Bunny Shield vs Sophos Firewall (XGS)

Both Bunny Shield and Sophos Firewall (XGS) are capable WAF solutions. The right choice depends on your specific infrastructure, budget, and feature requirements.

View Bunny Shield Review View Sophos Firewall (XGS) Review

Overview

Bunny Shield and Sophos Firewall (XGS) 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.

Next-gen firewall (SFOS on XGS appliances) with a built-in reverse-proxy Web Application Firewall via its Web Server Protection module; the active successor to the end-of-life Sophos UTM.

Quick Comparison

Feature Bunny Shield Sophos Firewall (XGS)
Overall Rating 4.1/5 3.8/5
Free Tier Yes Yes
Pricing Model Per feature tier + overage Appliance plus subscription (varies by appliance and subscription bundle)
Ease of Use 4.6/5 3.9/5
Value for Money 4.7/5 4.0/5
Support 4.2/5 3.8/5
Platforms Any web application, WordPress, static sites, APIs XGS Series hardware appliances, virtual (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM), software/Home Edition, and cloud (Firewall in AWS and Azure)
Compliance Contact vendor Common Criteria, FIPS-validated cryptography (model dependent)

Pricing Comparison

Bunny Shield

Model: Per feature tier + overage

Free Tier Available

Basic

$0/month

Advanced

$9.50/month

Business

$99/month

Enterprise

Contact Sales

View full pricing →

Sophos Firewall (XGS)

Model: Appliance plus subscription (varies by appliance and subscription bundle)

Free Tier Available

Home Edition

Free

Xstream Protection (Commercial)

Custom pricing

View full pricing →

Features Comparison

Bunny Shield

  • 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.

  • DDoS Protection

    Volumetric and application-layer DDoS mitigation backed by 250+ Tbps network capacity across 119 global scrubbing centers.

  • Global Rate Limiting

    Set precise rate limits per IP, user, or path globally across your entire infrastructure to control abuse.

  • Bot Mitigation

    Detect, block, and neutralize malicious bots in real time using behavioral fingerprinting without impacting legitimate users.

  • Access Lists

    Block traffic using curated threat lists for VPNs, Tor nodes, and other threat sources, or create custom access controls.

  • Upload Scanning

    Automatically scan uploaded files for viruses, malware, and CSAM to prevent harmful content from reaching your platform.

Sophos Firewall (XGS)

  • Reverse-Proxy WAF

    Apache-based reverse proxy that protects published web servers against SQL injection, cross-site scripting, directory traversal, and other common web attacks.

  • Form Hardening

    Signs and validates form fields to prevent manipulation of submitted web forms.

  • URL Hardening

    Restricts accessible URLs based on the learned structure of the protected application.

  • Cookie Signing

    Cryptographically signs cookies to detect and block tampering.

  • Reverse-Proxy Authentication

    Adds basic or form-based authentication policies in front of published web servers via WAF rules.

  • Antivirus Scanning

    Scans uploads and traffic to protected web servers for malware as part of Web Server Protection.

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
Learn more →

Sophos Firewall (XGS)

  • You need: Organizations already running Sophos Firewall, businesses wanting WAF and network security in one appliance, home labs and educational users via the free Home Edition
  • You want to start with a free tier
  • You're using: XGS Series hardware appliances, virtual (VMware, Hyper-V, KVM), software/Home Edition, and cloud (Firewall in AWS and Azure)
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: Bunny Shield or Sophos Firewall (XGS)?

Both Bunny Shield and Sophos Firewall (XGS) offer free tiers, making them accessible for 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 Sophos Firewall (XGS)?

Bunny Shield has a higher support rating (4.2/5) compared to Sophos Firewall (XGS) (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: Bunny Shield or Sophos Firewall (XGS)?

Bunny Shield scores higher for ease of use (4.6/5) versus Sophos Firewall (XGS) (3.9/5). The actual implementation effort depends on your existing infrastructure and team expertise.

Which is more cost-effective: Bunny Shield or Sophos Firewall (XGS)?

Both providers offer free tiers, making it easy to start without commitment. 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 Sophos Firewall (XGS)?

Sophos Firewall (XGS) 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.