WAFPlanet

Kong Gateway WAF vs Prophaze Web Application Firewall

Kong Gateway WAF and Prophaze Web Application Firewall serve different market segments. Your organization's size, budget, and security requirements will determine which is the better fit.

View Kong Gateway WAF Review View Prophaze Web Application Firewall Review

Note: Kong Gateway WAF and Prophaze Web Application Firewall target different market segments. This comparison highlights the trade-offs between solutions designed for different organizational sizes.

Overview

Kong Gateway WAF and Prophaze Web Application Firewall are both popular web application firewall solutions. This comparison will help you understand the key differences and choose the right one for your needs.

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.

AI-powered WAF built natively on Kubernetes, combining behavioral threat detection with zero-configuration API protection for cloud-native applications.

Quick Comparison

Feature Kong Gateway WAF Prophaze Web Application Firewall
Overall Rating 3.8/5 4.0/5
Free Tier No Yes
Pricing Model Tiered (Plus per-gateway + Enterprise custom) Per domain, usage-based
Ease of Use 3.2/5 4.2/5
Value for Money 3.0/5 4.3/5
Support 4.2/5 3.8/5
Platforms Linux (Ubuntu, RHEL, Debian, Amazon Linux, Alpine), Docker, Kubernetes (via Ingress Controller and Operator), AWS, Azure, GCP, ARM64, macOS (dev) AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, on-premises, hybrid cloud
Compliance SOC 2 Type II, FIPS 140-2 (Enterprise data planes), supports PCI DSS and HIPAA compliance SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS

Pricing Comparison

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

View full pricing →

Prophaze Web Application Firewall

Model: Per domain, usage-based

Free Tier Available

Free Trial

$0/month

Business

Custom (annual)

Enterprise

Custom pricing

View full pricing →

Features Comparison

Kong Gateway WAF

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Prophaze Web Application Firewall

  • AI Behavioral Detection

    Machine learning-based threat detection identifies attacks through behavioral analysis, not just signatures.

  • Kubernetes-Native WAF

    Built on Kubernetes platform for seamless integration with containerized microservices deployments.

  • Zero-Configuration API Protection

    Adaptive profiling automatically learns API behavior and protects endpoints without manual rule configuration.

  • Bot Mitigation

    Detect and block malicious bots while allowing legitimate automation and search engine crawlers.

  • DDoS Protection

    Layer 3-7 DDoS mitigation with automatic traffic scrubbing and rate limiting.

  • Virtual Patching

    Immediate protection against known vulnerabilities without requiring application code changes.

Which One Is Right for You?

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

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)
Learn more →

Prophaze Web Application Firewall

  • You need: Kubernetes deployments, startups and SMBs, cloud-native applications, organizations wanting AI-powered detection
  • You want to start with a free tier
  • You're using: AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, on-premises, hybrid cloud
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: Kong Gateway WAF or Prophaze Web Application Firewall?

Prophaze Web Application Firewall offers a free tier while Kong Gateway WAF does not, making Prophaze Web Application Firewall more accessible for budget-conscious startups. Prophaze Web Application Firewall scores higher for ease of use (4.2/5), which is valuable for smaller teams. Consider your immediate security needs and growth plans when choosing.

Which has better support: Kong Gateway WAF or Prophaze Web Application Firewall?

Kong Gateway WAF has a higher support rating (4.2/5) compared to Prophaze Web Application Firewall (3.8/5). 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: Kong Gateway WAF or Prophaze Web Application Firewall?

Prophaze Web Application Firewall scores higher for ease of use (4.2/5) versus Kong Gateway WAF (3.2/5). The actual implementation effort depends on your existing infrastructure and team expertise.

Which is more cost-effective: Kong Gateway WAF or Prophaze Web Application Firewall?

Prophaze Web Application Firewall offers a free tier while Kong Gateway WAF requires a paid plan. Prophaze Web Application Firewall scores higher for value (4.3/5). Total cost depends on your traffic volume, required features, and support level needs.

Which works better with AWS: Kong Gateway WAF or Prophaze Web Application Firewall?

Both Kong Gateway WAF and Prophaze Web Application Firewall support AWS deployments. Consider whether native AWS integration or cross-cloud portability matters more for your use case.