WAFPlanet

AWS Web Application Firewall vs Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall vs Wordfence Security

Comparing AWS Web Application Firewall, Sansec Shield 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 Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall Review View Wordfence Security Review

Overview

AWS Web Application Firewall, Sansec Shield 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.

Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall: Magento-specific WAF with real-time threat protection, zero false positives, and deep Adobe Commerce integration for e-commerce stores.

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
Sansec Shield 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) Subscription by store revenue tier Freemium (Free tier + paid subscriptions)
Ease of Use 3.5/5 4.0/5 4.7/5
Value for Money 4.0/5 4.3/5 4.5/5
Support 4.0/5 4.6/5 4.2/5
Platforms AWS CloudFront, ALB, API Gateway, AppSync, Cognito, App Runner, Verified Access Magento 2, Adobe Commerce, Adobe Cloud WordPress (self-hosted)
Compliance SOC 1/2/3, PCI DSS, HIPAA, FedRAMP, ISO 27001 PCI DSS compatible Contact vendor
Best For AWS-native applications, organizations already invested in AWS ecosystem, variable traffic workloads, multi-account AWS environments Magento 2 stores, Adobe Commerce merchants, e-commerce businesses requiring specialized protection 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

View full pricing →

Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall

Model: Subscription by store revenue tier

Secure

Custom pricing

Advanced

Custom pricing

Enterprise

Custom pricing

View full pricing →

Wordfence Security

Model: Freemium (Free tier + paid subscriptions)

Free Tier Available

Free

$0

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.

Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall

  • Origin-Based Protection

    Operates at the application layer as a PHP module, protecting against attacks that bypass CDN-based WAFs.

  • Real-Time Threat Detection

    Sub-millisecond pattern matching with zero performance impact on store operations.

  • Zero False Positives

    Blocks only actual attacks using Magento-specific intelligence, not generic criteria.

  • Rapid Threat Response

    New protection rules deployed within minutes of detecting new attack patterns in the wild.

  • Magento-Specific Rules

    Deep understanding of Magento architecture enables detection of platform-specific vulnerabilities.

  • Hack Protection Guarantee

    Conditional guarantee against successful attacks when security requirements are met.

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, Sansec Shield 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
  • Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall is well-suited for: Magento 2 stores, Adobe Commerce merchants, e-commerce businesses requiring specialized protection
  • 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 Sansec Shield 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?

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