Citrix NetScaler vs NGINX Plus comparison

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Citrix NetScaler and NGINX Plus based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Citrix NetScaler vs. NGINX Plus Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The solution is easy to work with and manage.""Helped us a lot with load balancing.""The most valuable feature is the content switching.""It is the best product out there.""For desktop application management, I recommend the NetScaler edition. This product is like a Swiss army knife. Citrix NetScaler ADC supports the education front-end.""High availability, performance, and security are the main pillars. It enhances the security for accessing the applications.""I like the monitoring ability as it enables me to identify when an internal (load-balanced) resource is having issues before it becomes a problem in production.""Citrix NetScaler offers robust security features, including SmartAccess and customizable policies, making it a reliable choice for safeguarding user data."

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"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is simple to configure.""The load balancing module, which is equivalent to LTM, is the focus of the PSE. So far, the features of both are identical. I believe NGINX has more features for securing these services, but in terms of load balancing, both are massive solutions.""​Zero Downtime has always been a strength in recommending infrastructure web services. NGINX allows me to execute such infrastructure with less complications and the ability to switch from server to server easily.​""I think installation only took a couple of minutes — no more than 10 minutes.""With NGINX, I appreciate its ability to route traffic geographically.""Supports IMAP, POP and SMTP protocols for the reverse proxy.""The best solution, by far, for web traffic control for things in production and just around the house.""The most valuable features are the gateway and the ability to publish to sites."

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Cons
"Mastering it requires significant learning and training due to its complexity.""It can be difficult to setup.""The solution could be more secure.""The setup for Citrix NetScaler has room for improvement. It could be easier.""The interface needs to be improved because the competition is coming up with ones that are more eye-catching, straightforward, and sophisticated.""Getting to use some of the advanced tools, even with the assistance of Citrix support, can be challenging.""The tool needs to add a feature where we can access the network policy access manager.""The GUI should be improved."

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"The user interface could be improved.""NGINX is a very basic load balancer and cannot do as many customizations as F5.""The drawback is that you must obtain a license for everything.""The solution must improve its performance.""I would suggest adding GUI-based configuration panels to NGINX Plus to simplify setup and management tasks.""Lack of a feature to print data on the terminal for verification of network traffic during debugging and testing.""The KPI should be more focused on load balancing and the latency in application calling from the end system.""NGINX Plus is moderately priced, but it could give better value for money."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "It's not for startups or SOHO."
  • "Costly product and complicated licensing."
  • "It all depends on the features that will be used and the number of accesses."
  • "It is true that it is a bit pricey compared to newer technologies coming to the market. For example, A10 is a load balancer that does everything that Citrix can and it does a lot more than what NetScaler does when it comes to the security space, and their prices are so cheap. Every box comes with its own license and support built into it. When you compare that with NetScaler, you have to buy licenses separately, you have to buy a support agreement that is going to be separate. A small NetScaler, even if it is a VPX which is a virtual server, could cost you close to $150,000 to $200,000 dollars. So the pricing is really high."
  • "We have been evaluating F5, Citrix, and other ADC products. Citrix is the most expense of all of them."
  • "We are quite happy with price. It's not too high."
  • "I do not have any experience with the pricing of the product."
  • "You get the value for your money. There aren't any hidden fees."
  • More Citrix NetScaler Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "Nginx is free. I don't have experience with the Plus version."
  • "I am not so happy with their pricing policy, but this is not the worse thing in my life. I can tolerate it."
  • "​NGINX Plus is worth it, if you need it. If you do not need the features or support, the free and open source package is more than capable. ​"
  • "​NGINX is a free tool in Brazil. There are some companies which do support it.​"
  • "The price is the cost to contract support with a specialized company, usually during consulting hours.​"
  • "Compared to other similar solutions on the market, I think it's over-priced."
  • "You pay for each feature that you want."
  • "The list price of NGINX Plus is close to $5,500."
  • More NGINX Plus Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:From a security standpoint, It is a comprehensive solution in a single box.
    Top Answer: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… more »
    Top Answer:In the latest version of Citrix NetScaler, there are specific improvements in the appliances, particularly in the management interfaces, which were not available in previous versions. If one device or… more »
    Top Answer:IIS is a flexible, secure, and manageable web server to host anything on the web. IIS’s scalable and open architecture can handle the most demanding tasks. From media streaming to web applications… more »
    Ranking
    Views
    9,017
    Comparisons
    6,917
    Reviews
    21
    Average Words per Review
    367
    Rating
    8.2
    Views
    6,917
    Comparisons
    5,589
    Reviews
    13
    Average Words per Review
    406
    Rating
    8.5
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Citrix ADC, NetScaler, Citrix NetScaler VPX
    NGINX
    Learn More
    Overview

    Citrix NetScaler is an application delivery controller (ADC) and load-balancing solution for multi-cloud environments. Because its software and hardware form factors are all built on a single code base, Citrix NetScaler provides operational and feature consistency with comprehensive security for monolithic and microservices-based applications on-premises and in the cloud. The solution is designed to optimize, manage, and secure network traffic. Switching features, security and protection features, and network integration efficiency capabilities are all part of its feature set.

    Citrix NetScaler Features

    Citrix NetScaler has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

    • Citrix Gateway
    • Secure Access
    • Layer 7 content switching
    • Database load balancing
    • Triscale clustering
    • E-based policy enforcement
    • Surge protection and priority queuing
    • Application acceleration
    • Application security, including DoS attack defense, content rewriting and response control, SSL encryption, and more.
    • Network Integration

    Citrix NetScaler Benefits

    There are many benefits to implementing Citrix NetScaler. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

    • Improved Application Performance: Citrix NetScaler optimizes the delivery of applications, reducing latency and improving the user experience.
    • Scalability: The solution can scale to handle large amounts of traffic, ensuring that applications are available even during periods of high demand.
    • Advanced Security: Citrix NetScaler includes a range of security features, such as SSL offloading, to help secure applications and protect against threats.
    • Availability: Load balancing and failover capabilities ensure that applications are always available, even in the event of a failure.
    • Good user experience: The solution’s Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) ensures that users are directed to the nearest available application, reducing latency and improving the user experience.
    • Reduced costs: By improving application performance and reducing downtime, Citrix NetScaler can help organizations reduce costs associated with application delivery.
    • Agility: Citrix NetScaler makes it easier for organizations to deploy and manage applications, helping to increase the speed and efficiency of IT operations.
    • Analytics and monitoring: Provides insight into network and application performance, helping organizations to identify and resolve issues quickly.

    Reviews from Real Users

    Citrix NetScaler is a solution that stands out when compared to many of its competitors. Some of its major advantages are that it is easy to use, is robust, and has good load balancing.

    A Senior Citrix Engineer at Troye, says, “The web application firewalling component is probably the most powerful feature as it can identify attacks on the network at an application level which is quite important. There is also good functionality where we use IP reputation and geofencing to mitigate threats from the outside world.”

    “The feature that I have found most valuable is its load balancing,” explains a Security Consultant at a tech services company.

    Timur G., Team Head of Network Security at DOM.RF, writes, “The most valuable feature of Citrix ADC is its ease of use.” 

    Another PeerSpot reviewer, Nirav S., Technical Solutions Architect at MindTree, mentions, "Compared to other solutions, Citrix ADC is much more robust in terms of the native integration to cloud platforms. It is far more robust from an operational point of view as well."

    NGINX Plus is a versatile solution that offers load balancing, caching, proxying, and API deployment capabilities. It can be deployed on private or public clouds and is ideal for building CDN solutions. The solution can also be used to secure web applications and replace web services like Apache. 

    NGINX has helped organizations improve functioning, reduce downtimes, and offer a DevOps-friendly solution. Its community support and documentation are highly regarded, and its configuration is more straightforward, making it a recommended choice over HAProxy.

    Sample Customers
    ABB Schweiz, Aer Lingus, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Amnet Technology Solutions, Aramex International, Ascenty, Atos, Autodesk
    Locaweb, AppNexus, Wix, Reliam, Montana Interactive, MuleSoft, Warpwire, Discovery Education, InkaBinka, WordPress.com, Gogo, GOV.UK, NASA
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company25%
    Financial Services Firm15%
    Manufacturing Company12%
    Healthcare Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company15%
    Financial Services Firm13%
    Government9%
    Healthcare Company5%
    REVIEWERS
    Comms Service Provider25%
    Computer Software Company25%
    Energy/Utilities Company17%
    Media Company8%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company15%
    Financial Services Firm14%
    Comms Service Provider10%
    Government7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business36%
    Midsize Enterprise18%
    Large Enterprise46%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise63%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business61%
    Large Enterprise39%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business23%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise61%
    Buyer's Guide
    Citrix NetScaler vs. NGINX Plus
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Citrix NetScaler vs. NGINX Plus and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Citrix NetScaler is ranked 2nd in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) with 85 reviews while NGINX Plus is ranked 5th in Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) with 27 reviews. Citrix NetScaler is rated 8.4, while NGINX Plus is rated 8.8. The top reviewer of Citrix NetScaler writes "Simple implementation, reliable, and good dashboards". On the other hand, the top reviewer of NGINX Plus writes "Quick installation and very easy to manage while doing orchestration or automation". Citrix NetScaler is most compared with F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM), Microsoft Azure Application Gateway, Fortinet FortiADC, HAProxy and Avi Networks Software Load Balancer, whereas NGINX Plus is most compared with IIS, HAProxy, Kemp LoadMaster, F5 BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager (LTM) and Microsoft Azure Application Gateway. See our Citrix NetScaler vs. NGINX Plus report.

    See our list of best Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) vendors.

    We monitor all Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.