Akamai App & API Protector vs Imperva Web Application Firewall

Akamai App & API Protector9.3Visit Imperva Web Application Firewall9.1Visit

Higher score Akamai App & API Protector #1 in Web Security Software 9.3/10 Pricing on request ✓ 0 of 4 features Contact Akamai

vs

Imperva Web Application Firewall #3 in Web Security Software 9.1/10 Pricing on request ✓ 0 of 4 features Contact Thales

• Akamai App & API Protector fits best

  Enterprises needing hybrid edge and API protection

• Imperva Web Application Firewall fits best

  Enterprises needing managed WAF policies and automation

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Side by side

Feature	Akamai App & API Protector 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Imperva Web Application Firewall 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	9.1
Ranking	#1 in Web Security Software	#3 in Web Security Software
Best for	Enterprises needing hybrid edge and API protection	Enterprises needing managed WAF policies and automation
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	Pricing on request
Free plan	Not checked yet	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Email, Phone, Community, Docs · 24/7	Tickets, Docs
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Akamai App & API Protector 0/4 · Imperva Web Application Firewall 0/4
Phishing/malware blocking	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Web app firewall	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
DDoS protection	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Bot protection	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Websites covered	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Protects HTTP and HTTPS traffic with managed WAF updates Combines API discovery, request constraints, bot controls, and Layer 7 DDoS defense Supports hybrid enforcement and automation through Terraform, CLI, and GitOps	Managed rules update daily, with real-time updates for critical threats Combines web/API protection, bot controls, and behavior-based rate thresholds Automates policy creation and rule propagation, with Terraform deployment
Cons	Pricing requires contacting sales Its broad control set may exceed the needs of teams seeking a narrow WAF Hybrid enforcement and policy automation may require security operations expertise	No public WAF plan prices; buying requires contacting sales No free plan, though a Cloud WAF trial is advertised Multiple deployment variants may require choosing among different operating models
Our verdict	Akamai App & API Protector brings web application firewall, API, bot, and Layer 7 DDoS controls together for organizations protecting complex applications and distributed environments. It is aimed at mid-market and enterprise teams, with a… Read the review →	Imperva Web Application Firewall protects web applications and APIs against application-layer attacks, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and other OWASP Top 10 threats. Thales offers it to mid-market and enterprise… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Akamai App & API Protector — where it wins

  • Protects HTTP and HTTPS traffic with managed WAF updates
  • Combines API discovery, request constraints, bot controls, and Layer 7 DDoS defense
  • Supports hybrid enforcement and automation through Terraform, CLI, and GitOps

  Where it doesn't

  • Pricing requires contacting sales
  • Its broad control set may exceed the needs of teams seeking a narrow WAF
  • Hybrid enforcement and policy automation may require security operations expertise

• Imperva Web Application Firewall — where it wins

  • Managed rules update daily, with real-time updates for critical threats
  • Combines web/API protection, bot controls, and behavior-based rate thresholds
  • Automates policy creation and rule propagation, with Terraform deployment

  Where it doesn't

  • No public WAF plan prices; buying requires contacting sales
  • No free plan, though a Cloud WAF trial is advertised
  • Multiple deployment variants may require choosing among different operating models

• Akamai App & API Protector9.3/10 · Pricing on request

  A broad edge security suite for hybrid application and API environments.

  Contact AkamaiFull verdict →
• Imperva Web Application Firewall9.1/10 · Pricing on request

  Managed WAF rules, bot controls and deployment automation for hybrid environments.

  Contact ThalesFull verdict →