Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) vs Imperva Web Application Firewall vs Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall

Comparing Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences), Imperva Web Application Firewall and Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall across pricing, features, ease of use, and more. Each WAF has different strengths — the right choice depends on your specific requirements.

View Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) Review

View Imperva Web Application Firewall Review

View Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall Review

Overview

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences), Imperva Web Application Firewall and Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall are popular web application firewall solutions. This comparison will help you understand the key differences and choose the right one for your needs.

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.

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

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.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)	Imperva Web Application Firewall	Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall
Overall Rating	4.5/5	4.4/5	4.4/5
Free Tier	No	No	No
Pricing Model	Custom pricing based on requests and features	Custom enterprise pricing	Subscription by store revenue tier
Ease of Use	4.0/5	3.5/5	4.0/5
Value for Money	3.8/5	3.7/5	4.3/5
Support	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.6/5
Platforms	Any web application, AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, Docker, Serverless, Nginx, Apache	Any web application, AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, on-premise	Magento 2, Adobe Commerce, Adobe Cloud
Compliance	SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR	SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018	PCI DSS compatible
Best For	Modern DevOps teams, API-heavy applications, organizations frustrated with false positives, companies needing flexible deployment options	Large enterprises, organizations with sophisticated security requirements, companies needing advanced bot management, regulated industries	Magento 2 stores, Adobe Commerce merchants, e-commerce businesses requiring specialized protection

Pricing Comparison

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)

Model: Custom pricing based on requests and features

Essential

Custom pricing

Professional

Custom pricing

Premier

Custom pricing

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Imperva Web Application Firewall

Model: Custom enterprise pricing

Pro

Starting ~$59/month

Business

Starting ~$299/month

Enterprise

Custom pricing

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Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall

Model: Subscription by store revenue tier

Secure

Custom pricing

Advanced

Custom pricing

Enterprise

Custom pricing

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Features Comparison

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)

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.
API Discovery
Automatic discovery and cataloging of API endpoints with security assessment.
DevOps Integration
Native integrations with CI/CD tools, infrastructure as code support, and developer-friendly APIs.
Multi-Environment Deployment
Deploy as cloud service, agent, or edge module across diverse infrastructure.
Real-Time Dashboards
Live visibility into attacks, decisions, and application health without sampling.

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.

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.

Our Verdict

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences), Imperva Web Application Firewall and Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall are all capable web application firewalls that can protect your applications from common threats.

Key considerations:

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
Imperva Web Application Firewall is well-suited for: Large enterprises, organizations with sophisticated security requirements, companies needing advanced bot management, regulated industries
Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall is well-suited for: Magento 2 stores, Adobe Commerce merchants, e-commerce businesses requiring specialized protection

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: Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) or Imperva Web Application Firewall or Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall?

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?

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) leads with an overall rating of 4.5/5.