AWS Web Application Firewall vs Akamai App & API Protector vs Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)
Comparing AWS Web Application Firewall, Akamai App & API Protector and Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) across pricing, features, ease of use, and more. Each WAF has different strengths — the right choice depends on your specific requirements.
View AWS Web Application Firewall Review
View Akamai App & API Protector Review
View Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) Review
Overview
AWS Web Application Firewall, Akamai App & API Protector and Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) are popular web application firewall solutions. This comparison will help you understand the key differences and choose the right one for your needs.
AWS Web Application Firewall: Native AWS security service providing scalable WAF protection for applications hosted on AWS infrastructure with pay-per-use pricing.
Akamai App & API Protector: Enterprise-scale WAF from the CDN pioneer, delivering comprehensive application security with unmatched global infrastructure and advanced threat intelligence.
Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences): Developer-friendly WAF using proprietary SmartParse technology, offering low false positives and seamless DevOps integration for modern application security.
Quick Comparison
| Feature |
AWS Web Application Firewall
|
Akamai App & API Protector
|
Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 4.3/5 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Free Tier | No | No | No |
| Pricing Model | Pay-per-use (rules + requests) | Custom enterprise pricing based on traffic and features | Custom pricing based on requests and features |
| Ease of Use | 3.5/5 | 3.3/5 | 4.0/5 |
| Value for Money | 4.0/5 | 3.5/5 | 3.8/5 |
| Support | 4.0/5 | 4.7/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Platforms | AWS CloudFront, ALB, API Gateway, AppSync, Cognito, App Runner, Verified Access | Any web application (cloud-based reverse proxy) | Any web application, AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, Docker, Serverless, Nginx, Apache |
| Compliance | SOC 1/2/3, PCI DSS, HIPAA, FedRAMP, ISO 27001 | SOC 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, FedRAMP, HIPAA | SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR |
| Best For | AWS-native applications, organizations already invested in AWS ecosystem, variable traffic workloads, multi-account AWS environments | Large enterprises, high-traffic websites, organizations facing sophisticated bot attacks, companies needing managed security services | Modern DevOps teams, API-heavy applications, organizations frustrated with false positives, companies needing flexible deployment options |
Pricing Comparison
AWS Web Application Firewall
Model: Pay-per-use (rules + requests)
Small (1 ACL, 10 rules)
$15/month + $0.60/M requests
Medium (2 ACL, 25 rules)
$35/month + $0.60/M requests
Large (5 ACL, 50 rules)
$75/month + $0.60/M requests
Akamai App & API Protector
Model: Custom enterprise pricing based on traffic and features
Standard
Custom pricing
Premium
Custom pricing
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)
Model: Custom pricing based on requests and features
Essential
Custom pricing
Professional
Custom pricing
Premier
Custom pricing
Features Comparison
AWS Web Application Firewall
-
AWS Managed Rules
Pre-configured rule groups maintained by AWS and AWS Marketplace sellers for common threats.
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Custom Rules
Build your own rules using conditions like IP addresses, HTTP headers, URI strings, and more.
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Rate-Based Rules
Automatically block IPs that exceed defined request thresholds.
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Bot Control
Managed rule group for detecting and managing bot traffic (additional cost).
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Fraud Control
Account takeover prevention and creation fraud detection for login/signup pages.
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Firewall Manager Integration
Centrally configure and manage WAF rules across multiple AWS accounts.
Akamai App & API Protector
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Adaptive Security Engine
Machine learning automatically tunes WAF rules for each application, reducing false positives over time.
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API Discovery & Protection
Automatically discover API endpoints and apply security policies with schema validation.
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Bot Manager
Industry-leading bot management using behavioral analysis, device fingerprinting, and ML detection.
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Account Protector
Detect and prevent credential stuffing, account takeover, and fraud attempts.
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Client Reputation
Leverage Akamai's global threat intelligence to score and act on suspicious client behavior.
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Managed Security Services
Optional 24/7 security monitoring and incident response from Akamai's SOC.
Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)
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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.
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API Discovery
Automatic discovery and cataloging of API endpoints with security assessment.
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DevOps Integration
Native integrations with CI/CD tools, infrastructure as code support, and developer-friendly APIs.
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Multi-Environment Deployment
Deploy as cloud service, agent, or edge module across diverse infrastructure.
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Real-Time Dashboards
Live visibility into attacks, decisions, and application health without sampling.
Our Verdict
AWS Web Application Firewall, Akamai App & API Protector and Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) are all capable web application firewalls that can protect your applications from common threats.
Key considerations:
- AWS Web Application Firewall is well-suited for: AWS-native applications, organizations already invested in AWS ecosystem, variable traffic workloads, multi-account AWS environments
- Akamai App & API Protector is well-suited for: Large enterprises, high-traffic websites, organizations facing sophisticated bot attacks, companies needing managed security services
- Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) is well-suited for: Modern DevOps teams, API-heavy applications, organizations frustrated with false positives, companies needing flexible deployment options
We recommend evaluating your options with a trial or free tier before committing. Consider your existing infrastructure, team expertise, compliance requirements, and budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the cheapest: AWS Web Application Firewall or Akamai App & API Protector or Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)?
None of these providers offer a free tier. Contact each vendor for pricing.
Which WAF is easiest to set up?
Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) has the highest ease of use rating at 4.0/5 in our review.
Which WAF has the highest overall rating?
Akamai App & API Protector leads with an overall rating of 4.5/5.