Bunny Shield vs Kong Gateway WAF
Bunny Shield and Kong Gateway WAF serve different market segments. Your organization's size, budget, and security requirements will determine which is the better fit.
Note: Bunny Shield and Kong Gateway WAF target different market segments. This comparison highlights the trade-offs between solutions designed for different organizational sizes.
Overview
Bunny Shield and Kong Gateway WAF are both popular web application firewall solutions. This comparison will help you understand the key differences and choose the right one for your needs.
Affordable all-in-one web security from bunny.net, combining AI-powered WAF, DDoS protection, bot mitigation, and upload scanning with a generous free tier and simple pricing.
API gateway with built-in WAF plugin for enterprise customers. Kong is the most popular open source API gateway (35K+ GitHub stars, 312M+ downloads) built on NGINX, processing 400B+ API calls daily. The WAF plugin is an Enterprise-only add-on that protects API endpoints at the gateway layer.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Bunny Shield | Kong Gateway WAF |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 4.1/5 | 3.8/5 |
| Free Tier | Yes | No |
| Pricing Model | Per feature tier + overage | Tiered (Plus per-gateway + Enterprise custom) |
| Ease of Use | 4.6/5 | 3.2/5 |
| Value for Money | 4.7/5 | 3.0/5 |
| Support | 4.2/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Platforms | Any web application, WordPress, static sites, APIs | Linux (Ubuntu, RHEL, Debian, Amazon Linux, Alpine), Docker, Kubernetes (via Ingress Controller and Operator), AWS, Azure, GCP, ARM64, macOS (dev) |
| Compliance | Contact vendor | SOC 2 Type II, FIPS 140-2 (Enterprise data planes), supports PCI DSS and HIPAA compliance |
Pricing Comparison
Bunny Shield
Model: Per feature tier + overage
Free Tier AvailableBasic
$0/month
Advanced
$9.50/month
Business
$99/month
Enterprise
Contact Sales
Kong Gateway WAF
Model: Tiered (Plus per-gateway + Enterprise custom)
Kong Gateway OSS
Free
Kong Konnect Plus
From $225/mo
Kong Konnect Enterprise
Custom (annual)
Dedicated Cloud Gateway
$500/mo per control plane + $0.15/GB
Features Comparison
Bunny Shield
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AI-Powered WAF
Next-gen WAF engine that blocks zero-day exploits, OWASP Top 10, and emerging risks with AI recommendations and real-time logs.
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DDoS Protection
Volumetric and application-layer DDoS mitigation backed by 250+ Tbps network capacity across 119 global scrubbing centers.
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Global Rate Limiting
Set precise rate limits per IP, user, or path globally across your entire infrastructure to control abuse.
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Bot Mitigation
Detect, block, and neutralize malicious bots in real time using behavioral fingerprinting without impacting legitimate users.
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Access Lists
Block traffic using curated threat lists for VPNs, Tor nodes, and other threat sources, or create custom access controls.
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Upload Scanning
Automatically scan uploaded files for viruses, malware, and CSAM to prevent harmful content from reaching your platform.
Kong Gateway WAF
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Gateway-Embedded WAF
WAF runs as a plugin inside the Kong Gateway process, inspecting API traffic at the same layer where routing, authentication, and rate limiting occur. No separate WAF appliance or additional proxy hop needed.
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OWASP Top 10 Protection
Built-in protection against common web application attacks including SQL injection, cross-site scripting, command injection, and path traversal at the API gateway layer.
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Plugin Ecosystem
Over 100 plugins for security, traffic control, authentication, and observability. WAF works alongside bot detection, IP restriction, CORS, ACL, and rate limiting plugins in a configurable execution chain.
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Third-Party WAF Integrations
Open plugin architecture supports third-party WAF engines including open-appsec (ML-driven detection) and Wallarm (API security). Teams can choose the WAF engine that fits their threat model.
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Kubernetes-Native Deployment
Kong Ingress Controller and Kong Kubernetes Operator provide native Kubernetes integration. WAF policies can be managed declaratively through Kubernetes CRDs alongside gateway configuration.
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Hybrid Mode
Cloud-managed control plane with self-hosted data planes. WAF policies are centrally managed and distributed to data planes running in any environment, including air-gapped networks.
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AI Gateway
Dedicated AI gateway capabilities including LLM proxy, token-based rate limiting, semantic caching, PII sanitization, prompt guardrails, and MCP server proxy. WAF protects AI endpoints alongside traditional APIs.
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Declarative Configuration
Gateway and WAF configuration can be managed as code through declarative YAML/JSON, enabling GitOps workflows and CI/CD pipeline integration for security policy changes.
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Advanced Rate Limiting
Enterprise-grade rate limiting with sliding window counters, consumer groups, and cluster-wide synchronization. Works in conjunction with WAF to prevent both application-layer attacks and abuse.
Which One Is Right for You?
The best WAF depends on your specific requirements, infrastructure, and team expertise.
Bunny Shield
- You need: Small to medium businesses, startups, developers, cost-conscious organizations wanting comprehensive security, sites already using bunny.net CDN
- You want to start with a free tier
- You're using: Any web application, WordPress, static sites, APIs
Kong Gateway WAF
- You need: Organizations already using Kong as their API gateway, Kubernetes-native architectures needing gateway-level WAF, teams wanting unified API management and security in one platform, enterprises with microservices architectures routing all traffic through an API gateway
- You're using: Linux (Ubuntu, RHEL, Debian, Amazon Linux, Alpine), Docker, Kubernetes (via Ingress Controller and Operator), AWS, Azure, GCP, ARM64, macOS (dev)
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: Bunny Shield or Kong Gateway WAF?
Bunny Shield offers a free tier while Kong Gateway WAF does not, which may be important for early-stage startups. Bunny Shield scores higher for ease of use (4.6/5), which is valuable for smaller teams. Consider your immediate security needs and growth plans when choosing.
Which has better support: Bunny Shield or Kong Gateway WAF?
Kong Gateway WAF has a higher support rating (4.2/5) compared to Bunny Shield (4.2/5). 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: Bunny Shield or Kong Gateway WAF?
Bunny Shield scores higher for ease of use (4.6/5) versus Kong Gateway WAF (3.2/5). The actual implementation effort depends on your existing infrastructure and team expertise.
Which is more cost-effective: Bunny Shield or Kong Gateway WAF?
Bunny Shield offers a free tier while Kong Gateway WAF requires a paid plan. Bunny Shield scores higher for value (4.7/5). Total cost depends on your traffic volume, required features, and support level needs.
Which works better with AWS: Bunny Shield or Kong Gateway WAF?
Kong Gateway WAF explicitly supports AWS while Bunny Shield's AWS integration may vary. Consider whether native AWS integration or cross-cloud portability matters more for your use case.