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Head-to-head · Web Application Firewall Software

Cloudflare WAF vs AWS WAF

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Cloudflare WAF #1 in Web Application Firewall Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Cloudflare
AWS WAF #2 in Web Application Firewall Software 9.2/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit AWS WAF

Cloudflare WAF leads on 1 check, AWS WAF on 1, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreCloudflare WAF · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Cloudflare WAF
  • Most featuresAWS WAF · 4 of 4

Cloudflare WAF scores higher on our rubric for web application firewall software: 9.4 against 9.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #2.

Cloudflare WAF offers free plan; AWS WAF doesn't. On deployment model, AWS WAF gives you Hybrid where Cloudflare WAF offers Edge. AWS WAF offers bot management; Cloudflare WAF doesn't.

Cloudflare WAF is the better fit for teams wanting broad WAF coverage with a free plan. AWS WAF is the better fit for AWS-native applications needing flexible pricing.

  • Cloudflare WAF fits best

    Teams wanting broad WAF coverage with a free plan

  • AWS WAF fits best

    AWS-native applications needing flexible pricing

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 WAF 9.4/10 Visit ↗ AWS WAF 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.2
Ranking #1 in Web Application Firewall Software #2 in Web Application Firewall Software
Best for Teams wanting broad WAF coverage with a free plan AWS-native applications needing flexible pricing
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $20/mo $1/unit/mo
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud, Browser extension
Platforms Web Web
Support Community, Tickets, Live chat, Phone, Docs Docs
Integrations 1 integrations 9 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Cloudflare WAF 3/4 · AWS WAF 4/4
Managed rule sets ✓ ✓
API protection ✓ ✓
Bot management — ✓ (best)
Rate limiting ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment model Edge Hybrid
Log retention 30 days Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free plan includes managed rules and one rate-limiting rule
  • Edge inspection covers web applications and APIs
  • Terraform management, analytics, and virtual patching support
  • Managed rules cover common web exploits, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting.
  • Supports bot controls, rate limiting, CAPTCHA, and Layer 7 DDoS mitigation.
  • Integrates with CloudFront, API Gateway, ALB, AppSync, and other AWS services.
Cons
  • Bot management is a separate Cloudflare product
  • Paid managed rules begin with the Pro plan
  • Business pricing starts at $200 per month billed annually
  • No free plan is available.
  • Rules and request processing add usage-based charges.
  • Connected AWS services can incur separate charges.
Our verdict

Cloudflare WAF is a cloud-delivered web application firewall for websites and APIs. It inspects HTTP and HTTPS requests at Cloudflare’s edge, applying managed rulesets, custom rules, and protections for attacks such as SQL injection and…

Read the review →

AWS WAF is a managed web application firewall for organizations operating applications on AWS. It monitors HTTP(S) requests sent to protected AWS resources and lets teams allow, block, count, challenge, or rate-limit traffic. Rules can use…

Read the review →
  1. Cloudflare WAFWeb Application Firewall Software 9.4Free plan
  2. AWS WAFWeb Application Firewall Software 9.2Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Cloudflare WAF — where it wins

    • Free plan includes managed rules and one rate-limiting rule
    • Edge inspection covers web applications and APIs
    • Terraform management, analytics, and virtual patching support

    Where it doesn't

    • Bot management is a separate Cloudflare product
    • Paid managed rules begin with the Pro plan
    • Business pricing starts at $200 per month billed annually

  • AWS WAF — where it wins

    • Managed rules cover common web exploits, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting.
    • Supports bot controls, rate limiting, CAPTCHA, and Layer 7 DDoS mitigation.
    • Integrates with CloudFront, API Gateway, ALB, AppSync, and other AWS services.

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan is available.
    • Rules and request processing add usage-based charges.
    • Connected AWS services can incur separate charges.

More comparisons

All web application firewall software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update