Cloudflare WAF & API Shield
Cloudflare WAF & API Shield
Updated September 12, 2025
Updated September 12, 2025
Cloudflare WAF & API Shield inspects and filters HTTP traffic to protect web applications and APIs from common threats. It integrates with Cloudflare’s global network to provide rule-based controls and schema validation for API requests.
Cloudflare WAF & API Shield inspects and filters HTTP traffic to protect web applications and APIs from common threats. It integrates with Cloudflare’s global network to provide rule-based controls and schema validation for API requests.
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Cost considerations
Cost considerations
Functionality
Functionality
Compatibility
Compatibility
User experience
User experience
Customer support
Customer support
Why these ratings?
Cyberse perspective
Cyberse perspective
Solution details
Target industry
Public sector
Financial services
Subcategory
API Security
Runtime Application Protection
Services support
In-house services
Third party integrators
Managed services
Pricing
No free trial
Market segment
Small business
Enterprise
Midmarket
Key features
API access
Platform solution
Deployment
Cloud-native
Cloud-hosted
Cloud ecosystem partners
Amazon Web Services
Google Cloud Platform
Ratings
Cost considerations
Cloudflare lists WAF pricing at $20 per domain for Pro and $200 for Business, giving buyers clear upfront numbers and predictable month-to-month costs. Those entry points undercut rivals such as Fastly, which starts around $50 per month for comparable protection, so many teams can secure apps without a premium spend. Extra charges only arise for add-ons like advanced bot defense, so budgets remain manageable unless specialized features are needed.
Cost considerations
Cloudflare lists WAF pricing at $20 per domain for Pro and $200 for Business, giving buyers clear upfront numbers and predictable month-to-month costs. Those entry points undercut rivals such as Fastly, which starts around $50 per month for comparable protection, so many teams can secure apps without a premium spend. Extra charges only arise for add-ons like advanced bot defense, so budgets remain manageable unless specialized features are needed.
Functionality
Cloudflare WAF and API Shield block the OWASP Top-10 for both web sites and APIs and add managed rules for newer threats. Security teams can automate deployment and tailor policies through Terraform, REST APIs, and CI/CD workflows, which supports efficient integration into existing processes. Dashboards provide attack analytics, yet capabilities such as code-level scanning across the development lifecycle are limited, so functionality is strong but not comprehensive.
Functionality
Cloudflare WAF and API Shield block the OWASP Top-10 for both web sites and APIs and add managed rules for newer threats. Security teams can automate deployment and tailor policies through Terraform, REST APIs, and CI/CD workflows, which supports efficient integration into existing processes. Dashboards provide attack analytics, yet capabilities such as code-level scanning across the development lifecycle are limited, so functionality is strong but not comprehensive.
Compatibility
Cloudflare WAF & API Shield operate at the network edge, protecting any language or framework and working with AWS, Azure, and GCP without agent code. GitHub and GitLab integrations let teams connect the service to standard CI/CD pipelines. Most teams only tweak a few rules or enable mTLS for APIs, so deployment requires minimal customization.
Compatibility
Cloudflare WAF & API Shield operate at the network edge, protecting any language or framework and working with AWS, Azure, and GCP without agent code. GitHub and GitLab integrations let teams connect the service to standard CI/CD pipelines. Most teams only tweak a few rules or enable mTLS for APIs, so deployment requires minimal customization.
User experience
Cloudflare WAF and API Shield provide an intuitive unified dashboard that surfaces attacks and lets teams create rules quickly. Independent reviewers say setup is simpler than alternatives like AWS WAF, cutting configuration time. Some users report the new layout makes multi-site navigation less convenient, showing minor friction but not a deal-breaker
User experience
Cloudflare WAF and API Shield provide an intuitive unified dashboard that surfaces attacks and lets teams create rules quickly. Independent reviewers say setup is simpler than alternatives like AWS WAF, cutting configuration time. Some users report the new layout makes multi-site navigation less convenient, showing minor friction but not a deal-breaker
Customer support
Cloudflare provides 24/7 phone, chat, and email help with median 15-minute responses for Enterprise customers and dedicated account teams. Business and Pro users report waits of hours to days, so support quality varies by plan. Strong documentation is available, but only top-tier clients reliably get rapid expert assistance, putting overall support in the mid-range.
Customer support
Cloudflare provides 24/7 phone, chat, and email help with median 15-minute responses for Enterprise customers and dedicated account teams. Business and Pro users report waits of hours to days, so support quality varies by plan. Strong documentation is available, but only top-tier clients reliably get rapid expert assistance, putting overall support in the mid-range.
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