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Head-to-head · Web Application Firewall Software

Cloudflare WAF vs Gcore WAAP

  • 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
Gcore WAAP #14 in Web Application Firewall Software 8.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Gcore WAAP

Cloudflare WAF leads on 0 checks, Gcore WAAP on 1, and 4 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 planboth
  • Most featuresGcore WAAP · 4 of 4

Cloudflare WAF scores higher on our rubric for web application firewall software: 9.4 against 8.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #14.

Gcore WAAP offers bot management; Cloudflare WAF doesn't.

Cloudflare WAF is the better fit for teams wanting broad WAF coverage with a free plan. Gcore WAAP is the better fit for budget-conscious teams needing free edge WAF access.

  • Cloudflare WAF fits best

    Teams wanting broad WAF coverage with a free plan

  • Gcore WAAP fits best

    Budget-conscious teams needing free edge WAF access

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 ↗ Gcore WAAP 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.0
Ranking #1 in Web Application Firewall Software #14 in Web Application Firewall Software
Best for Teams wanting broad WAF coverage with a free plan Budget-conscious teams needing free edge WAF access
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $20/mo €25/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud, Browser extension
Platforms Web Web
Support Community, Tickets, Live chat, Phone, Docs Email, Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Docs · 24/7
Compliance ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, PCI DSS ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS, 2FA
Integrations 1 integrations 5 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Cloudflare WAF 3/4 · Gcore WAAP 4/4
Managed rule sets ✓ ✓
API protection ✓ ✓
Bot management — ✓ (best)
Rate limiting ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment model Edge Edge
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
  • Free OWASP Top 10 protection with no credit card required
  • €25 Start plan adds custom rules and IP firewall controls
  • Covers APIs, bots, rate limiting, analytics, and Layer 7 DDoS protection
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
  • Public plans have domain and request quotas
  • Bot Management and Advanced Rules are Pro add-ons
  • Enterprise pricing and requirements are custom
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 →

Gcore WAAP is a cloud-delivered web application and API protection service for organizations securing websites, APIs, login flows, and multi-tenant applications. Traffic is routed through Gcore’s edge network, where managed OWASP Top 10…

Read the review →
  1. Cloudflare WAFWeb Application Firewall Software 9.4Free plan
  2. Gcore WAAPWeb Application Firewall Software 8.0Free plan

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

  • Gcore WAAP — where it wins

    • Free OWASP Top 10 protection with no credit card required
    • €25 Start plan adds custom rules and IP firewall controls
    • Covers APIs, bots, rate limiting, analytics, and Layer 7 DDoS protection

    Where it doesn't

    • Public plans have domain and request quotas
    • Bot Management and Advanced Rules are Pro add-ons
    • Enterprise pricing and requirements are custom

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