The Best Web Application Firewall Software in 2026

• 35 tools ranked
• Updated Oct 2026
• Researched from official sources
• Compare tools in this directory
• Sponsor this list

We researched products through official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. They are ranked on protection of web applications, value for money and verified features, helping buyers compare web application firewall software.

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

The full ranking 35 tools, best first

1. 1
   
   Cloudflare WAF 9.4

   Best forTeams wanting broad WAF coverage with a free plan

   Broad edge WAF coverage with a free plan and Terraform management.

   • Managed rule sets
   • Rate limiting
   • API protection

   Free plan Our Cloudflare WAF verdict → + Compare Visit CloudflareFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #1 · $149/mo →
   9.4/10★★★★★

   Visit Cloudflare
2. 2
   
   AWS WAF 9.2

   Best forAWS-native applications needing flexible pricing

   Flexible AWS-native protection with usage-based pricing that requires careful cost planning.

   • Managed rule sets
   • Rate limiting
   • API protection

   Our AWS WAF verdict → + Compare Visit AWS WAFFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #2 · $99/mo →
   9.2/10★★★★★

   Visit AWS WAF
3. 3
   WW
   Wallarm WAAP 9.1

   Best forAPI-heavy teams wanting a free security tier

   A broad WAAP platform with a useful free tier for API-focused security teams.

   • Managed rule sets
   • Rate limiting
   • API protection

   Free plan Our Wallarm WAAP verdict → + Compare Visit WallarmFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #3 · $79/mo →
   9.1/10★★★★★

   Visit Wallarm
4. 4
   
   Akamai App & API Protector 9.0

   Best forLarge hybrid enterprises needing mature protection

   A broad edge security platform for large enterprises with complex environments.

   • Managed rule sets
   • Rate limiting
   • API protection

   Pricing on request Our Akamai App & API Protector verdict → + Compare Visit AkamaiFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #4 · $69/mo →
   9.0/10★★★★☆

   Visit Akamai
5. 5
   
   open-appsec 8.9

   Best forCloud-native teams wanting open-source ML protection

   A flexible open-source WAF for cloud-native web applications and APIs.

   • Rate limiting
   • API protection
   • Bot management

   Open source Our open-appsec verdict → + Compare Visit open-appsecFor vendors Sponsor this spot · #5 · $59/mo →
   8.9/10★★★★☆

   Visit open-appsec
6. 6
   
   Google Cloud Armor 8.8

   Best forGoogle Cloud users needing managed edge protection

   A Google Cloud edge WAF with managed rules, API protection, bots, and rate controls.

   • Managed rule sets
   • Rate limiting
   • API protection

   Our Google Cloud Armor verdict → + Compare Visit Google Cloud
   8.8/10★★★★☆

   Visit Google Cloud
7. 7
   
   Azure Web Application Firewall 8.7

   Best forAzure users needing low-cost managed WAF controls

   A low-cost managed WAF for Azure applications, APIs, and edge traffic.

   • Managed rule sets
   • Rate limiting
   • API protection

   Our Azure Web Application Firewall verdict → + Compare Visit site
   8.7/10★★★★☆

   Visit site
8. 8
   
   F5 WAF for Distributed Cloud 8.6

   Best forOrganizations wanting flexible F5 hybrid deployment

   A flexible hybrid WAF with strong automation, API, bot, and rate-limiting coverage.

   • Managed rule sets
   • Rate limiting
   • API protection

   Pricing on request Our F5 WAF for Distributed Cloud verdict → + Compare Visit F5
   8.6/10★★★★☆

   Visit F5
9. 9
   
   Barracuda Web Application Firewall 8.5

   Best forHybrid enterprises needing broad integrations

   A broad hybrid WAF for teams securing applications, APIs, bots, and traffic.

   • Managed rule sets
   • Rate limiting
   • API protection

   Pricing on request Our Barracuda Web Application Firewall verdict → + Compare Visit Barracuda
   8.5/10★★★★☆

   Visit Barracuda
10. 10
    
    Imperva Web Application Firewall 8.4

    Best forEnterprises wanting automated hybrid WAF operations

    A broad hybrid WAF for enterprises that need managed rules, automation, and API security.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting
    • API protection

    Pricing on request Our Imperva Web Application Firewall verdict → + Compare Visit Imperva
    8.4/10★★★★☆

    Visit Imperva
11. 11
    
    Check Point CloudGuard WAF 8.3

    Best forEnterprises needing AI-assisted hybrid WAF security

    A broad hybrid WAF for enterprises needing AI-assisted application, API, and bot protection.

    • Rate limiting
    • API protection
    • Bot management

    7-day trial Our Check Point CloudGuard WAF verdict → + Compare Visit Check Point
    8.3/10★★★★☆

    Visit Check Point
12. 12
    
    FortiWeb 8.2

    Best forFortinet customers needing integrated WAF security

    A broad Fortinet WAF for web, API, bot, and application-layer protection.

    • Managed rule sets
    • API protection
    • Bot management

    Pricing on request Our FortiWeb verdict → + Compare Visit FortiWeb
    8.2/10★★★★☆

    Visit FortiWeb
13. 13
    
    Fastly Next-Gen WAF 8.1

    Best forTeams needing flexible Fastly WAF deployment

    A flexible WAF for teams protecting applications, APIs, and microservices across varied deployments.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting
    • API protection

    Pricing on request Our Fastly Next-Gen WAF verdict → + Compare Visit Fastly
    8.1/10★★★★☆

    Visit Fastly
14. 14
    
    Gcore WAAP 8.0

    Best forBudget-conscious teams needing free edge WAF access

    A cost-conscious edge WAAP with free OWASP protection and paid rule controls.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting
    • API protection

    Free plan Our Gcore WAAP verdict → + Compare Visit Gcore WAAP
    8.0/10★★★★☆

    Visit Gcore WAAP
15. 15
    
    BunkerWeb 7.9

    Best forSelf-hosted teams seeking a free open-source WAF

    A free, self-hosted WAF with OWASP rules, API validation, rate limiting, and antibot controls.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting
    • API protection

    Free plan Our BunkerWeb verdict → + Compare Visit BunkerWeb
    7.9/10★★★★☆

    Visit BunkerWeb
16. 16
    
    OWASP Coraza WAF 7.8

    Best forDevelopers needing open-source multi-proxy WAF protection

    A flexible self-hosted WAF for developers working across proxies, servers, and Go.

    • Managed rule sets
    • API protection
    • Bot management

    Free plan Our OWASP Coraza WAF verdict → + Compare Visit OWASP Coraza
    7.8/10★★★★☆

    Visit OWASP Coraza
17. 17
    
    Sucuri Website Firewall 7.7

    Best forWebsite owners needing affordable managed firewalling

    Affordable managed website firewalling with CDN, DDoS mitigation, and bot blocking.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Bot management

    Our Sucuri Website Firewall verdict → + Compare Visit Sucuri
    7.7/10★★★★☆

    Visit Sucuri
18. 18
    
    AppTrana WAAP 7.6

    Best forTeams wanting managed WAF and expert tuning

    A managed WAF with API, bot, DDoS, and expert tuning capabilities.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting
    • API protection

    14-day trial Our AppTrana WAAP verdict → + Compare Visit AppTrana
    7.6/10★★★★☆

    Visit AppTrana
19. 19
    RW
    Radware Cloud WAF Service 7.5

    Best forTeams wanting behavioral cloud WAF protection

    A cloud WAF combining behavioral protection, API controls, bots, and application DDoS defense.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting
    • API protection

    Pricing on request · 30-day trial Our Radware Cloud WAF Service verdict → + Compare Visit Radware
    7.5/10★★★★☆

    Visit Radware
20. 20
    
    Cloudbric 7.4

    Best forManaged WAF buyers wanting AWS-oriented deployment

    A managed WAF for AWS-oriented teams that need API, bot, and DDoS controls.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting
    • API protection

    Pricing on request · 30-day trial Our Cloudbric verdict → + Compare Visit Cloudbric
    7.4/10★★★★☆

    Visit Cloudbric
21. 21
    TW
    Tencent Cloud WAF 7.3

    Best forTencent Cloud users needing cloud-native WAF

    A cloud-native WAF with broad protection controls for Tencent Cloud environments.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting
    • API protection

    Our Tencent Cloud WAF verdict → + Compare Visit Tencent Cloud
    7.3/10★★★★☆

    Visit Tencent Cloud
22. 22
    
    Alibaba Cloud WAF 7.2

    Best forAlibaba Cloud users needing tiered WAF capacity

    A broad Alibaba Cloud WAF with tiered capacity, hybrid connectivity, and high entry pricing.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting
    • API protection

    Our Alibaba Cloud WAF verdict → + Compare Visit Alibaba Cloud
    7.2/10★★★★☆

    Visit Alibaba Cloud
23. 23
    
    Huawei Cloud WAF 7.1

    Best forHuawei Cloud users needing dedicated WAF modes

    A feature-rich Huawei Cloud WAF for teams needing managed protection and dedicated deployment modes.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting
    • API protection

    Our Huawei Cloud WAF verdict → + Compare Visit Huawei Cloud
    7.1/10★★★★☆

    Visit Huawei Cloud
24. 24
    
    SafeLine 7.0

    Best forSmall teams wanting an inexpensive open-source WAF

    An affordable open-source WAF for small teams that need core HTTP protection.

    • Rate limiting
    • API protection
    • Bot management

    Free plan · 7-day trial Our SafeLine verdict → + Compare Visit SafeLine
    7.0/10★★★★☆

    Visit SafeLine
25. 25
    
    F5 WAF for NGINX 6.9

    Best forNGINX deployments needing self-hosted WAF controls

    A focused self-hosted WAF for NGINX deployments protecting web apps and APIs.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting
    • API protection

    Pricing on request Our F5 WAF for NGINX verdict → + Compare Visit F5
    6.9/10★★★☆☆

    Visit F5
26. 26
    WS
    Wordfence Security 6.8

    Best forWordPress site owners needing endpoint WAF security

    A focused WordPress WAF with malware scanning, login security, and centralized management.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting

    Free plan Our Wordfence Security verdict → + Compare Visit Wordfence
    6.8/10★★★☆☆

    Visit Wordfence
27. 27
    
    Shield Security 6.7

    Best forWordPress security beyond basic WAF

    A broad WordPress security layer for sites that need more than basic WAF protection.

    • Rate limiting
    • API protection
    • Bot management

    Free plan · 14-day trial Our Shield Security verdict → + Compare Try Shield Security
    6.7/10★★★☆☆

    Try Shield Security
28. 28
    
    Security Ninja 6.6

    Best forWordPress agencies needing security workflows

    A WordPress-focused firewall and security toolkit with a useful free tier.

    • Managed rule sets
    • Rate limiting
    • Bot management

    Free plan · 14-day trial Our Security Ninja verdict → + Compare Visit Security Ninja
    6.6/10★★★☆☆

    Visit Security Ninja
29. 29
    
    Hide My WP Ghost 6.5

    Best forWordPress hardening with firewall filtering

    A focused WordPress firewall plugin for hardening sites and controlling malicious traffic.

    • API protection
    • Bot management

    Free plan Our Hide My WP Ghost verdict → + Compare Try Hide My WP Ghost
    6.5/10★★★☆☆

    Try Hide My WP Ghost
30. 30
    
    ModSecurity 6.4

    Best forOperators wanting a foundational open-source WAF engine

    A flexible self-managed WAF engine for teams that want rule-based HTTP inspection and control.

    Free plan Our ModSecurity verdict → + Compare Visit ModSecurity
    6.4/10★★★☆☆

    Visit ModSecurity
31. 31
    H
    Haltdos 6.3

    Best forAPI-centric hybrid application security teams

    A hybrid WAF for teams that need API discovery, gateway controls, and broad validation.

    Our Haltdos verdict → + Compare Visit Haltdos
    6.3/10★★★☆☆

    Visit Haltdos
32. 32
    
    Imperva API Security 6.2

    Best forTeams focused on API discovery and posture

    A focused API security platform for discovery, risk assessment, and runtime mitigation.

    Pricing on request Our Imperva API Security verdict → + Compare Visit Imperva
    6.2/10★★★☆☆

    Visit Imperva
33. 33
    
    DataDome API Protection 6.1

    Best forLarge enterprises focused on API abuse protection

    A high-cost WAF for enterprises protecting APIs, mobile apps, and automated threat surfaces.

    Our DataDome API Protection verdict → + Compare Visit DataDome
    6.1/10★★★☆☆

    Visit DataDome
34. 34
    
    BitNinja 6.0

    Best forHosting providers needing server malware protection

    A server-security platform for hosting providers, with malware response and control-panel integrations.

    Free plan · 7-day trial Our BitNinja verdict → + Compare Visit BitNinja
    6.0/10★★★☆☆

    Visit BitNinja
35. 35
    
    Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Secret Management 5.9

    Best forNot recommended for WAF needs

    A free OCI secrets manager, not a web application firewall.

    Free plan Our Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Secret Management verdict → + Compare Visit Oracle
    5.9/10★★★☆☆

    Visit Oracle

No tools match those filters.

Compare at a glance

#	Tool	Free plan	Paid from	Deployment model	Managed rule sets	API protection	Bot management	Rate limiting	Score
1	Cloudflare WAF	Yes	$20/mo	Edge	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	9.4
2	AWS WAF	No	$1/unit/mo	Hybrid	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	9.2
3	WWWallarm WAAP	Yes		Hybrid	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	9.1
4	Akamai App & API Protector			Edge	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	9.0
5	open-appsec		Free	Hybrid		Yes	Yes	Yes	8.9
6	Google Cloud Armor	No		Edge	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	8.8
7	Azure Web Application Firewall	No	$5/mo	Edge	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	8.7
8	F5 WAF for Distributed Cloud	No		Hybrid	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	8.6
9	Barracuda Web Application Firewall	No		Hybrid	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	8.5
10	Imperva Web Application Firewall	No		Hybrid	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	8.4
11	Check Point CloudGuard WAF	No		Hybrid		Yes	Yes	Yes	8.3
12	FortiWeb			Hybrid	Yes	Yes	Yes		8.2
13	Fastly Next-Gen WAF	No		Hybrid	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	8.1
14	Gcore WAAP	Yes	€25/mo	Edge	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	8.0
15	BunkerWeb	Yes	Free	Hybrid	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	7.9
16	OWASP Coraza WAF	Yes	Free		Yes	Yes	Yes		7.8
17	Sucuri Website Firewall	No	$9.99/site/mo	Edge	Yes		Yes		7.7
18	AppTrana WAAP	No	$99/unit/mo	Edge	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	7.6
19	RWRadware Cloud WAF Service	No		Cloud	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	7.5
20	Cloudbric	No		Cloud	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	7.4
21	TWTencent Cloud WAF	No		Cloud	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	7.3
22	Alibaba Cloud WAF	No	$140/mo	Hybrid	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	7.2
23	Huawei Cloud WAF	No		Cloud	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	7.1
24	SafeLine	Yes	$100/yr			Yes	Yes	Yes	7.0
25	F5 WAF for NGINX	No		Hybrid	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	6.9
26	WSWordfence Security	Yes			Yes			Yes	6.8
27	Shield Security	Yes				Yes	Yes	Yes	6.7
28	Security Ninja	Yes	$119/yr	Hybrid	Yes		Yes	Yes	6.6
29	Hide My WP Ghost	Yes				Yes	Yes		6.5
30	ModSecurity	Yes	Free		No				6.4
31	HHaltdos			Hybrid					6.3
32	Imperva API Security	No		Hybrid					6.2
33	DataDome API Protection	No	$3,830/mo	Cloud					6.1
34	BitNinja	Yes	$8/device/mo						6.0
35	Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Secret Management	Yes	Free	Cloud					5.9

Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →

• Cloudflare WAF vs AWS WAF
• WWCloudflare WAF vs Wallarm WAAP
• Cloudflare WAF vs Akamai App & API Protector
• Cloudflare WAF vs open-appsec
• Cloudflare WAF vs Google Cloud Armor
• Cloudflare WAF vs Azure Web Application Firewall
• Cloudflare WAF vs F5 WAF for Distributed Cloud
• WWAWS WAF vs Wallarm WAAP
• AWS WAF vs Akamai App & API Protector

How we rank web application firewall software

Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update