CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Barracuda Networks vs F5

Barracuda Networks sells the BarracudaONE cybersecurity platform, which covers email, data, applications and networks and is strengthened by a 24/7 managed XDR service. F5 sells the F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP), which F5 describes as keeping applications and APIs fast, available, and secure across complex environments. CISO Tribune files both under WAF and WAAP. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

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  • Barracuda Networks
  • F5
Barracuda Networks vs F5: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
Barracuda NetworksBarracuda Networks sells the BarracudaONE cybersecurity platform, which covers email, data, applications and networks and is strengthened by a 24/7 managed XDR service.barracuda.comF5F5 sells the F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP), which F5 describes as keeping applications and APIs fast, available, and secure across complex environments.f5.com
What it sells
  • BarracudaONE[3][12]A cybersecurity platform for email, data, applications and networks.
  • Email Protection[3][6][14]A complete email security solution.
  • Data Protection[3][7][12]Backup and scanning for on-premises and cloud data.
  • Managed XDR[1][3][11]Extended detection and response with a 24/7 SOC.
  • Application Protection[3][9]Web application and API protection on one platform.
  • F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP)[1]A platform that keeps applications and APIs fast, available, and secure across complex environments.
  • F5 Insight for ADSP[9]Observability and fleet management for ops teams.
  • F5 AI Security Platform[10]A platform that covers AI application security and AI workforce security.
  • F5 Distributed Cloud App Connect[12]Connects applications, clusters, and services across clouds, data centers, and remote sites.
  • BIG-IP Container Ingress Services[14]Lets teams manage BIG-IP from Kubernetes or OpenShift.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesSeattle, United States[3]
Founded
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Owned by KKR since 2022[2][3][4][7][16]Public (NASDAQ: FFIV)[2][4][5][7][17]
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • October 28, 2026Barracuda Networks appointed Dan Fletcher as its Chief Financial Officer.[15]
  • July 7, 2026Barracuda acquired Evo Security, an identity and access management provider built for managed service providers.[16]
  • July 7, 2026Barracuda Networks announced it acquired Evo Security, an identity and access management provider built for managed service providers.[4]
  • June 22, 2026F5 introduced its AI Security Platform and announced the acquisition of SurePath AI as part of the launch.[17]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: listed, seen November 4, 2026[5]
Who it fits
From its own pages, Barracuda sells mainly to lean IT and security teams, small businesses and managed service providers. Barracuda describes easy-to-manage cybersecurity solutions for small business teams without dedicated IT resources. Barracuda sells channel-focused solutions to managed service providers. Barracuda Application Protection is described for applications deployed on-premises, in the cloud or hybrid, and Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is described for multi-site enterprises and managed service providers.From its own pages, F5 sells mainly to organisations that run applications across multiple clouds, on-premises data centers, and edge sites. F5 addresses DevOps teams and ops teams that want network observability and control over their applications. F5 sells its Diameter products to service providers and mobile operators. F5 names customers such as a medical organization, a European asset manager, and a national public safety technology agency. F5 positions its AI security offerings for organisations that need to govern workforce AI usage across users, agents, and third-party services.
Last verified
September 27, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Barracuda Networks and F5 are both filed under WAF and WAAP.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Barracuda Networks's primary category is Email security; F5's is WAF and WAAP.
  • Barracuda Networks is also filed under Data loss prevention and MDR and managed SOC. F5 is also filed under API security.
  • Barracuda Networks lists BarracudaONE, Email Protection, Data Protection, Managed XDR and Application Protection. F5 lists F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP), F5 Insight for ADSP, F5 AI Security Platform, F5 Distributed Cloud App Connect and BIG-IP Container Ingress Services.
  • F5 is headquartered in Seattle, United States.
  • Barracuda Networks is owned by KKR, since 2022. F5 is a public company listed on NASDAQ as FFIV.

What it sells: Barracuda Networks

What BarracudaONE does[3][12]
BarracudaONE unifies cybersecurity solutions in a centralized dashboard. The platform is strengthened by a 24/7 managed XDR service. Bailey is powered by Barracuda IQ, which Barracuda describes as the AI engine and intelligence layer behind BarracudaONE.
What Email Protection does[3][6][14]
Barracuda Email Protection delivers AI-enhanced defenses, automated response and easy deployment. Barracuda Email Protection connects to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace with no mail exchange changes.
What Data Protection does[3][7][12]
Barracuda says data can be backed up to any location including the public cloud. Microsoft 365 data such as emails can be backed up. Backed up data is replicated to the Barracuda cloud with unlimited storage.
What Managed XDR does[1][3][11]
Barracuda Managed XDR is described as able to detect threats earlier and help organizations respond to threats faster. Barracuda says its XDR detects events from 40+ integrated data sources. Barracuda runs a multi-tiered global SOC that provides 24x7x365 service.
What Application Protection does[3][9]
Barracuda Application Protection is an integrated platform that brings a comprehensive set of interoperable capabilities together to ensure complete application security. Barracuda Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) solutions are available as hardware or virtual appliances, as a container and through a SaaS solution.

What it sells: F5

What F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP) does[1]
F5 offers ADSP through term subscriptions, the Flex Consumption Plan (FCP), and perpetual licensing. F5 says its security offering covers sensitive data, apps, and APIs on a single platform.
What F5 Insight for ADSP does[9]
F5 Insight for ADSP enables ops teams to find answers more quickly, optimize deployments, and execute updates faster. Guided workflows distribute and install software patches, updates, and upgrades across an entire fleet in parallel. Deployment is possible in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and others, and in on-prem or fully air-gapped environments.
What F5 AI Security Platform does[10]
The F5 AI Security Platform helps teams operationalize AI governance with customizable policy enforcement and auditability for every model, user, and agent action. A continuous loop of testing and runtime protection secures deployed AI systems. Workforce AI usage is discovered, classified, and governed across users, agents, and third-party services.
What F5 Distributed Cloud App Connect does[12]
F5 Distributed Cloud App Connect securely connects applications, clusters, and services across any cloud provider, on-premises data center, or remote site. DevOps teams get network observability and control.
What BIG-IP Container Ingress Services does[14]
BIG-IP Container Ingress Services (CIS) lets users manage an F5 BIG-IP device from Kubernetes or OpenShift using either environment's native CLI/API. CIS watches the Kubernetes API for specially formatted resources and updates the BIG-IP system configuration accordingly. F5 describes Container Ingress Services as free and open-source.

Questions about Barracuda Networks and F5

What do Barracuda Networks and F5 sell?
Barracuda Networks sells BarracudaONE, Email Protection, Data Protection, Managed XDR and Application Protection. F5 sells F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP), F5 Insight for ADSP, F5 AI Security Platform, F5 Distributed Cloud App Connect and BIG-IP Container Ingress Services.
Are Barracuda Networks and F5 in the same category?
They share WAF and WAAP. Barracuda Networks's primary category is Email security and F5's is WAF and WAAP.
Where are Barracuda Networks and F5 headquartered?
F5 is headquartered in Seattle, United States.
Who owns Barracuda Networks and F5?
Barracuda Networks is owned by KKR, since 2022. F5 is a public company listed on NASDAQ as FFIV.
Who are Barracuda Networks and F5 sold to?
From its own pages, Barracuda sells mainly to lean IT and security teams, small businesses and managed service providers. From its own pages, F5 sells mainly to organisations that run applications across multiple clouds, on-premises data centers, and edge sites.
What have Barracuda Networks and F5 announced recently?
October 28, 2026: Barracuda Networks appointed Dan Fletcher as its Chief Financial Officer. June 22, 2026: F5 introduced its AI Security Platform and announced the acquisition of SurePath AI as part of the launch.

About Barracuda Networks

Barracuda Networks sells the BarracudaONE cybersecurity platform, which covers email, data, applications and networks and is strengthened by a 24/7 managed XDR service. Barracuda says hundreds of thousands of customers worldwide count on Barracuda to protect their email, networks, applications and data. Barracuda says its cybersecurity solutions cover all the major threat vectors, protect data and automate incident response.[1][5]

BarracudaONE unifies cybersecurity solutions in a centralized dashboard. BarracudaONE consolidates multiple solutions into a single platform, which Barracuda says eliminates the need for multi-vendor solutions. Barracuda says BarracudaONE reduces product overlap and prevents conflicting configurations. Bailey is powered by Barracuda IQ, which Barracuda describes as the AI engine and intelligence layer behind BarracudaONE.

Barracuda Email Protection is described as a complete email security solution that delivers AI-enhanced defenses, automated response and easy deployment. Barracuda Email Protection connects to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace with no mail exchange changes. Barracuda Email Protection supplements Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace with stronger detection, behavioral account takeover identification and integrated backup for Microsoft 365 data. Barracuda IQ uses multi-model AI to analyze intent, identity behavior and multi-modal content across 100+ global threat feeds. Barracuda Cloud Security XDR detects account takeover and lateral movement.[6]

Barracuda describes its all-in-one approach to data protection as a way to protect a business from data loss and theft. Barracuda says data can be backed up to any location including the public cloud, which eliminates the need to purchase and manage backup solutions from multiple vendors. Barracuda says Microsoft 365 data such as emails can be backed up. Backed up data is replicated to the Barracuda cloud with unlimited storage. Barracuda offers a scan of Microsoft 365 data for sensitive data and malware. Barracuda offers protection for Entra ID data and recovery from malicious attack and errors. Barracuda provides backup and recovery for collaboration data, including Microsoft Teams files and messages. Barracuda delivers security updates and incident notifications to administrators through Microsoft Teams and Slack.[8][13]

Barracuda Application Protection is an integrated platform that brings a comprehensive set of interoperable capabilities together to ensure complete application security. Barracuda Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) solutions are available as hardware or virtual appliances, on premises or hosted in the cloud, as a container and through a SaaS solution. Barracuda Advanced Bot Protection uses artificial intelligence and machine learning in the cloud to continually improve its ability to spot and block bad bots. Barracuda Application Protection solutions integrate with AD, LDAP, SAML, JWT, OpenID and RADIUS.[9]

Barracuda lists three core network products: SecureEdge, CloudGen Firewall and CloudGen Access. Barracuda SecureEdge is a SASE platform that combines Firewall-as-a-Service and Secure SD-WAN capabilities. Barracuda CloudGen Firewall is a family of physical, virtual and cloud-based appliances that protect complex, dispersed network infrastructures of multi-site enterprises and managed service providers.[10]

Barracuda Managed XDR is described as able to detect threats earlier and help organizations respond to threats faster. Barracuda says its threat detection rules map to the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Barracuda says its XDR detects events from 40+ integrated data sources. Barracuda says its XDR responds to each threat with automated prescriptive instructions, automation and its 24/7 Security Operations Center. Barracuda runs a multi-tiered global SOC of security analysts and engineers that provides 24x7x365 service. Barracuda says Barracuda Managed XDR can reduce malware infection resolution from 3-4 weeks to less than one hour. With endpoint protection, Barracuda says it can identify and roll back ransomware attacks from endpoint devices.[11]

Barracuda AI Data Security is built on the BarracudaONE platform and combines AI visibility, shadow AI discovery, data protection, threat defense and governance. Barracuda says Barracuda AI Data Security protects more than 1,300 GenAI tools. Barracuda AI Data Security can inspect AI prompts and uploads in real time and block sensitive data from reaching generative AI tools. Barracuda describes prebuilt detection for personally identifiable information, credentials, source code, payment cards and health data. MSPs can centrally manage customer environments and help customers adopt AI safely. For managed service providers, Barracuda describes a platform to protect customers' attack surfaces, including email, endpoints, networks, data and applications. Barracuda says its MSP-centric offerings include remote monitoring and management (RMM), extended detection and response (XDR) with SOC-as-a-Service, email protection and more. Barracuda Assistant, powered by Barracuda AI, gives MSPs real-time guidance, step-by-step resources and actionable insights.[5][9][12][13][14]

Barracuda Networks on the record

Sources

Barracuda Networks full record

  1. [1]barracuda.comBarracuda Networks · barracuda.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]barracuda.comBarracuda Networks · barracuda.com · published March 10, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]BarracudaONE® AI-powered cybersecurity platform | Barracuda NetworksBarracuda Networks · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Barracuda Acquires Evo Security to Deliver Complete Identity ResilienceBusiness Wire · published July 7, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Cybersecurity Solutions: Email, Apps, Network, Data | Barracuda NetworksBarracuda Networks · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Email Security & Email Protection Services | Barracuda NetworksBarracuda Networks · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Data Protection Solutions | Barracuda NetworksBarracuda Networks · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Securing Collaboration Across Cloud Apps | Barracuda NetworksBarracuda Networks · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Application Protection & Security Solutions | Barracuda NetworksBarracuda Networks · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Network Security Solutions & Services | Barracuda Network Protection | Barracuda NetworksBarracuda Networks · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Managed XDR (MXDR) Solution | Barracuda Managed XDR | Barracuda NetworksBarracuda Networks · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]What’s New | Barracuda NetworksBarracuda Networks · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]AI Security Solutions for Generative AI | Barracuda NetworksBarracuda Networks · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Security for Managed Service Providers | Barracuda NetworksBarracuda Networks · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Barracuda Appoints Dan Fletcher as Chief Financial OfficerBarracuda Networks · published October 28, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Barracuda Acquires Evo Security: Advancing Complete Identity-Driven Cyber Resilience for the AI EraBarracuda Networks Blog · published July 7, 2026 · Tier A

F5 full record

  1. [1]f5.comF5 · f5.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Earnings q3 fy26F5 · f5.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]otcmarkets.comF5, Inc. via SEC EDGAR (Form 10-K) · otcmarkets.com · published November 25, 2025 · Tier A
  4. [4]Enterprise Application Security and Delivery Solutions | F5F5 · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]F5 Reviews, Ratings & Features 2026 | Gartner Peer InsightsGartner Peer Insights · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier C
  6. [6]Bot and Risk Management | F5F5 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Hybrid Multicloud App Security & Delivery for the AI Era | F5F5 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Unified Management and Automation | F5F5 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Operational Intelligence and Response for F5 ADSP | F5F5 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]F5 AI Security Platform | F5F5 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Hybrid Multicloud Network Management Platform | F5F5 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Distributed application delivery solutions | F5F5 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]F5 Distributed Cloud Synthetic Monitoring | F5F5 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]BIG-IP Container Ingress Services | F5F5 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]BIG-IP Diameter Traffic Manager | F5F5 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]NFV Packaged Solutions | F5F5 · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]F5 launches AI Security Platform to put security leaders in control of enterprise AI riskF5 · published June 22, 2026 · Tier A

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