Cloudflare Web Application Firewall vs Imperva Web Application Firewall vs Wordfence Security
Comparing Cloudflare 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 Cloudflare Web Application Firewall Review
View Imperva Web Application Firewall Review
View Wordfence Security Review
Overview
Cloudflare 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.
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall: Industry-leading WAF with global CDN integration, offering robust protection against OWASP threats with easy setup and generous free tier.
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 |
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall
|
Imperva Web Application Firewall
|
Wordfence Security
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Free Tier | Yes | No | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Per domain / Per feature tier | Custom enterprise pricing | Freemium (Free tier + paid subscriptions) |
| Ease of Use | 4.8/5 | 3.5/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Value for Money | 4.5/5 | 3.7/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Support | 4.0/5 | 4.5/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Platforms | Any web application, WordPress, Shopify, AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes | Any web application, AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, on-premise | WordPress (self-hosted) |
| Compliance | SOC 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, HIPAA, FedRAMP | SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018 | Contact vendor |
| Best For | Small to medium websites, WordPress sites, developers wanting easy setup, organizations needing integrated CDN+WAF | 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
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall
Model: Per domain / Per feature tier
Free Tier AvailableFree
$0/month
Pro
$20/month
Business
$200/month
Enterprise
Contact Sales
Imperva Web Application Firewall
Model: Custom enterprise pricing
Pro
Starting ~$59/month
Business
Starting ~$299/month
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Wordfence Security
Model: Freemium (Free tier + paid subscriptions)
Free Tier AvailableFree
$0
Premium
$149/year (~$12.42/month)
Care
$590/year (~$49.17/month)
Response
$1,250/year (~$104.17/month)
Features Comparison
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall
-
Managed Rulesets
Pre-configured rules from Cloudflare and OWASP that are automatically updated to protect against emerging threats.
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Custom Rules
Create your own firewall rules using Cloudflare's expression language to block, challenge, or allow specific traffic patterns.
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Rate Limiting
Protect against brute force attacks and API abuse by limiting request rates from specific IPs or patterns.
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Bot Management
Advanced bot detection and mitigation using machine learning to distinguish good bots from malicious ones.
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API Shield
Protect API endpoints with schema validation, mutual TLS, and anomaly detection.
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Page Shield
Monitor and control third-party JavaScript to prevent supply chain attacks and data theft.
Imperva Web Application Firewall
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Advanced Bot Protection
Machine learning-powered bot detection that distinguishes between legitimate users, good bots, and malicious automation.
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API Security
Discover, classify, and protect APIs with schema validation, anomaly detection, and positive security model.
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Account Takeover Protection
Detect and prevent credential stuffing and account takeover attacks using behavioral analysis.
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Client-Side Protection
Monitor and protect against client-side attacks like Magecart, formjacking, and supply chain compromises.
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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
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Endpoint Firewall (WAF)
Application-level firewall running within WordPress with deep visibility into user sessions and access levels.
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Malware Scanner
Scans core files, themes, and plugins for malware, backdoors, SEO spam, and code injections.
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Threat Defense Feed
Continuously updated firewall rules, malware signatures, and IP blocklist based on global threat intelligence.
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Login Security
Two-factor authentication, login CAPTCHA, limit login attempts, and leaked password protection.
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Live Traffic
Real-time view of all traffic including hack attempts, with ability to block by IP, country, or pattern.
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Country Blocking
Block traffic from specific countries known for originating attacks (Premium feature).
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Security Audit Log
Tamper-proof log tracking all security events across your site (Premium feature).
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Vulnerability Database
Access to database of 12,000+ WordPress ecosystem vulnerabilities with scanner integration.
Our Verdict
Cloudflare 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:
- Cloudflare Web Application Firewall is well-suited for: Small to medium websites, WordPress sites, developers wanting easy setup, organizations needing integrated CDN+WAF
- 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: Cloudflare Web Application Firewall or Imperva Web Application Firewall or Wordfence Security?
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall, Wordfence Security offer a free tier.
Which WAF is easiest to set up?
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall has the highest ease of use rating at 4.8/5 in our review.
Which WAF has the highest overall rating?
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall leads with an overall rating of 4.5/5.