Cloudflare WAF

What Cloudflare WAF is

Cloudflare WAF is a web application firewall deployed at the edge for web applications. It provides managed rule sets, API protection, and rate limiting; bot management is not included. A free plan costs $0.00 per free, billed monthly, with up to 24 hours of standard log retention and one rate-limiting rule. Pro costs $20.00 per month, billed annually, and includes up to 30 days of standard log retention and two rate-limiting rules. Business costs $200.00 per month, billed annually, with up to six months of standard log retention and five rate-limiting rules. The Contract plan has custom pricing, billed annually, and includes WAF and enterprise application security features. The listed paid starting price is $20/mo (annual). Cloudflare was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California, United States.

Who it suits

It suits teams seeking edge-deployed application protection with managed rules, API protection, or rate limiting. The free plan may suit those who can work within its shorter log retention and single-rule limit.

Limits

The Free plan includes up to 24 hours of standard log retention and one rate-limiting rule. Pro allows up to 30 days and two rules; Business allows up to six months and five rules.

Getting started

1. Visit the Cloudflare WAF website.
2. Choose the Free, Pro, Business, or Contract plan.
3. Use the web platform to access the service.

Verdict

Cloudflare WAF combines edge deployment with managed rules, API protection, and rate limiting. Compare the plan-specific log retention and rate-limit counts when choosing a tier.