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Head-to-head · DDoS Protection Software

Cloudflare DDoS Protection vs Akamai Prolexic

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Cloudflare DDoS Protection #1 in DDoS Protection Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Cloudflare
Akamai Prolexic #2 in DDoS Protection Software 9.2/10 Pricing on request ✓ 1 of 2 features Try Akamai Prolexic

Cloudflare DDoS Protection leads on 1 check, Akamai Prolexic on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreCloudflare DDoS Protection · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Cloudflare DDoS Protection
  • Most featuresCloudflare DDoS Protection · 2 of 2

Cloudflare DDoS Protection scores higher on our rubric for ddos protection software: 9.4 against 9.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #2.

On attack layers, Cloudflare DDoS Protection gives you Both where Akamai Prolexic offers Network. On mitigation mode, Akamai Prolexic gives you Hybrid where Cloudflare DDoS Protection offers Always-on. On deployment model, Akamai Prolexic gives you Hybrid where Cloudflare DDoS Protection offers Cloud. Cloudflare DDoS Protection offers waf included; Akamai Prolexic doesn't.

Cloudflare DDoS Protection is the better fit for broad protection at a low published price. Akamai Prolexic is the better fit for large enterprises needing global managed mitigation.

  • Cloudflare DDoS Protection fits best

    Broad protection at a low published price

  • Akamai Prolexic fits best

    Large enterprises needing global managed mitigation

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.

Side by side

Feature Cloudflare DDoS Protection 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Akamai Prolexic 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.2
Ranking #1 in DDoS Protection Software #2 in DDoS Protection Software
Best for Broad protection at a low published price Large enterprises needing global managed mitigation
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $20/mo Pricing on request
Free plan ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web Web
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Enterprise, Mid-market
Features Cloudflare DDoS Protection 2/2 · Akamai Prolexic 1/2
Managed mitigation ✓ ✓
WAF included ✓ (best) —
Specs
Attack layers Both Network
Mitigation mode Always-on Hybrid
Deployment model Cloud Hybrid
Protection capacity Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Covers Layer 3/4 network and Layer 7 HTTP attacks
  • Free plan includes unmetered DDoS protection and WAF
  • 500 Tbps global network capacity with managed protection options
  • Covers DDoS detection and mitigation across all ports and protocols
  • Supports cloud, on-premises, hybrid, always-on, and on-demand deployments
  • Offers 20+ Tbps capacity with zero-second mitigation and 100% availability SLAs
Cons
  • Advanced TCP and DNS protection uses Magic Transit
  • Support options vary by plan
  • Proactive false-positive detection starts with the Business plan
  • Pricing uses a contact-sales model rather than published plan tiers
  • WAF and application-layer protection are separate from Prolexic
  • Its extensive connectivity options may exceed smaller organizations' needs
Our verdict

Cloudflare DDoS Protection automatically detects and mitigates distributed denial-of-service attacks across network and application layers. It is designed for websites, web applications, TCP/UDP applications, networks, and data centers…

Read the review →

Akamai Prolexic is a managed DDoS protection service for enterprises, service providers, and SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS platforms. It inspects and filters traffic through Akamai scrubbing infrastructure, with coverage across all ports and…

Read the review →
  1. Cloudflare DDoS ProtectionDDoS Protection Software 9.4Free plan
  2. Akamai ProlexicDDoS Protection Software 9.2Pricing on request

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Cloudflare DDoS Protection — where it wins

    • Covers Layer 3/4 network and Layer 7 HTTP attacks
    • Free plan includes unmetered DDoS protection and WAF
    • 500 Tbps global network capacity with managed protection options

    Where it doesn't

    • Advanced TCP and DNS protection uses Magic Transit
    • Support options vary by plan
    • Proactive false-positive detection starts with the Business plan

  • Akamai Prolexic — where it wins

    • Covers DDoS detection and mitigation across all ports and protocols
    • Supports cloud, on-premises, hybrid, always-on, and on-demand deployments
    • Offers 20+ Tbps capacity with zero-second mitigation and 100% availability SLAs

    Where it doesn't

    • Pricing uses a contact-sales model rather than published plan tiers
    • WAF and application-layer protection are separate from Prolexic
    • Its extensive connectivity options may exceed smaller organizations' needs

More comparisons

All DDoS protection software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update