AWS Web Application Firewall vs Imperva Web Application Firewall vs Wordfence Security

Comparing AWS Web Application Firewall, Imperva Web Application Firewall and Wordfence Security 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 Imperva Web Application Firewall Review

View Wordfence Security Review

Overview

AWS Web Application Firewall, Imperva Web Application Firewall and Wordfence Security 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.

Imperva Web Application Firewall: Enterprise-grade cloud WAF with industry-leading threat research, offering comprehensive application security with advanced bot protection and API security.

Wordfence Security: The most popular WordPress security plugin with endpoint firewall, malware scanner, and login security protecting over 5 million sites worldwide.

Quick Comparison

Feature	AWS Web Application Firewall	Imperva Web Application Firewall	Wordfence Security
Overall Rating	4.3/5	4.4/5	4.4/5
Free Tier	No	No	Yes
Pricing Model	Pay-per-use (rules + requests)	Custom enterprise pricing	Freemium (Free tier + paid subscriptions)
Ease of Use	3.5/5	3.5/5	4.7/5
Value for Money	4.0/5	3.7/5	4.5/5
Support	4.0/5	4.5/5	4.2/5
Platforms	AWS CloudFront, ALB, API Gateway, AppSync, Cognito, App Runner, Verified Access	Any web application, AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, on-premise	WordPress (self-hosted)
Compliance	SOC 1/2/3, PCI DSS, HIPAA, FedRAMP, ISO 27001	SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018	Contact vendor
Best For	AWS-native applications, organizations already invested in AWS ecosystem, variable traffic workloads, multi-account AWS environments	Large enterprises, organizations with sophisticated security requirements, companies needing advanced bot management, regulated industries	WordPress site owners, bloggers, small businesses on WordPress, WooCommerce stores, WordPress agencies managing multiple sites

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

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Imperva Web Application Firewall

Model: Custom enterprise pricing

Pro

Starting ~$59/month

Business

Starting ~$299/month

Enterprise

Custom pricing

View full pricing →

Wordfence Security

Model: Freemium (Free tier + paid subscriptions)

Free Tier Available

Free

Premium

$149/year (~$12.42/month)

Care

$590/year (~$49.17/month)

Response

$1,250/year (~$104.17/month)

View full pricing →

Features Comparison

AWS Web Application Firewall

AWS Managed Rules
Pre-configured rule groups maintained by AWS and AWS Marketplace sellers for common threats.
Custom Rules
Build your own rules using conditions like IP addresses, HTTP headers, URI strings, and more.
Rate-Based Rules
Automatically block IPs that exceed defined request thresholds.
Bot Control
Managed rule group for detecting and managing bot traffic (additional cost).
Fraud Control
Account takeover prevention and creation fraud detection for login/signup pages.
Firewall Manager Integration
Centrally configure and manage WAF rules across multiple AWS accounts.

Imperva Web Application Firewall

Advanced Bot Protection
Machine learning-powered bot detection that distinguishes between legitimate users, good bots, and malicious automation.
API Security
Discover, classify, and protect APIs with schema validation, anomaly detection, and positive security model.
Account Takeover Protection
Detect and prevent credential stuffing and account takeover attacks using behavioral analysis.
Client-Side Protection
Monitor and protect against client-side attacks like Magecart, formjacking, and supply chain compromises.
Attack Analytics
AI-powered analysis of security events to identify attack campaigns and reduce alert fatigue.
Virtual Patching
Immediate protection against known vulnerabilities while you work on permanent fixes.

Wordfence Security

Endpoint Firewall (WAF)
Application-level firewall running within WordPress with deep visibility into user sessions and access levels.
Malware Scanner
Scans core files, themes, and plugins for malware, backdoors, SEO spam, and code injections.
Threat Defense Feed
Continuously updated firewall rules, malware signatures, and IP blocklist based on global threat intelligence.
Login Security
Two-factor authentication, login CAPTCHA, limit login attempts, and leaked password protection.
Live Traffic
Real-time view of all traffic including hack attempts, with ability to block by IP, country, or pattern.
Country Blocking
Block traffic from specific countries known for originating attacks (Premium feature).
Security Audit Log
Tamper-proof log tracking all security events across your site (Premium feature).
Vulnerability Database
Access to database of 12,000+ WordPress ecosystem vulnerabilities with scanner integration.

Our Verdict

AWS Web Application Firewall, Imperva Web Application Firewall and Wordfence Security 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
Imperva Web Application Firewall is well-suited for: Large enterprises, organizations with sophisticated security requirements, companies needing advanced bot management, regulated industries
Wordfence Security is well-suited for: WordPress site owners, bloggers, small businesses on WordPress, WooCommerce stores, WordPress agencies managing multiple sites

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 Imperva Web Application Firewall or Wordfence Security?

Wordfence Security offers a free tier.

Which WAF is easiest to set up?

Wordfence Security has the highest ease of use rating at 4.7/5 in our review.

Which WAF has the highest overall rating?

Imperva Web Application Firewall leads with an overall rating of 4.4/5.