Best Cloudflare WAF Alternatives in 2026
The top Cloudflare WAF alternatives are AWS WAF, Wallarm WAAP and Akamai App & API Protector: 15 web application firewall software our editors would look at instead of Cloudflare WAF, in our ranking order.
Cloudflare WAF: Broad edge WAF coverage with a free plan and Terraform management. Where it falls short: bot management is a separate cloudflare product.
Switching from Cloudflare WAF? For most web application firewall software buyers the best Cloudflare WAF alternative is AWS WAF, built for aWS-native applications needing flexible pricing. On a budget, Azure Web Application Firewall starts at $5/mo, against $20/mo for Cloudflare WAF. Wallarm WAAP has a free plan. Check Point CloudGuard WAF offers the most log retention (90 days).
Why People Look for a Cloudflare WAF Alternative
- 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 bot management — 15 of the alternatives below have it
- Paid from $20/mo — Azure Web Application Firewall is $5/mo
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallAWS WAF9.2
AWS-native applications needing flexible pricing
Visit AWS WAF - Lowest priceAzure Web Application Firewall8.7
Paid plans from $5/mo
Visit Azure Web Application Firewall - Best free optionWallarm WAAP9.1
Has a free plan
Visit Wallarm WAAP - Most log retentionCheck Point CloudGuard WAF8.3
90 days
Visit Check Point CloudGuard WAF - Best for bot managementAWS WAF9.2
Bot management (Cloudflare WAF: no)
Visit AWS WAF
All 15 Cloudflare 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 forAWS-native applications needing flexible pricing
- Better than Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
Flexible AWS-native protection with usage-based pricing that requires careful cost planning.
- Managed rule sets
- Rate limiting
- API protection
9.2/10★★★★★Visit AWS WAF -
Best forAPI-heavy teams wanting a free security tier
- Better than Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
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
- Better than Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
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
- Better than Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
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
- Better than Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
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
- Better than Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
- Paid from: $5/mo vs $20/mo
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
- Better than Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
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
- Better than Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
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
- Better than Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
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
- Better than Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
- Log retention: 90 days vs 30 days
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
- Better than Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
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
- Better than Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
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 Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
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 Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
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 Cloudflare WAF:
- Bot management
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
Cloudflare WAF Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Cloudflare WAF?
AWS WAF: #2 in our Web Application Firewall Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.2 out of 10. Flexible AWS-native protection with usage-based pricing that requires careful cost planning.
Is there a free alternative to Cloudflare WAF?
Yes. Wallarm WAAP, open-appsec, Gcore WAAP, BunkerWeb and OWASP Coraza WAF have a free plan or a free tier.
Why do people look for Cloudflare WAF alternatives?
Bot management is a separate Cloudflare product; Paid managed rules begin with the Pro plan; Business pricing starts at $200 per month billed annually.
Which Cloudflare WAF alternative has the most log retention?
Check Point CloudGuard WAF, with 90 days.
How do I switch from Cloudflare WAF?
Export your data from Cloudflare 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 Cloudflare WAF.
How to Switch from Cloudflare WAF
- Export your data from Cloudflare 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 Cloudflare WAF.
Cloudflare WAF vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Deployment model | Managed rule sets | API protection | Bot management | Rate limiting | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cloudflare WAF | Yes | $20/mo | Edge | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | 9.4 |
| 1 | AWS WAF | No | $1/unit/mo | Hybrid | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 9.2 |
| 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
- Cloudflare WAF vs AWS WAF
- Cloudflare WAF vs Wallarm WAAP
- Cloudflare WAF vs Akamai App & API Protector
- Cloudflare WAF vs open-appsec
- Cloudflare WAF vs Google Cloud Armor
- Cloudflare WAF vs Azure Web Application Firewall
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update