Cloudflare WAF vs Akamai
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Cloudflare WAF and Akamai.
Quick Verdict
3.5/5
Cloudflare WAF
249 reviews
3.5/5
Akamai
375 reviews
Cloudflare WAF is rated higher (3.5 vs 3.5). Cloudflare's Web Application Firewall protects against OWASP Top 10, zero-day vulnerabilities, and DDoS. 300+ global PoPs absorb attacks. Free plan blocks basic threats; Pro adds OWASP managed rules. Akamai invented the CDN industry in 1998. 340,000+ servers in 130+ countries. Enterprise CDN, edge security, and media delivery at massive scale. Acquired Linode for cloud compute.
Cloudflare WAF Web Application Firewall protecting millions of sites |  Akamai The original CDN — 340,000 servers globally | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.5 (249 reviews)✓ | 3.5 (375 reviews) |
| Pricing model | freemium | paid |
| Starting price | Free tier available✓ | From €500/mo |
| Best for | Every website — Cloudflare WAF is the standard baseline for web application firewall protection | Global media companies and enterprises needing the largest and most battle-tested CDN infrastructure |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tierddos protectionapi accesseu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenter | ddos protectioneu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenter |
| Visit Cloudflare WAF → | Visit Akamai → | |
Cloudflare WAF
Pros
- + Free WAF rules on all plans
- + DDoS mitigation up to 142Tbps
- + 300+ PoP global network absorbs attacks
Cons
- - Advanced WAF rules require Pro+ plan
- - Some legitimate traffic can be blocked
Akamai
Pros
- + 340,000 servers — unmatched global scale
- + Enterprise security and media delivery
- + Includes Linode cloud compute
Cons
- - Enterprise-only pricing — complex procurement
- - Not for individuals or SMBs
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