Blackwall vs Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)

Both Blackwall and Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) are capable WAF solutions. The right choice depends on your specific infrastructure, budget, and feature requirements.

View Blackwall Review View Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) Review

Overview

Blackwall and Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) are both popular web application firewall solutions. This comparison will help you understand the key differences and choose the right one for your needs.

Bot protection and WAF platform formerly known as BotGuard. Two products, BotGuard (website protection for SMBs) and GateKeeper (distributed reverse proxy with WAF for hosting providers). B2B2C model targeting hosting providers who bundle security for their customers. Free monitoring mode available. CloudFest Diamond sponsor.

Developer-friendly WAF using proprietary SmartParse technology, offering low false positives and seamless DevOps integration for modern application security.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Blackwall	Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)
Overall Rating	3.4/5	4.5/5
Free Tier	Yes	No
Pricing Model	Custom (contact sales)	Custom pricing based on requests and features
Ease of Use	3.8/5	4.0/5
Value for Money	3.2/5	3.8/5
Support	3.5/5	4.5/5
Platforms	Any web server (Apache, Nginx, LiteSpeed) for BotGuard. Any hosting provider infrastructure for GateKeeper. Compatible with shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, and cloud environments.	Any web application, AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, Docker, Serverless, Nginx, Apache
Compliance	GDPR compliant	SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR

Pricing Comparison

Blackwall

Model: Custom (contact sales)

Free Tier Available

BotGuard (Free Monitoring)

Free

BotGuard (Active Protection)

Custom

GateKeeper (Hosting Providers)

Custom

View full pricing →

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)

Model: Custom pricing based on requests and features

Essential

Custom pricing

Professional

Custom pricing

Premier

Custom pricing

View full pricing →

Features Comparison

Blackwall

BotGuard Web Protection
Cloud-based bot detection and mitigation for individual websites. Integrates at the web server level without DNS redirect. Behavioral analysis distinguishes legitimate crawlers from malicious bots.
GateKeeper Reverse Proxy
Distributed reverse proxy cluster for hosting providers. Sits in front of all hosted websites, providing transparent security without per-site configuration. Scales with hosting provider infrastructure.
HTTP/3 QUIC Support
GateKeeper supports HTTP/3 with QUIC protocol, providing better performance on high-latency and lossy connections. Automatic protocol negotiation for browsers that support it.
Automatic SSL Management
GateKeeper handles TLS 1.3 certificates automatically. SSL certificates are provisioned and renewed without manual intervention, reducing operational burden for hosting providers managing thousands of domains.
WAF with OWASP Top 10
Rule-based WAF protecting against SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, and other OWASP Top 10 attack vectors. Rules updated by the Blackwall security team.
Behavioral Bot Detection
Uses behavioral analysis to classify traffic as human, good bot (search engine crawlers), or malicious bot. Goes beyond simple user-agent checking to analyze request patterns and behavior.
Rate Limiting
Configurable rate limiting to mitigate brute force attacks, credential stuffing, and application-level DDoS. Can be applied per IP, per endpoint, or globally.
CDN Caching Layer
GateKeeper includes a caching layer that absorbs traffic spikes and reduces load on origin servers. Static content is served from the proxy layer, improving response times.
Free Monitoring Mode
Observe bot traffic and threat patterns without blocking anything. Useful for evaluation and traffic profiling. Available for both BotGuard and GateKeeper deployments.

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)

SmartParse Technology
Intelligent parsing technology that understands application context to reduce false positives by 90%+.
Power Rules
Flexible rule language for creating custom detection and response logic based on any request attribute.
API Discovery
Automatic discovery and cataloging of API endpoints with security assessment.
DevOps Integration
Native integrations with CI/CD tools, infrastructure as code support, and developer-friendly APIs.
Multi-Environment Deployment
Deploy as cloud service, agent, or edge module across diverse infrastructure.
Real-Time Dashboards
Live visibility into attacks, decisions, and application health without sampling.

Which One Is Right for You?

The best WAF depends on your specific requirements, infrastructure, and team expertise.

Blackwall

You need: Web hosting providers wanting to bundle bot protection and WAF for their customers. Hosting companies managing large numbers of domains that need automated SSL and transparent security. SMBs wanting bot protection without DNS changes.
You want to start with a free tier
You're using: Any web server (Apache, Nginx, LiteSpeed) for BotGuard. Any hosting provider infrastructure for GateKeeper. Compatible with shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, and cloud environments.

Learn more →

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)

You need: Modern DevOps teams, API-heavy applications, organizations frustrated with false positives, companies needing flexible deployment options
You're using: Any web application, AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, Docker, Serverless, Nginx, Apache

Learn more →

We recommend evaluating both options with a trial or free tier before committing. Consider your existing infrastructure, team expertise, compliance requirements, and budget.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for startups: Blackwall or Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)?

Blackwall offers a free tier while Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) does not, which may be important for early-stage startups. Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) scores higher for ease of use (4.0/5), which is valuable for smaller teams. Consider your immediate security needs and growth plans when choosing.

Which has better support: Blackwall or Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)?

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) has a higher support rating (4.5/5) compared to Blackwall (3.5/5). However, support quality can vary based on your plan tier - enterprise customers typically receive more responsive support from both providers. Consider evaluating support during a trial period.

Which is easier to implement: Blackwall or Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)?

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) scores higher for ease of use (4.0/5) versus Blackwall (3.8/5). The actual implementation effort depends on your existing infrastructure and team expertise.

Which is more cost-effective: Blackwall or Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)?

Blackwall offers a free tier while Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) requires a paid plan. Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) scores higher for value (3.8/5). Total cost depends on your traffic volume, required features, and support level needs.

Which works better with AWS: Blackwall or Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)?

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) explicitly supports AWS while Blackwall's AWS integration may vary. Consider whether native AWS integration or cross-cloud portability matters more for your use case.