AWS WAF vs Hetzner DDoS Protection
A detailed comparison to help you choose between AWS WAF and Hetzner DDoS Protection.
 AWS WAF Amazon WAF integrated with CloudFront and ALB | Hetzner DDoS Protection Hardware-backed DDoS mitigation for high-traffic infrastructure | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.9 (8 reviews)✓ | 4.9 (245 reviews) |
| Pricing model | usage-based | free |
| Starting price | From €5/mo | Free✓ |
| Best for | AWS-invested applications that need WAF tightly integrated with their existing CloudFront or ALB setup | Organizations running high-traffic applications on Hetzner infrastructure who need native, straightforward DDoS mitigation without multi-vendor complexity. |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | api accessus datacentereu datacenterapac datacenter | free tierddos protectioneu datacenter |
| Visit AWS WAF → | Visit Hetzner DDoS Protection → | |
AWS WAF
Pros
- + Deep AWS integration
- + Per-rule pricing — cost-effective for simple use
- + Works with CloudFront, ALB, API Gateway
Cons
- - Complex rule management
- - Requires AWS expertise to use effectively
Hetzner DDoS Protection
Pros
- + Deploy without external vendor lock-in or third-party dependencies
- + Handle multi-gigabit attacks via Hetzner's own infrastructure
- + Activate automatically or manually via API and console
- + Protect both Cloud and bare-metal servers in one service
Cons
- - Limited to Hetzner infrastructure; cannot protect non-Hetzner targets
- - Requires understanding of traffic baseline for effective tuning
- - Fewer advanced customization options versus specialized DDoS providers
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