Best Web Application Firewall Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Fastly Image Optimizer is ranked #1 of 30 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of BunkerWeb and F5 BIG-IP APM. The best-ranked option with a free plan is BunkerWeb. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Fastly Image Optimizer at $0.01/mo.
Web application firewall software addresses protections for web applications, with listed capabilities covering APIs, bots, rules, and traffic controls. Compare API protection and bot management alongside managed rule sets and rate limiting to understand the functions included. Deployment model and log retention can help clarify operational fit, while free-plan availability and “Paid from” provide cost points for comparison. The ranking begins with Fastly Image Optimizer, BunkerWeb, and F5 BIG-IP APM, followed by Wallarm API Security and Gcore WAAP. Consider which of these listed protections and retention details are important for your application environment.
30 web application firewall software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Fastly Image Optimizer Top pick · 7.1 Free plan · $0.01/mo
#2 BunkerWeb Runner-up · 6.9 Free plan · Free
#3 F5 BIG-IP APM Also great · 6.9 - Free plan apiLinuxWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$0.01/mofirst paid tier About Fastly Image OptimizerVisit site - Free planFree trial apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial AndroidapiiOSLinuxmacOSself-hostedWebWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free planFree trial apiWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- edge
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms€25/mofirst paid tier About Gcore WAAPVisit site - Free plan apiWeb
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment model
- cloud
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 20 /mo
- Deployment model
- edge
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$20/mofirst paid tier About Cloudflare WAFVisit site - apiLinuxself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial Web
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 99 /mo
- Deployment model
- edge
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$49.92/mofirst paid tier About Indusface WASVisit site - apiWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 5 /mo
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebLinuxiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 8 /mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial Linuxself-hosted
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial apiself-hostedWeb
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatformsCNY 21/mofirst paid tier About Tencent Cloud CDNVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 140 /mo
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$140/mofirst paid tier About Alibaba Cloud WAFVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 9.92 /mo
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Deployment model
- cloud
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebLinux
- Deployment model
- hybrid
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 3,830 /mo
- Deployment model
- cloud
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- API protection
- Yes
- Bot management
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Managed rule sets
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Managed rule sets
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which web application firewall software is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Fastly Image Optimizer is ranked #1 of 30 with a score of 7.1. BunkerWeb is second and F5 BIG-IP APM third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Fastly Image Optimizer has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.01/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.