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

Comparing Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences), 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 Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences) Review

View Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall Review

View Wordfence Security Review

Overview

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences), 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.

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.

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	Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)	Sansec Shield Web Application Firewall	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	Subscription by store revenue tier	Freemium (Free tier + paid subscriptions)
Ease of Use	4.0/5	4.0/5	4.7/5
Value for Money	3.8/5	4.3/5	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	Magento 2, Adobe Commerce, Adobe Cloud	WordPress (self-hosted)
Compliance	SOC 2 Type II, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR	PCI DSS compatible	Contact vendor
Best For	Modern DevOps teams, API-heavy applications, organizations frustrated with false positives, companies needing flexible deployment options	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

Fastly Next-Gen WAF (Signal Sciences)

Model: Custom pricing based on requests and features

Essential

Custom pricing

Professional

Custom pricing

Premier

Custom pricing

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

Premium

$149/year (~$12.42/month)

Care

$590/year (~$49.17/month)

Response

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

View full pricing →

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.

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

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

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