Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) vs Radware Cloud WAF Service vs Wordfence Security
Comparing Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences), Radware Cloud WAF Service and Wordfence Security across pricing, features, ease of use, and more. Each WAF has different strengths — the right choice depends on your specific requirements.
Overview
Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences), Radware Cloud WAF Service 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.
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.
Radware Cloud WAF Service: Fully managed cloud WAF combining automatic policy generation, advanced bot mitigation, and 24/7 expert support with industry-leading DDoS protection.
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 |
Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)
|
Radware Cloud WAF Service
|
Wordfence Security
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Free Tier | No | No | Yes |
| Pricing Model | Custom pricing based on requests and features | OPEX-based subscription | Freemium (Free tier + paid subscriptions) |
| Ease of Use | 4.0/5 | 3.6/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Value for Money | 3.8/5 | 3.8/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Support | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Platforms | Any web application, AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, Docker, Serverless, Nginx, Apache | Any web application, AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, on-premises | WordPress (self-hosted) |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR | SOC 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, HIPAA | Contact vendor |
| Best For | Modern DevOps teams, API-heavy applications, organizations frustrated with false positives, companies needing flexible deployment options | Mid-market to enterprise organizations, companies needing integrated WAF and DDoS, hybrid cloud environments, organizations valuing managed services | WordPress site owners, bloggers, small businesses on WordPress, WooCommerce stores, WordPress agencies managing multiple sites |
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
Radware Cloud WAF Service
Model: OPEX-based subscription
Standard
Custom pricing
Advanced
Custom pricing
Premium
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
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.
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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.
Radware Cloud WAF Service
-
Automatic Policy Generation
Patented technology automatically creates and optimizes security policies for new applications.
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Positive and Negative Security
Combines signature-based detection with positive security model for comprehensive protection.
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Bot Manager
Advanced bot detection using behavioral analysis, device fingerprinting, and CAPTCHA challenges.
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API Protection
Discover and protect APIs with schema validation, rate limiting, and anomaly detection.
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DDoS Protection
Integrated network and application layer DDoS mitigation backed by Radware''s global scrubbing network.
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Geo-Fencing
Block or allow traffic based on geographic location with granular country-level controls.
Wordfence Security
-
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
Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences), Radware Cloud WAF Service and Wordfence Security 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
- Radware Cloud WAF Service is well-suited for: Mid-market to enterprise organizations, companies needing integrated WAF and DDoS, hybrid cloud environments, organizations valuing managed services
- 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: Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) or Radware Cloud WAF Service 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?
Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) leads with an overall rating of 4.5/5.
View Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) Review
View Radware Cloud WAF Service Review
View Wordfence Security Review