Best AWS WAF Alternatives in 2026
The top AWS WAF alternatives are Cloudflare WAF, Wallarm WAAP and Akamai App & API Protector: 15 web application firewall software our editors would look at instead of AWS WAF, in our ranking order.
AWS WAF: Flexible AWS-native protection with usage-based pricing that requires careful cost planning. Where it falls short: no free plan is available..
Switching from AWS WAF? For most web application firewall software buyers the best AWS WAF alternative is Cloudflare WAF, built for teams wanting broad WAF coverage with a free plan. On a budget, Azure Web Application Firewall starts at $5/mo. Check Point CloudGuard WAF offers the most log retention (90 days).
Why People Look for an AWS WAF Alternative
- No free plan is available
- Rules and request processing add usage-based charges
- Connected AWS services can incur separate charges
- No free plan — 5 of the alternatives below have it
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallCloudflare WAF9.4
Teams wanting broad WAF coverage with a free plan
Visit Cloudflare WAF - Lowest priceAzure Web Application Firewall8.7
Paid plans from $5/mo
Visit Azure Web Application Firewall - Best free optionCloudflare WAF9.4
Has a free plan (AWS WAF has none)
Visit Cloudflare WAF - Most log retentionCheck Point CloudGuard WAF8.3
90 days
Visit Check Point CloudGuard WAF
All 15 AWS WAF Alternatives, Ranked
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.
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Best forTeams wanting broad WAF coverage with a free plan
- Better than AWS WAF:
- Free plan
- Editor score 9.4 vs 9.2
Broad edge WAF coverage with a free plan and Terraform management.
- Managed rule sets
- Rate limiting
- API protection
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Cloudflare -
Best forAPI-heavy teams wanting a free security tier
- Better than AWS WAF:
- Free plan
A broad WAAP platform with a useful free tier for API-focused security teams.
- Managed rule sets
- Rate limiting
- API protection
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Wallarm -
Best forLarge hybrid enterprises needing mature protection
A broad edge security platform for large enterprises with complex environments.
- Managed rule sets
- Rate limiting
- API protection
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Akamai -
Best forCloud-native teams wanting open-source ML protection
A flexible open-source WAF for cloud-native web applications and APIs.
- Rate limiting
- API protection
- Bot management
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit open-appsec -
Best forGoogle Cloud users needing managed edge protection
A Google Cloud edge WAF with managed rules, API protection, bots, and rate controls.
- Managed rule sets
- Rate limiting
- API protection
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Google Cloud -
Best forAzure users needing low-cost managed WAF controls
A low-cost managed WAF for Azure applications, APIs, and edge traffic.
- Managed rule sets
- Rate limiting
- API protection
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forOrganizations wanting flexible F5 hybrid deployment
A flexible hybrid WAF with strong automation, API, bot, and rate-limiting coverage.
- Managed rule sets
- Rate limiting
- API protection
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit F5 -
Best forHybrid enterprises needing broad integrations
A broad hybrid WAF for teams securing applications, APIs, bots, and traffic.
- Managed rule sets
- Rate limiting
- API protection
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Barracuda -
Best forEnterprises wanting automated hybrid WAF operations
A broad hybrid WAF for enterprises that need managed rules, automation, and API security.
- Managed rule sets
- Rate limiting
- API protection
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Imperva -
Best forEnterprises needing AI-assisted hybrid WAF security
A broad hybrid WAF for enterprises needing AI-assisted application, API, and bot protection.
- Rate limiting
- API protection
- Bot management
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Check Point -
Best forFortinet customers needing integrated WAF security
A broad Fortinet WAF for web, API, bot, and application-layer protection.
- Managed rule sets
- API protection
- Bot management
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit FortiWeb -
Best forTeams needing flexible Fastly WAF deployment
A flexible WAF for teams protecting applications, APIs, and microservices across varied deployments.
- Managed rule sets
- Rate limiting
- API protection
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Fastly -
Best forBudget-conscious teams needing free edge WAF access
- Better than AWS WAF:
- Free plan
A cost-conscious edge WAAP with free OWASP protection and paid rule controls.
- Managed rule sets
- Rate limiting
- API protection
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Gcore WAAP -
Best forSelf-hosted teams seeking a free open-source WAF
- Better than AWS WAF:
- Free plan
A free, self-hosted WAF with OWASP rules, API validation, rate limiting, and antibot controls.
- Managed rule sets
- Rate limiting
- API protection
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit BunkerWeb -
Best forDevelopers needing open-source multi-proxy WAF protection
- Better than AWS WAF:
- Free plan
A flexible self-hosted WAF for developers working across proxies, servers, and Go.
- Managed rule sets
- API protection
- Bot management
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit OWASP Coraza
AWS WAF Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to AWS WAF?
Cloudflare WAF: #1 in our Web Application Firewall Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. Broad edge WAF coverage with a free plan and Terraform management.
Is there a free alternative to AWS WAF?
Yes. Cloudflare WAF, Wallarm WAAP, open-appsec, Gcore WAAP and BunkerWeb have a free plan or a free tier (6 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
What is the cheapest paid alternative to AWS WAF?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Azure Web Application Firewall starts lowest, at $5/mo.
Why do people look for AWS WAF alternatives?
No free plan is available; Rules and request processing add usage-based charges; Connected AWS services can incur separate charges.
Which AWS WAF alternative has the most log retention?
Check Point CloudGuard WAF, with 90 days.
How do I switch from AWS WAF?
Export your data from AWS WAF (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel AWS WAF.
How to Switch from AWS WAF
- Export your data from AWS WAF (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel AWS WAF.
AWS WAF vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | Managed rule sets | API protection | Bot management | Rate limiting | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | AWS WAF | No | $1/unit/mo | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 |
| 1 | Cloudflare WAF | Yes | $20/mo | Edge | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | 9.4 |
| 2 | Wallarm WAAP | Yes | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.1 | |
| 3 | Akamai App & API Protector | Edge | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.0 | ||
| 4 | open-appsec | Free | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.9 | ||
| 5 | Google Cloud Armor | No | Edge | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.8 | |
| 6 | Azure Web Application Firewall | No | $5/mo | Edge | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.7 |
| 7 | F5 WAF for Distributed Cloud | No | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 8 | Barracuda Web Application Firewall | No | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.5 | |
| 9 | Imperva Web Application Firewall | No | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.4 | |
| 10 | Check Point CloudGuard WAF | No | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | ||
| 11 | FortiWeb | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.2 | |||
| 12 | Fastly Next-Gen WAF | No | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.1 | |
| 13 | Gcore WAAP | Yes | €25/mo | Edge | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 8.0 |
| 14 | BunkerWeb | Yes | Free | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.9 |
| 15 | OWASP Coraza WAF | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.8 |
Head-to-Head
- AWS WAF vs Cloudflare WAF
- AWS WAF vs Wallarm WAAP
- AWS WAF vs Akamai App & API Protector
- AWS WAF vs open-appsec
- AWS WAF vs Google Cloud Armor
- AWS WAF vs Azure Web Application Firewall
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update