LoadMaster vs F5 BIG-IP

Progress® Kemp® LoadMaster® provides enterprise-grade load balancing with simpler licensing, lower total cost of ownership and critical security and performance features included by default.

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Why LoadMaster Application Delivery Controller (ADC) is an Ideal Alternative for Your Current Solution

Affordable Performance

As F5 ends support for its BIG-IP iSeries appliances, rather than investing in a pricey next-gen replacement, many IT leaders are evaluating the LoadMaster load balancer and application delivery controller (ADC) platform known for its cost-effectiveness, robust performance and simplicity.

Smart Scaling

The LoadMaster solution provides a reliable, scalable performance while minimizing operational overhead makes it the smart choice for businesses prioritizing efficiency and simplicity in application delivery.

Effortless Optimization

LoadMaster ADC offers a user-friendly interface and lower total cost of ownership (TCO), making it the ideal solution for organizations that want to optimize web traffic without overspending.

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Compare LoadMaster and F5 Models

Hardware Models
Virtual Models

The LoadMaster solution offers hardware models that provide the most complete high-performance application delivery platform with dual power supplies and RAID storage for enhanced resilience.

With models that deliver up to 45,000 SSL transactions per second and an overall system throughput of 90 Gbit/sec, this load balancer can easily integrate with the most complex and demanding network environments.

Find Your LoadMaster Match

Select your current F5 BIG-IP model to get a recommended model with detailed comparison.

F5 BIG-IP Hardware Model

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	i2600	LM-X15-NG

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$27,000	$17,500
L7 THROUGHPUT	10 Gbps	15 Gbps
SSL TPS (2K KEYS)	2,500	15,000
L7 RPS	350K	1M
L4 RPS	125K	600K
Max L4 Concurrent Connections	14M	35M
BULK ENCRYPTION	5 Gbps	10 Gbps

SCALABILITY OPTIONS
FIPS 140-2 LEVEL1	N/A
SSO/ PRE-AUTHENTICATION	Add-On
WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL	Add-On
GLOBAL SERVER LOAD BALANCING	Add-On
IPS	N/A

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
FULL HTTP/2 STACK
CACHING
HTTP COMPRESSION
API SUPPORT
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
POWER SUPPLIES	1	2
1 GB ETHERNET	4	16
10 GB SFP+	2	4
25 GB SFP28	N/A	N/A
40 GB QSFP+	N/A	N/A
100 GB QSPF28	N/A	N/A
HARD DRIVE	Single 1 TB	Redundant 2 x 1 TB
STANDARD MEMORY	16 GB	32 GB
RACK HEIGHT	1U	1U

*The pricing of the products under comparison has been sourced from public data. The performance data for comparison has been sourced from the company published Specifications as available to the general public.

Listed prices are USD-based MSRP and subject to change without prior notice. Prices vary by country and exclude local taxes, duties and transportation charges. Please contact your local Kemp office or authorized distributor for further pricing information specific to your country. All LoadMasters must be licensed prior to use in the country where they were purchased and are subject to local licensing and trade regulations.

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	i2800	LM-X15-NG

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$30,900	$17,500
L7 THROUGHPUT	10 Gbps	15 Gbps
SSL TPS (2K KEYS)	4,300	15,000
L7 RPS	650K	1M
L4 RPS	250K	600K
Max L4 Concurrent Connections	14M	35M
BULK ENCRYPTION	8 Gbps	10 Gbps

SCALABILITY OPTIONS
FIPS 140-2 LEVEL1	Add-On
SSO/ PRE-AUTHENTICATION	Add-On
WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL	Add-On
GLOBAL SERVER LOAD BALANCING	Add-On
IPS	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
FULL HTTP/2 STACK
CACHING
HTTP COMPRESSION
API SUPPORT
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
POWER SUPPLIES	1	2
1 GB ETHERNET	4	16
10 GB SFP+	2	4
25 GB SFP28	N/A	N/A
40 GB QSFP+	N/A	N/A
100 GB QSPF28	N/A	N/A
HARD DRIVE	Single 1 TB	Redundant 2 x 1 TB
STANDARD MEMORY	16 GB	32 GB
RACK HEIGHT	1U	1U

*The pricing of the products under comparison has been sourced from public data which includes F5 BIG-IP Good (Base) licensing and Progress Kemp LoadMaster Enterprise Plus (Best) licensing. The performance data for comparison has been sourced from the company published Specifications as available to the general public.

Listed prices are USD-based MSRP and subject to change without prior notice. Prices vary by country and excluded local taxes, duties, and transportation charges. Please contact your local Progress Office or authorized distributor for further pricing information specific to your country. All LoadMaster solutions must be licensed prior to use in the country where they were purchased and are subject to local licensing and trade regulations.

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	i4600	LM-X25-NG

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$59,000	$33,500
L7 THROUGHPUT	20 Gbps	25 Gbps
SSL TPS (2K KEYS)	10,000	25,000
L7 RPS	650K	1M
L4 RPS	250K	725K
Max L4 Concurrent Connections	28M	75.8M
BULK ENCRYPTION	10 Gbps	20 Gbps

SCALABILITY OPTIONS
FIPS 140-2 LEVEL1	Add-On
SSO/ PRE-AUTHENTICATION	Add-On
WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL	Add-On
GLOBAL SERVER LOAD BALANCING	Add-On
IPS	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
FULL HTTP/2 STACK
CACHING
HTTP COMPRESSION
API SUPPORT
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
POWER SUPPLIES	1	2
1 GB ETHERNET	8	2
10 GB SFP+	4	8
25 GB SFP28	N/A	N/A
40 GB QSFP+	N/A	N/A
100 GB QSPF28	N/A	N/A
HARD DRIVE	Single 1 TB	Redundant 2 x 1 TB
STANDARD MEMORY	32 GB	64 GB
RACK HEIGHT	1U	2U

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	i4800	LM-X25-NG

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$80,100	$33,500
L7 THROUGHPUT	20 Gbps	25 Gbps
SSL TPS (2K KEYS)	20,000	25,000
L7 RPS	1.1М	1M
L4 RPS	450K	725K
Max L4 Concurrent Connections	28M	75.8M
BULK ENCRYPTION	15 Gbps	20 Gbps

SCALABILITY OPTIONS
FIPS 140-2 LEVEL1	Add-On
SSO/ PRE-AUTHENTICATION	Add-On
WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL	Add-On
GLOBAL SERVER LOAD BALANCING	Add-On
IPS	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
FULL HTTP/2 STACK
CACHING
HTTP COMPRESSION
API SUPPORT
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
POWER SUPPLIES	1	2
1 GB ETHERNET	8	2
10 GB SFP+	4	8
25 GB SFP28	N/A	N/A
40 GB QSFP+	N/A	N/A
100 GB QSPF28	N/A	N/A
HARD DRIVE	Single 1 TB	Redundant 2 x 1 TB
STANDARD MEMORY	32 GB	64 GB
RACK HEIGHT	1U	2U

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	i5600	LM-X40-NG

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$100,400	$32,000
L7 THROUGHPUT	35 Gbps	40 Gbps
SSL TPS (2K KEYS)	20,000	35,000
L7 RPS	1.1M	1.25M
L4 RPS	500K	850K
Max L4 Concurrent Connections	40M	75.8M
BULK ENCRYPTION	15 Gbps	20 Gbps

SCALABILITY OPTIONS
FIPS 140-2 LEVEL1	Add-On
SSO/ PRE-AUTHENTICATION	Add-On
WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL	Add-On
GLOBAL SERVER LOAD BALANCING	Add-On
IPS	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
FULL HTTP/2 STACK
CACHING
HTTP COMPRESSION
API SUPPORT
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
POWER SUPPLIES	1	2
1 GB ETHERNET	N/A	2
10 GB SFP+	8	8
25 GB SFP28	N/A	N/A
40 GB QSFP+	4	N/A
100 GB QSPF28	N/A	N/A
HARD DRIVE	Single 480 GB	Redundant 2 X 1 TB
STANDARD MEMORY	48 GB	64 GB
RACK HEIGHT	1U	2U

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	i5800	LM-X40-NG

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$114,400	$48,000
L7 THROUGHPUT	35 Gbps	40 Gbps
SSL TPS (2K KEYS)	35,000	35,000
L7 RPS	1.8M	1.25M
L4 RPS	800K	850K
Max L4 Concurrent Connections	40M	75.8M
BULK ENCRYPTION	15 Gbps	20 Gbps

SCALABILITY OPTIONS
FIPS 140-2 LEVEL1	Add-On
SSO/ PRE-AUTHENTICATION	Add-On
WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL	Add-On
GLOBAL SERVER LOAD BALANCING	Add-On
IPS	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
FULL HTTP/2 STACK
CACHING
HTTP COMPRESSION
API SUPPORT
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
POWER SUPPLIES	1	2
1 GB ETHERNET	N/A	2
10 GB SFP+	8	8
25 GB SFP28	N/A	N/A
40 GB QSFP+	4	N/A
100 GB QSPF28	N/A	N/A
HARD DRIVE	Single 480 GB	Redundant 2 X 1 TB
STANDARD MEMORY	48 GB	64 GB
RACK HEIGHT	1U	2U

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	i7600	LM-X40-NG

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$120,400	$48,000
L7 THROUGHPUT	40 Gbps	40 Gbps
SSL TPS (2K KEYS)	22,000	35,000
L7 RPS	1.8M	1.25M
L4 RPS	750K	850K
Max L4 Concurrent Connections	80M	75.8M
BULK ENCRYPTION	20 Gbps	20 Gbps

SCALABILITY OPTIONS
FIPS 140-2 LEVEL1	Add-On
SSO/ PRE-AUTHENTICATION	Add-On
WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL	Add-On
GLOBAL SERVER LOAD BALANCING	Add-On
IPS	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
FULL HTTP/2 STACK
CACHING
HTTP COMPRESSION
API SUPPORT
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
POWER SUPPLIES	2	2
1 GB ETHERNET	N/A	2
10 GB SFP+	8	8
25 GB SFP28	N/A	N/A
40 GB QSFP+	4	N/A
100 GB QSPF28	N/A	N/A
HARD DRIVE	Single 480 GB	Redundant 2 X 1 TB
STANDARD MEMORY	96 GB	64 GB
RACK HEIGHT	1U	2U

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	i7800	LM-XHC55-NG

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$136,400	$82,200
L7 THROUGHPUT	40 Gbps	55 Gbps
SSL TPS (2K KEYS)	40,000	40,000
L7 RPS	3M	1.5M
L4 RPS	1.1M	3M
Max L4 Concurrent Connections	80M	151.6M
BULK ENCRYPTION	20 Gbps	35 Gbps

SCALABILITY OPTIONS
FIPS 140-2 LEVEL1	Add-On
SSO/ PRE-AUTHENTICATION	Add-On
WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL	Add-On
GLOBAL SERVER LOAD BALANCING	Add-On
IPS	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
FULL HTTP/2 STACK
CACHING
HTTP COMPRESSION
API SUPPORT
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
POWER SUPPLIES	2	2
1 GB ETHERNET	N/A	2
10 GB SFP+	8	8
25 GB SFP28	N/A	4
40 GB QSFP+	4	N/A
100 GB QSPF28	N/A	4
HARD DRIVE	Single 480 GB	Redundant 2 X 1 TB
STANDARD MEMORY	96 GB	128 GB
RACK HEIGHT	1U	2U

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	i10600	LM-XHC100-NG

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$156,800	$113,500
L7 THROUGHPUT	80 Gbps	90 Gbps
SSL TPS (2K KEYS)	37,000	45,000
L7 RPS	2.1M	1.5M
L4 RPS	1M	1M
Max L4 Concurrent Connections	100M	151.6M
BULK ENCRYPTION	40 Gbps	45 Gbps

SCALABILITY OPTIONS
FIPS 140-2 LEVEL1	Add-On
SSO/ PRE-AUTHENTICATION	Add-On
WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL	Add-On
GLOBAL SERVER LOAD BALANCING	Add-On
IPS	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
FULL HTTP/2 STACK
CACHING
HTTP COMPRESSION
API SUPPORT
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
POWER SUPPLIES	2	2
1 GB ETHERNET	N/A	2
10 GB SFP+	8	8
25 GB SFP28	N/A	4
40 GB QSFP+	6	N/A
100 GB QSPF28	N/A	4
HARD DRIVE	Single 480 GB	Redundant 2 X 1 TB
STANDARD MEMORY	128 GB	128 GB
RACK HEIGHT	1U	2U

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	i11600	LM-XHC100-NG

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$171,000	$113,500
L7 THROUGHPUT	80 Gbps	90 Gbps
SSL TPS (2K KEYS)	37,000	45,000
L7 RPS	2.5M	1.5M
L4 RPS	1.1M	1M
Max L4 Concurrent Connections	140M	151.6M
BULK ENCRYPTION	40 Gbps	45 Gbps

SCALABILITY OPTIONS
FIPS 140-2 LEVEL1	Add-On
SSO/ PRE-AUTHENTICATION	Add-On
WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL	Add-On
GLOBAL SERVER LOAD BALANCING	Add-On
IPS	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
FULL HTTP/2 STACK
CACHING
HTTP COMPRESSION
API SUPPORT
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

PERFORMANCE AND AVAILABILITY
POWER SUPPLIES	2	2
1 GB ETHERNET	N/A	2
10 GB SFP+	8	8
25 GB SFP28	N/A	4
40 GB QSFP+	6	N/A
100 GB QSPF28	N/A	4
HARD DRIVE	Single 960 GB	Redundant 2 X 1 TB
STANDARD MEMORY	256 GB	128 GB
RACK HEIGHT	1U	2U

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

The LoadMaster solution offers virtual models that provide the same functionality as the hardware but for customers who require load balancers deployed on hypervisors or in the public cloud.

With models including an uncapped offering with no license restrictions on throughput unlike those limits found on the F5 BIG-IP Virtual Edition (VE).

Find Your LoadMaster Match

Select your current F5 VE model to get a recommended model with detailed comparison.

F5 VE Virtual Model

Select Your F5 Model

F5 VE Models

F5 VE 25 Mbps

F5 VE 200 Mbps

F5 VE 1 Gbps

F5 VE 3 Gbps

F5 VE 5 Gbps

F5 VE 10 Gbps

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	F5 VE 25 Mbps	VLM-1G
L7 Throughput	25 Mbps	1 Gbps

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$8,882.00	$3,780.00
FIPS 140-2 Level 1	Add-On
SSO/Pre-Authentication
Web Application Firewall
Global Server Load Balancing
IPS
Full HTTP/2 Stack
Caching
HTTP Compression
API Support
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	F5 VE 200 Mbps	VLM-1G
L7 Throughput	200 Mbps	1 Gbps

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$17,769.00	$3,780.00
FIPS 140-2 Level 1	Add-On
SSO/Pre-Authentication
Web Application Firewall
Global Server Load Balancing
IPS
Full HTTP/2 Stack
Caching
HTTP Compression
API Support
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	F5 VE 1 Gbps	VLM-1G
L7 Throughput	1 Gbps	1 Gbps

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$35,376.00	$3,780.00
FIPS 140-2 Level 1	Add-On
SSO/Pre-Authentication
Web Application Firewall
Global Server Load Balancing
IPS
Full HTTP/2 Stack
Caching
HTTP Compression
API Support
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	F5 VE 3 Gbps	VLM-5G
L7 Throughput	3 Gbps	5 Gbps

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$42,010.00	$9,135.00
FIPS 140-2 Level 1	Add-On
SSO/Pre-Authentication
Web Application Firewall
Global Server Load Balancing
IPS
Full HTTP/2 Stack
Caching
HTTP Compression
API Support
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	F5 VE 5 Gbps	VLM-5G
L7 Throughput	5 Gbps	5 Gbps

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$59,658.00	$9,135.00
FIPS 140-2 Level 1	Add-On
SSO/Pre-Authentication
Web Application Firewall
Global Server Load Balancing
IPS
Full HTTP/2 Stack
Caching
HTTP Compression
API Support
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

Comparison Criteria	F5 Big-IP	Kemp Loadmaster
Model	F5 VE 10 Gbps	VLM-MAX
L7 Throughput	10 Gbps	Uncapped

Pricing and Performance Metrics
MSRP	$74,868.00	$15,986.00
FIPS 140-2 Level 1	Add-On
SSO/Pre-Authentication
Web Application Firewall
Global Server Load Balancing
IPS
Full HTTP/2 Stack
Caching
HTTP Compression
API Support
IPSEC VPN	Add-On

Need help finding the right LoadMaster for your F5?

#1 Rated Load Balancer on Leading Customer Review Sites

The LoadMaster load balancing solution is rated higher than the competition based on real-world customer feedback.

Kemp Rated 4.9/5

"Kemp LoadMaster is a strong product, easy to use, and great support."

Kemp Rated 4.7/5

"Excellent load balancers, from the first setup to the amazing support, the units just work."

LoadMaster Rated #1 in Load Balancing

G2 Grid® for Load Balancing Software | Winter 2026

See why the LoadMaster platform received the highest satisfaction score from customers in the Load Balancing Product Category.

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G2 Grid® for Load Balancing Software | Winter 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Is F5 BIG‑IP iSeries really at the end‑of‑software-support (EoSS)?

Yes, starting on January 1, 2027, F5 will stop providing new maintenance releases, hotfixes and software development for most of the BIG-IP iSeries models leaving their customers vulnerable to known and new threats.

How does LoadMaster pricing/licensing differ from F5’s bundles?

The LoadMaster solution offers the most flexibility licensing available for today’s application delivery needs. Compared to the complexity and add-ons with F5, LoadMaster simplifies the licensing, focusing on the customer needs and including the advanced functionality into subscription tiers.

Can we migrate our F5 iRules and maintain parity?

Yes, moving from iRules to Content Rules is a simple task in most cases. In more advanced configurations, our Professional Services team is available to work with you to seamlessly migrate your configuration from F5 to the LoadMaster infrastructure.

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