Top 10 Best Web Application Firewall Software of 2026

Cloudflare Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a cloud-native security service that safeguards web applications from OWASP Top 10 threats, zero-day exploits, and other malicious traffic using intelligent rule sets and behavioral analysis. It leverages Cloudflare's vast global edge network to inspect and block attacks in real-time without impacting site performance. The solution offers managed rules from industry leaders, custom rule creation, and seamless integration with CDN, DDoS mitigation, and bot management for comprehensive protection.

Imperva Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a leading cloud-native security platform that protects web applications, APIs, and microservices from OWASP Top 10 threats, DDoS attacks, and bots using advanced machine learning and behavioral analysis. It provides real-time threat detection, blocking malicious traffic while allowing legitimate users through with minimal false positives. Imperva also integrates API security, advanced analytics, and global CDN capabilities for comprehensive defense.

AWS WAF is a fully managed web application firewall service from Amazon Web Services that protects web applications hosted on AWS from common exploits like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and DDoS attacks. It enables users to define custom web ACLs (Access Control Lists) with rules to inspect and block malicious HTTP/S traffic, leveraging both custom rules and AWS Managed Rules for OWASP Top 10 coverage. The service integrates natively with AWS services such as CloudFront, Application Load Balancers (ALB), API Gateway, and AppSync for comprehensive protection at the edge or application layer.

F5 Advanced WAF, part of F5's NGINX App Protect and BIG-IP ecosystem, is a robust web application firewall designed to protect web apps, APIs, and microservices from sophisticated threats like OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, DDoS attacks, and bots. It leverages machine learning for behavioral analysis, signature-based detection, and automated policy tuning to minimize false positives. Deployable across on-premises, cloud (AWS, Azure, etc.), and hybrid environments, it integrates tightly with F5's application delivery controllers for comprehensive security and performance optimization.

Akamai App & API Protector is a cloud-native Web Application Firewall (WAF) solution that delivers comprehensive protection for web applications and APIs against OWASP Top 10 threats, DDoS attacks, bots, and zero-day vulnerabilities. Built on Akamai's vast global edge network, it provides low-latency mitigation without performance degradation or hardware requirements. Key capabilities include machine learning-driven behavioral analysis, automated rule optimization, and precise API security controls.

Fastly Next-Gen WAF is a cloud-native web application firewall that delivers edge-deployed protection using machine learning and behavioral analysis to detect and block sophisticated threats like OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, SQL injection, XSS, and DDoS attacks. Integrated with Fastly's global edge network, it provides low-latency mitigation without impacting performance. It also includes bot management and API security features, leveraging real-time threat intelligence for proactive defense.

Azure Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a cloud-native security service from Microsoft that safeguards web applications hosted on Azure from common exploits like SQL injection, XSS, and DDoS attacks. It integrates tightly with Azure services such as Application Gateway, Front Door, and CDN, offering managed OWASP Core Rule Set (CRS) rules, custom rules, and bot protection. With real-time monitoring, logging to Azure Sentinel, and geo-filtering capabilities, it provides scalable protection for global web traffic.

Fortinet FortiWeb is a robust Web Application Firewall (WAF) designed to protect web applications and APIs from threats like OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, SQL injection, XSS, DDoS attacks, and bots. It leverages machine learning, behavioral analysis, and signature-based detection for proactive defense, with flexible deployment options including hardware appliances, virtual machines, and cloud-native services. FortiWeb integrates deeply with the Fortinet Security Fabric, enabling unified management and automated threat intelligence sharing across the ecosystem.

Barracuda Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a robust security platform that safeguards web applications and APIs from OWASP Top 10 threats, DDoS attacks, bots, and zero-day exploits using machine learning and behavioral analysis. It supports flexible deployments including hardware appliances, virtual machines, public cloud, and containerized environments. The solution provides SSL/TLS inspection, granular access controls, and centralized management for comprehensive visibility and compliance reporting.

Sucuri Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a cloud-based security platform designed to protect websites from common web threats like SQL injection, XSS, DDoS attacks, and bots using proxy or DNS integration modes. It leverages the OWASP Core Rule Set along with proprietary rules for real-time traffic filtering and blocking malicious activity. Beyond core WAF functions, Sucuri offers malware scanning, automatic cleanup services, file integrity monitoring, and a global CDN for performance enhancement.