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Head-to-head · DDoS Protection Software

Cloudflare DDoS Protection vs Fastly DDoS Protection

  • 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
Fastly DDoS Protection #3 in DDoS Protection Software 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 2 features Visit Fastly

Cloudflare DDoS Protection leads on 1 check, Fastly DDoS Protection 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 planboth
  • Most featuresCloudflare DDoS Protection · 2 of 2

Cloudflare DDoS Protection scores higher on our rubric for ddos protection software: 9.4 against 9.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #3.

Cloudflare DDoS Protection offers waf included; Fastly DDoS Protection doesn't.

Cloudflare DDoS Protection is the better fit for broad protection at a low published price. Fastly DDoS Protection is the better fit for usage-based web and API protection.

  • Cloudflare DDoS Protection fits best

    Broad protection at a low published price

  • Fastly DDoS Protection fits best

    Usage-based web and API protection

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 ↗ Fastly DDoS Protection 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.1
Ranking #1 in DDoS Protection Software #3 in DDoS Protection Software
Best for Broad protection at a low published price Usage-based web and API protection
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $20/mo $0.01/unit/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs · 24/7 Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Cloudflare DDoS Protection 2/2 · Fastly DDoS Protection 0/2
Managed mitigation ✓ (best) Not checked yet
WAF included ✓ (best) —
Specs
Attack layers Both Both
Mitigation mode Always-on Always-on
Deployment model Cloud Cloud
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 both network-layer and application-layer attacks
  • Near-real-time mitigation with continuous anomaly detection
  • Zero-attack-fee billing for mitigated attack spikes
Cons
  • Advanced TCP and DNS protection uses Magic Transit
  • Support options vary by plan
  • Proactive false-positive detection starts with the Business plan
  • WAF protection is not included
  • The free tier does not specify a request allowance
  • Pricing is based on monthly request volume
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 →

Fastly DDoS Protection is a cloud-based service for detecting and mitigating distributed denial-of-service attacks against applications, APIs, and infrastructure. It is designed for teams protecting web and API traffic across cloud,…

Read the review →
  1. Cloudflare DDoS ProtectionDDoS Protection Software 9.4Free plan
  2. Fastly DDoS ProtectionDDoS Protection Software 9.1Free plan

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

  • Fastly DDoS Protection — where it wins

    • Covers both network-layer and application-layer attacks
    • Near-real-time mitigation with continuous anomaly detection
    • Zero-attack-fee billing for mitigated attack spikes

    Where it doesn't

    • WAF protection is not included
    • The free tier does not specify a request allowance
    • Pricing is based on monthly request volume

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