Cloudflare Gateway vs Lightspeed Filter

Cloudflare Gateway9.2Visit Lightspeed Filter8.0Visit

Higher score Cloudflare Gateway #1 in Internet Filtering Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Cloudflare

vs

Lightspeed Filter #13 in Internet Filtering Software 8.0/10 Pricing on request ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Lightspeed

• Cloudflare Gateway fits best

  Organizations needing filtering beyond DNS

• Lightspeed Filter fits best

  Schools filtering managed and BYOD traffic

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Side by side

Feature	Cloudflare Gateway 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Lightspeed Filter 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.0
Ranking	#1 in Internet Filtering Software	#13 in Internet Filtering Software
Best for	Organizations needing filtering beyond DNS	Schools filtering managed and BYOD traffic
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	Pricing on request
Free plan	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Chrome extension
Support	Community, Live chat, Tickets, Phone	Tickets, Live chat, Community, Docs
Integrations	6 integrations	7 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Cloudflare Gateway 3/3 · Lightspeed Filter 3/3
Custom blocklists	✓	✓
Safe search controls	✓	✓
Filtering schedules	✓	✓
Specs
Device limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Activity reports	Advanced	Advanced
Platform support	macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, PAC files, DNS locations, Cloudflare WAN, Cloudflare Mesh, HTML5 browsers	Chromebooks/Chrome, Windows, macOS, iOS, BYOD, and IoT
Our review
Pros	Filters DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, network traffic, and custom lists Supports identity controls, SafeSearch, scheduling, and activity logs Runs across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, network DNS, and API	Combines SmartAgent device filtering with SmartShield DNS coverage Detailed YouTube, social-media, SSL, search, and bypass controls Advanced activity histories plus exportable audit and compliance reports
Cons	Activity reporting is basic Free log retention is limited to up to 24 hours Contract plan pricing is custom	Personalized-quote purchasing may require a sales conversation The feature set is oriented mainly toward K-12 schools and districts SSL decryption and policy controls may require administrative configuration
Our verdict	Cloudflare Gateway is a cloud-delivered secure web gateway for organizations that need to control more than DNS requests. Administrators can filter DNS, HTTP and HTTPS requests, network traffic, packets, ports, and protocols. Policies can… Read the review →	Lightspeed Filter is a hybrid internet content-filtering product for K-12 schools and districts. It covers managed devices through on-device SmartAgent filtering, while SmartShield DNS filtering extends policies to BYOD and IoT traffic.… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Cloudflare Gateway — where it wins

  • Filters DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, network traffic, and custom lists
  • Supports identity controls, SafeSearch, scheduling, and activity logs
  • Runs across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, network DNS, and API

  Where it doesn't

  • Activity reporting is basic
  • Free log retention is limited to up to 24 hours
  • Contract plan pricing is custom

• Lightspeed Filter — where it wins

  • Combines SmartAgent device filtering with SmartShield DNS coverage
  • Detailed YouTube, social-media, SSL, search, and bypass controls
  • Advanced activity histories plus exportable audit and compliance reports

  Where it doesn't

  • Personalized-quote purchasing may require a sales conversation
  • The feature set is oriented mainly toward K-12 schools and districts
  • SSL decryption and policy controls may require administrative configuration

• Cloudflare Gateway9.2/10 · Free plan

  A broad filtering gateway with strong policy controls and basic reporting.

  Visit CloudflareFull verdict →
• Lightspeed Filter8.0/10 · Pricing on request

  A broad K-12 filtering stack spanning managed devices, BYOD, IoT, and off-network use.

  Visit LightspeedFull verdict →