

We're Citrix partners. 

I'm using the latest version of the solution. 

We have multiple implementations of the product, including on the cloud and on-premises. When we use the cloud version, we use Azure and AWS. 

I'd rate the product nine out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
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General Manager & founder at a engineering company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Enhances our application delivery and offers excellent scalability
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature for us is the application firewalling in Citrix NetScaler, ensuring only valid traffic enters our environment."
  • "Mastering it requires significant learning and training due to its complexity."

What is our primary use case?

I use Citrix NetScaler to secure and reliable access to our back-end applications hosted in our data center. With its robust features like SSL security, content switching, load balancing, and application firewalling, it streamlines traffic management and enhances overall performance while keeping our data safe from threats.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature for us is the application firewalling in Citrix NetScaler, ensuring only valid traffic enters our environment. Additionally, it provides insights into the origin and destination of traffic within our data center, giving us control and visibility over our network performance.

What needs improvement?

Citrix NetScaler is a robust product, but mastering it requires significant learning and training due to its complexity. While it could be easier to manage, it is like transitioning from driving a car to flying a plane – a different experience altogether. 

Additional features could include better integration with community-developed scripts and APIs, making it easier for users to access and utilize these resources. Streamlining the interface and ensuring standardization would enhance usability and provide smoother integration with third-party services.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Citrix NetScaler for about 20 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate Citrix stability at nine out of ten because it is solid, but many issues stem from neglecting regular maintenance. If you overlook upkeep like clearing disk space, even the best products can falter, but it is not the fault of Citrix NetScaler itself.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Citrix NetScaler is impressive, ranging from small setups to handling gigabit-level traffic. It is designed for clustering and can sync data traffic across multiple interfaces, making it highly adaptable to varying needs. In our organization, we serve several large clients, with some deployments handling up to 7,000 users daily.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is very good.

How was the initial setup?

Setting up Citrix NetScaler can vary from straightforward to complex, depending on the deployment requirements. For basic setups, it is easy, but for more intricate configurations involving clusters and firewall settings, it becomes complex and requires expertise. While there are ARM templates available for deployment, understanding your specific needs is crucial for achieving the desired outcomes.

What was our ROI?

Using Citrix NetScaler provides immense value to our organization. Its indispensable role is in facilitating remote access and managing various assets, whether on-premises, cloud, or hybrid.

What other advice do I have?

Having a robust load balancer like Citrix NetScaler is essential for our infrastructure. While there are other options like F5 and Azure load balancers, NetScaler stands out with its comprehensive features beyond just basic traffic routing, offering advanced functionalities like security controls, content switching, and application firewalling.

Citrix NetScaler enhances our application delivery by intelligently directing traffic to healthy servers and services. It ensures that even if a server is up, but its services are down, traffic is rerouted to functioning servers, preventing downtime and ensuring a smooth user experience. With built-in probes, it continuously monitors the health of services, identifying issues and optimizing traffic flow accordingly.

The SSL upload feature in Citrix NetScaler has significantly improved our security by encrypting traffic and ensuring data integrity. Additionally, the global server load balancing capability allows us to efficiently host multiple services behind a single static IP address, streamlining deployment and reducing the need for multiple certificates and IP addresses.

The analytics and reporting capabilities of Citrix NetScaler have improved significantly in the past year.

For those considering Citrix NetScaler, my advice is to research its capabilities thoroughly to understand which features align with your needs. Start by experimenting with one feature at a time and learn as you go to maximize its potential for your organization.

Overall, I would rate Citrix NetScaler as a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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Anu Vijayarajah - PeerSpot reviewer
Cloud Network Specialist at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Is user-friendly, stable, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "I found that the GUI was very easy to to navigate. If you were looking for something, it was fairly easy to find. There's a lot of third-party documentation and information available online as well."
  • "Citrix should offer a demo or free-trial version of NetScaler. Several other vendors do, but Citrix does not. Pricing should also be more readily available."

What is our primary use case?

We used it mainly for GSLB (Global Server Load Balancing). It was the intelligent DNS service.

What is most valuable?

I found that the GUI was very easy to to navigate. If you were looking for something, it was fairly easy to find. There's a lot of third-party documentation and information available online as well.

What needs improvement?

Citrix should offer a demo or free-trial version of NetScaler. Several other vendors do, but Citrix does not.

Pricing should also be more readily available.

For how long have I used the solution?

We deployed Citrix NetScaler in 2018, and I've worked with it for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In the four years I was working on it, we didn't have a single incident. There were no crashes or abnormal behavior. We found it to be very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We didn't have any issues with scalability.

How are customer service and support?

I've contacted technical support once, and their response was timely. There were no issues.

How was the initial setup?

I found the initial setup to be very easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Citrix NetScaler's pricing is slightly above average but not overly expensive. I would consider F5 BIG IP to be the most expensive, Citrix NetScaler to be the second most expensive, and then Kemp Load Balancer to be the third.

What other advice do I have?

I am really happy with Citrix NetScaler in terms of the stability and user-friendliness of the user interface. It's easy to set up as well, and I'd rate it at nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Citrix NetScaler Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Citrix NetScaler Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.