Head-to-head · Bot Detection
Fastly Bot Management vs Castle Bot Detection
Fastly Bot Management leads on 0 checks, Castle Bot Detection on 1, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreFastly Bot Management · 9.2/10
- Free planonly Castle Bot Detection
- Most featuresCastle Bot Detection · 6 of 6
Fastly Bot Management scores higher on our rubric for bot detection: 9.2 against 7.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #7.
Castle Bot Detection offers free plan; Fastly Bot Management doesn't.
Fastly Bot Management is the better fit for mid-market and enterprise teams managing bot traffic. Castle Bot Detection is the better fit for teams seeking affordable behavioral bot detection.
- Fastly Bot Management fits best
Mid-market and enterprise teams managing bot traffic
- Castle Bot Detection fits best
Teams seeking affordable behavioral bot detection
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Side by side
| Feature | Fastly Bot Management 9.2/10 Visit ↗ | Castle Bot Detection 7.9/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.2 | 7.9 |
| Ranking | #1 in Bot Detection | #7 in Bot Detection |
| Best for | Mid-market and enterprise teams managing bot traffic | Teams seeking affordable behavioral bot detection |
| Pricing model | Paid | Free plan + paid |
| Starting price | Pricing on request | $200/mo |
| Free plan | — | ✓ (best) |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud, Browser extension |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
| Built for | Mid-market, Enterprise | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Fastly Bot Management 4/6 · Castle Bot Detection 6/6 | ||
| Behavioral analysis | ✓ | ✓ |
| Device fingerprinting | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| JavaScript SDK | ✓ | ✓ |
| Real-time scoring API | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Challenge tools | ✓ | ✓ |
| Account abuse detection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| Protected requests | Not checked yet | 40000 requests/mo |
| Our review | ||
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| Our verdict | Fastly Bot Management detects automated traffic targeting web applications and APIs, with controls applied at Fastly’s edge. Its audience is mid-market and enterprise teams that need to distinguish wanted automation from abusive activity,… Read the review → |
Castle Bot Detection analyzes browser interactions, device properties, IP addresses and email signals to identify automated traffic and account abuse. Its Browser SDK collects behavioral and device data, then creates request tokens that a… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Fastly Bot Management — where it wins
- Inspects bot traffic before and after cache alongside Next-Gen WAF
- Combines server-side and client-side detection, including headless browsers
- Supports blocking, rate limits, challenges, allow rules, and deception
Where it doesn't
- Pricing is contact-sales rather than self-serve
- Advanced client-side detection requires a JavaScript snippet
- Cloud deployment may not suit teams seeking another deployment model
Castle Bot Detection — where it wins
- Behavioral, device, IP and email signals in one detection workflow
- Risk and Filter APIs support allow, challenge or deny decisions
- Covers web, API, iOS and Android deployments
Where it doesn't
- Free plan limits retention to 3 days, with 3 seats and 1 environment
- Pro's $200 API budget is shared across requests and IP lookups
- Enterprise pricing starts at $4,000 per month
- Fastly Bot Management9.2/10 · Pricing on request
Edge-based bot detection with configurable responses for web applications and APIs.
Visit FastlyFull verdict → - Castle Bot Detection7.9/10 · Free plan
Behavioral bot detection across web, APIs and mobile, with a free entry plan.
Visit CastleFull verdict →
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- Radware Bot Manager vs Castle Bot Detection
- F5 WAF for Distributed Cloud vs Castle Bot Detection
All bot detection comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update