Akamai App and API Protector vs Azure Front Door comparison

Akamai and Microsoft are both solutions in the Web Application Firewall (WAF) category. Akamai is ranked #16 with an average rating of 7.7, while Microsoft is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.8. Akamai holds a 2.9% mindshare in WAF, compared to Microsoft’s 3.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Akamai users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Akamai App and API Protector

Read 29 Akamai App and API Protector reviews

4,306 Views
2,497 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Azure Front Door

Read 16 Azure Front Door reviews

6,868 Views
2,335 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Akamai App and API Protector

Azure Front Door

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 1, 2025

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.

To learn more, read our detailed Akamai App and API Protector vs. Azure Front Door Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Akamai App and API Protector vs. Azure Front Door

December 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

ROI

Sentiment score

4.8

Akamai App and API Protector offers superior traffic management, security, and cost savings for large infrastructures, despite higher costs.

Sentiment score

6.9

Azure Front Door offers ROI through cost reduction, quick setup, and simplified management, prompting proactive adoption amid system phase-out.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Akamai App and API Protector report

Azure Front Door offers a quick return on investment once it is set up.

Bernard Parinas

Co-Founder at arpa

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Front Door report

Customer Service

Sentiment score

7.7

Customer service is excellent, while technical support has mixed reviews with praise for expertise but needs improved availability.

Sentiment score

7.1

Azure Front Door's customer service is mixed; some praise responsiveness and documentation, others find problem-solving quality inconsistent.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Akamai App and API Protector report

I am able to set up a critical call with Microsoft, and they respond quickly to tickets with the highest severity.

Bernard Parinas

Co-Founder at arpa

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Front Door report

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score

7.8

Akamai App and API Protector excels in scalability, seamlessly handling extensive user demands and large-scale deployments with stability.

Sentiment score

7.1

Azure Front Door offers scalable, reliable global capabilities, highly rated by users, though it may become costly with extensive use.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Akamai App and API Protector report

Scaling can be done anytime as needed.

Bernard Parinas

Co-Founder at arpa

I find that Front Door can become expensive for large-scale projects with more transactions and users.

Mohamed Amin Nasri

Azure Consultant at cloudshift

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Front Door report

Stability Issues

Sentiment score

8.1

Akamai App and API Protector is highly stable and reliable, with no reported outages or issues over years of use.

Sentiment score

8.4

Azure Front Door is praised for stability and performance, with minor DNS issues and advantages in updates via Azure Portal.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Akamai App and API Protector report

I rate Azure Front Door's stability a nine because it is easy to make updates through Azure Portal.

Bernard Parinas

Co-Founder at arpa

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Front Door report

Room For Improvement

Akamai App and API Protector needs enhancements in flexibility, UI, customer support, documentation, and advanced protection features.

Azure Front Door needs improvements in multi-cloud support, pricing, user interface, DDoS protection, and enhanced functionalities as per feedback.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Akamai App and API Protector report

If I could use Azure Front Door with private IP addresses, it would be more beneficial.

Mohamed Amin Nasri

Azure Consultant at cloudshift

It relies on the WAF module where users must configure rate-limiting rules, as it does not automatically sense malicious spikes in traffic.

reviewer2226693

Architect at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

The only significant adjustment required is with URL set parameters that need to be passed for an existing domain.

Bernard Parinas

Co-Founder at arpa

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Front Door report

Setup Cost

Akamai App and API Protector is expensive yet considered worth the cost by large enterprises for its quality services.

Azure Front Door offers flexible, tiered pricing praised for balancing cost and features, though premium levels may seem expensive.

No quotes available

For more quotes and insights, download the Akamai App and API Protector report

Azure Front Door is cheaper for small projects, companies, or applications compared to using separate tools.

Mohamed Amin Nasri

Azure Consultant at cloudshift

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Front Door report

Valuable Features

Akamai App and API Protector delivers scalable security, ease of use, and cost-effective protection with advanced features like DDoS defense.

Azure Front Door enhances security, performance, and global reach with features like SSL offloading, load-balancing, and traffic analytics.

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.

Gavin Pinho

Privacy & Risk Management Vice President, Information Security at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees

For more quotes and insights, download the Akamai App and API Protector report

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.

Bernard Parinas

Co-Founder at arpa

Azure Front Door provides DDoS protection and features related to WAF.

Mohamed Amin Nasri

Azure Consultant at cloudshift

For more quotes and insights, download the Azure Front Door report

Categories and Ranking

Akamai App and API Protector

Ranking in Web Application Firewall (WAF)

16th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection (8th), Cloud and Data Center Security (14th)

Azure Front Door

Ranking in Web Application Firewall (WAF)

13th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

CDN (3rd), Microsoft Security Suite (17th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Web Application Firewall (WAF) category, the mindshare of Akamai App and API Protector is 2.9%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Azure Front Door is 3.9%, up from 3.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Web Application Firewall (WAF) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Azure Front Door	3.9%
Akamai App and API Protector	2.9%
Other	93.2%

Web Application Firewall (WAF)

Featured Reviews

Gavin Pinho

Privacy & Risk Management Vice President, Information Security at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees

Has provided strong protection against evolving threats but still needs support for configuration fine-tuning

The standout features of Akamai App and API Protector are rooted in it being the Web Application Firewall, where all traffic gets scanned, including the implementation of web firewall rules, and after this phase, traffic proceeds through the BMP, which is Bot Management. Akamai App and API Protector exceeds expectations in terms of AI capabilities, and it genuinely combines a plethora of advanced features. 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, and Akamai's commitment in that regard is backed by an excellent team, while other providers are still catching up.

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reviewer2226693

Architect at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees

Optimizing global application performance with robust security measures and advanced traffic management

DDoS capabilities in Azure Front Door could certainly be improved. Although Microsoft states it comes with basic DDoS protections out of the box, I find it often ineffectual in mitigating thousands of requests from a single source in a short span of time. User then have to rely on the WAF module where users must configure rate-limiting rules, as it does not automatically sense malicious spikes in traffic. I believe Front Door should have an out-of-the-box premium DDoS protection that can automatically detect and block malicious traffic. I would appreciate improvements in the turnaround time for support, especially since issues with Azure Front Door are usually critical for businesses. If there is an issue, it often results in downtime for line of business applications. I have faced this situation multiple times as one of the largest financial institutions in India is hosted there, adhering to strict SLAs that require prompt responses.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

19%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

Computer Software Company

13%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	18

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	9

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Akamai Web Application Protector?

The price is higher than others. It could be about 80% to 70% more expensive than other tools. So, it’s not just a slight difference.

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What needs improvement with Akamai Web Application Protector?

There are no significant areas for improvement on the WAF side or for Akamai App and API Protector solution; they are comprehensive in their current state.

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What is your primary use case for Akamai Web Application Protector?

The main use case for Akamai App and API Protector is serving as the WAF, Web Application Firewall.

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What's the difference between Azure Front Door and Application Gateway?

We found Azure Front Door to be easily scaled and very stable. The implementation is very fast and Microsoft provides excellent support. Azure Front Door can quickly detect abnormalities before the...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Azure Front Door?

I am not sure about the pricing but believe Azure Front Door might require a higher cost due to its entry point nature.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Azure Front Door?

See all answers

Comparisons

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 7% of the time

Microsoft Azure Application Gateway vs Akamai App and API Protector

Compared 7% of the time

AWS WAF vs Akamai App and API Protector

Compared 5% of the time

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Amazon CloudFront vs Azure Front Door

Compared 14% of the time

Cloudflare vs Azure Front Door

Compared 13% of the time

Akamai vs Azure Front Door

Compared 10% of the time

AWS Global Accelerator vs Azure Front Door

Compared 8% of the time

Imperva Application Security Platform vs Azure Front Door

Compared 5% of the time

More Azure Front Door Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Akamai App and API Protector

January 2026

Download Akamai App and API Protector product report

Buyer's Guide

Azure Front Door

January 2026

Download Azure Front Door product report

Also Known As

Akamai Web Application Protector, Akamai Kona Site Defender, Akamai Kona DDoS Defender

Azure Front-Door

Overview

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?

DDoS Protection: Strong defense against Distributed Denial of Service attacks.
Scalable CDN: Manages content delivery efficiently under high traffic loads.
WAF Capabilities: Blocks specific IPs and countries, prevents SQL injections.
Traffic Filtering: Analyzes and controls incoming requests to maintain security.
Adaptive Stream Delivery: Adjusts content delivery to meet bandwidth needs.

What benefits should users expect?

Cost-Effectiveness: Provides robust security tools at a competitive price.
Enhanced Security: Comprehensive protection against cyber threats.
Scalability: Easily handles increasing traffic and data loads.
Ease of Integration: Simple integration with existing systems.
Insightful Analytics: Offers data-driven insights into traffic and attack patterns.

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.

Akamai

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?

Traffic Inspection: Enhances security with comprehensive traffic analysis at the network level.
SSL Offloading: Streamlines SSL certificate management and encryption processes.
Web Application Firewall: Offers protection against web vulnerabilities and threats.
Global Resource Implementation: Facilitates deployment across multiple regions.
Intelligent Routing and Load Balancing: Optimizes traffic distribution for efficient performance.
Bot and DDoS Protection: Shields applications from malicious traffic and attacks.
CDN Capabilities: Accelerates content delivery with local caching and optimized routing.

What benefits and ROI should users expect?

Affordability: Provides robust features at competitive pricing.
Scalability: Adapts easily to growing traffic demands and business needs.
Security: Delivers comprehensive defenses against cyber threats.
Performance Optimization: Enhances application responsiveness and delivery speed.
Global Reach: Supports globally distributed applications with ease.

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.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Douglas Omaha Technology Commission, ZALORA, PrintPlanet

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Akamai App and API Protector vs. Azure Front Door

December 2025

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