


Azure Front Door and Akamai App and API Protector compete in the category of security and performance optimization tools. Azure Front Door has the upper hand regarding scalability, integrated CDN capabilities, and cost-effectiveness, while Akamai excels in DDoS protection and traffic analysis features.
Features: Azure Front Door offers global reach, scalability, and SSL offloading, making it suitable for widely distributed applications. Its integrated CDN capabilities and bot protection enhance security and content delivery. Akamai App and API Protector provides extensive DDoS protection, customizable rules, and a robust web application firewall to ensure comprehensive protection against threats. Users value its traffic analysis capabilities and integration options, which are critical for managing complex environments.
Room for Improvement: Azure Front Door requires enhancements in compatibility with non-Azure clouds and more effective load balancing on a global scale. Clearer documentation to differentiate its features from similar Microsoft offerings is also suggested. Akamai App and API Protector could benefit from improved Layer 7 protection, more advanced analytics for traffic patterns, and a simplified user interface to reduce setup complexities. Adjusting pricing strategies could make it more competitive.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Azure Front Door is praised for its support in public and hybrid cloud environments, backed by comprehensive documentation and reliable support. Akamai App and API Protector offers effective deployment in similar environments, though users report varied experiences with technical support regarding staff expertise. Azure Front Door's documentation is noted for its clarity.
Pricing and ROI: Azure Front Door provides competitive pricing with tiered options and a pay-as-you-go model, appealing to cost-conscious buyers by balancing features and affordability. Akamai App and API Protector is often described as expensive, but justified by its extensive features, suitable for larger deployments. Azure’s pricing and integration with existing subscriptions present a favorable ROI.
My experience with the pricing or licensing of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall is that many features can be accessed for free, so the pricing is definitely reasonable.
Azure Front Door offers a quick return on investment once it is set up.
I would rate the technical support with Cloudflare as excellent every time I've had to contact them.
The technical support of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall rates between five and seven at maximum.
I am able to set up a critical call with Microsoft, and they respond quickly to tickets with the highest severity.
The scalability of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall rates between 8 to 9, as it depends upon the use cases and what exactly the client needs.
Scaling can be done anytime as needed.
I find that Front Door can become expensive for large-scale projects with more transactions and users.
The stability of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall deserves a perfect 10 out of 10.
I rate Azure Front Door's stability a nine because it is easy to make updates through Azure Portal.
The product can improve by having more multitenancy capability, which is currently not available.
I think they're doing a good job with DNS and as support for any domains that I create or that my clients create, it's mandatory for me to ensure they have Cloudflare as their DNS provider.
They need to improve their support because getting a response for basic requests took around 48 hours, which is too long.
It relies on the WAF module where users must configure rate-limiting rules, as it does not automatically sense malicious spikes in traffic.
If I could use Azure Front Door with private IP addresses, it would be more beneficial.
The only significant adjustment required is with URL set parameters that need to be passed for an existing domain.
Azure Front Door is cheaper for small projects, companies, or applications compared to using separate tools.
The custom rules and the geo-redundant geographical rule feature, which allows me to implement geographical rules for customers, add significant value.
All the DNS and everything is routed through Cloudflare, so anybody coming to any of the sites has to go through Cloudflare first, making them the first wall of defense.
The best features of Cloudflare Web Application Firewall are multiple, including the WAF, rate limiter, and bot attack protection.
The area in which Akamai excels compared to other competitors with a WAF is in threat intelligence, as threats continually evolve, requiring ongoing updates to backend algorithms to effectively capture smart bots.
Azure Front Door provides DDoS protection and features related to WAF.
Azure Front Door includes a built-in web application firewall, which performs signature-based checks of the request payload, offering protection against common attacks or malicious requests.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Cloudflare Web Application Firewall | 5.6% |
| Azure Front Door | 3.5% |
| Akamai App and API Protector | 3.0% |
| Other | 87.9% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 15 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 6 |
| Large Enterprise | 6 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 4 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 7 |
| Large Enterprise | 18 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 9 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 1 |
| Large Enterprise | 9 |
Cloudflare Web Application Firewall's intuitive dashboard enables users to build powerful rules through easy clicks and also provides Terraform integration. Every request to the WAF is inspected against the rule engine and the threat intelligence curated from protecting over 27 Million websites. Suspicious requests can be blocked, challenged or logged as per the needs of the user while legitimate requests are routed to the destination, agnostic of whether it lives on-premise or in the cloud. Analytics and Cloudflare Logs enable visibility into actionable metrics for the user.
Akamai App and API Protector provides website security by preventing DDoS attacks, acting as an application firewall, managing content delivery, and monitoring APIs. It adapts to threat profiles and is used for fast media delivery and identifying malicious activities.
Akamai App and API Protector offers strong protection, adaptable security features, and efficient traffic management. Its WAF blocks IP addresses and country-specific threats while preventing SQL injections. Companies utilize it for scalable CDN services and comprehensive traffic analysis. Known for its cost-effectiveness and user-friendly dashboard, this protector stands out for its customizable rules and technical support. Users also highlight the ease of integration and detailed attack insights available through its advanced dashboard.
What are the key features of Akamai App and API Protector?In media, Akamai App and API Protector ensures smooth streaming by handling high bandwidth demands. E-commerce companies use it to guard against fraud and data breaches. Financial sectors rely on its ability to protect sensitive transactions. Implementations in healthcare focus on safeguarding patient data while maintaining compliance with regulations.
Azure Front Door enhances web application performance and security by leveraging traffic inspection, SSL offloading, and a web application firewall. It enables intelligent routing, load balancing, and global resource deployment while providing essential features for online application security.
Azure Front Door integrates GitOps for seamless deployment, offering significant capabilities in giant networks like CDN functionalities and DDoS protection. Its advanced configurations include traffic analytics and transit layer security. Despite its affordability and scalability, users see room for improvement in global load balancing and private IP address support, citing integration challenges with other cloud vendors. The interface may appear complex, and some users desire more transparent pricing, better DDoS defenses, and enhanced monitoring. This platform is especially beneficial for securing external traffic and optimizing content delivery, providing DNS integration and disaster recovery mechanisms.
What are the key features of Azure Front Door?In industries focusing on online presence and global user engagement, Azure Front Door is invaluable for optimizing web application performance. E-commerce platforms deploy it to secure transactions and enhance load times. Media companies leverage its CDN and security features to ensure seamless content delivery. Enterprises with international operations find it crucial for reliable and secure data access across regions.
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