Cloudflare is the best ddos security service for web servers for most readers, because its free plan includes unmetered HTTP and HTTPS DDoS protection, and Pro costs $20 per month when billed annually. Azure states the break-even point itself: IP Protection at $199 per protected IP per month is cheaper below 15 protected IPs, and Network Protection at $2,944 per month for 100 protected IPs is cheaper above 15. AWS Shield Advanced is the clearest enterprise pick for AWS workloads at $3,000 per month, while Google Cloud Armor suits Google Cloud sites that prefer per-request billing at $0.75 per 1,000,000 requests.
A DDoS attack tries to make a web server unavailable by flooding it with traffic, so the right service sits in front of the server and filters attack traffic before it reaches the origin. The choice turns on where the server lives and how the bill is built.
On this page
Best ddos security services for web servers: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cloudflare | Small and mid-size sites that want a free entry tier | $20 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 2 | AWS Shield Advanced | AWS workloads that need response team access and cost protection | $3,000 per month | No | Visit |
| 3 | Azure DDoS Protection | Azure virtual networks with a small or large set of protected IPs | $199 per protected IP per month | No | Visit |
| 4 | Google Cloud Armor | Google Cloud sites behind a load balancer that want per-request billing | $0.75 per 1,000,000 requests | No | Visit |
| 5 | Imperva DDoS Protection | Large sites that need website, network, DNS, and single IP cover in one service | quote only | Free trial | Visit |
| 6 | Akamai Prolexic | Large networks that need dedicated scrubbing for non-web traffic as well as web traffic | quote only | No | Visit |
| 7 | Sucuri | Small WordPress and small business sites that want a cloud firewall plus cleanup help | $9.99 per month | No | Visit |
| 8 | Fastly | Developer-led teams that want edge delivery with per-request DDoS billing | $1.00 per 10,000 requests | Yes | Visit |
The 8 best best ddos security services for web servers, in detail
Cloudflare
Best for: Small and mid-size sites that want a free entry tier
Cloudflare is the default pick for most web servers because the free plan already covers the core need. The free plan costs $0 and includes unmetered HTTP and HTTPS DDoS protection for a proxied site. Pro costs $20 per month when billed annually, or $25 per month when billed monthly, and it adds managed WAF rules, 20 custom rules instead of 5, and ticket support.
- Business costs $200 per month when billed annually, or $250 per month when billed monthly.
- That step up matters for a revenue site, because Business adds the 100 percent uptime SLA and PCI support that Pro does not include.
Pros
- Free plan includes unmetered HTTP and HTTPS DDoS protection
- Pro adds managed WAF rules and ticket support
Cons
- Business plan at $200 per month is needed for a 100 percent uptime SLA and PCI support
- Enterprise DDoS options for non-web traffic need a custom quote
AWS Shield Advanced
Best for: AWS workloads that need response team access and cost protection
AWS Shield Advanced is the enterprise tier for sites that already run on AWS. Shield Standard is included at no extra cost for AWS customers, and it covers common network and transport layer attacks. Shield Advanced costs $3,000 per month, needs a 1-year commitment, and is charged per payer account, with data transfer out fees on top.
- Advanced includes the application layer DDoS protection AWS Managed Rule group, and standard AWS WAF usage up to 50 billion requests per month, with r
- It also gives cost protection against scaling charges caused by a DDoS attack, and access to the Shield Response Team.
- Choose it when downtime would cost more than $3,000 per month.
Pros
- Includes up to 50 billion WAF requests per month for protected resources
- Access to the Shield Response Team with Business or Enterprise Support
Cons
- 1-year commitment is required
- Data transfer out fees add to the $3,000 monthly fee
Azure DDoS Protection
Best for: Azure virtual networks with a small or large set of protected IPs
Azure DDoS Protection has two tiers, and the right tier depends on a simple count. IP Protection costs $199 per protected IP per month, and it protects one IP resource at a time. Network Protection costs $2,944 per month, covers up to 100 protected IP resources in a tenant, and bills extra IPs above 100 at $29.50 per resource per month.
- Microsoft states that IP Protection is cheaper below 15 protected IPs, and Network Protection is cheaper above 15.
- At 14 IPs, IP Protection costs $2,786 per month, while at 15 IPs it costs $2,985 per month, more than the $2,944 Network Protection plan.
- Network Protection also adds DDoS Rapid Response access, cost protection, and a WAF discount for Application Gateway with WAF in a protected virtual n
Pros
- IP Protection costs $199 per protected IP per month with no bandwidth overage fee
- Network Protection covers 100 protected IPs for $2,944 per month
Cons
- Network Protection costs $2,944 per month even for a small network
- The free baseline tier gives no attack visibility or response team access
Google Cloud Armor
Best for: Google Cloud sites behind a load balancer that want per-request billing
Google Cloud Armor is the native option for sites behind a Google Cloud load balancer. The Standard tier is billed per use: $0.75 per 1,000,000 requests for globally scoped security policies, $0.60 per 1,000,000 requests for regionally scoped policies, $0.006849315 per hour for each security policy, and $0.001369863 per hour for each rule. Cloud Armor Enterprise has two models.
- Enterprise Paygo lists a subscription price of $0.273972603 per hour and includes up to 2 protected resources.
- Enterprise Annual lists a subscription price of $4.109589041 per hour and includes up to 100 protected resources across all projects, with a 1-year co
- Enterprise adds Adaptive Protection, DDoS cost protection, and access to a DDoS response team, plus a data processing fee.
Pros
- Standard charges per policy, per rule, and per request, with no fixed monthly fee
- Enterprise Annual includes up to 100 protected resources
Cons
- Enterprise Annual needs a 1-year commitment
- Data processing fees apply on top of the Enterprise subscription price
Imperva DDoS Protection
Best for: Large sites that need website, network, DNS, and single IP cover in one service
Imperva DDoS Protection is an enterprise service that covers websites, networks, DNS servers, and single IPs. The website option is always on, and it works by routing HTTP and HTTPS traffic through the Imperva proxy after a DNS change, which masks the origin server IP. The network option protects whole infrastructures with GRE tunnels, Cross Connects, or Equinix Fabric, and it can run always on or on demand.
- The single IP option protects one internet-facing IP for non-HTTP assets.
- Imperva lists a guaranteed 3-second mitigation SLA for Layer 3 and 4 attacks, and 13 Tbps of global scrubbing capacity.
- Imperva lists no price on its DDoS page, so the starting price is quote only, and a free trial is offered for Cloud WAF.
Pros
- 3-second mitigation SLA for Layer 3 and 4 attacks
- 13 Tbps of global scrubbing capacity
Cons
- No listed price, so budgeting needs a sales quote
- Scope must be checked per asset, because website, network, DNS, and IP cover are separate options
Akamai Prolexic
Best for: Large networks that need dedicated scrubbing for non-web traffic as well as web traffic
Akamai Prolexic is a dedicated scrubbing service for large networks, and it is the option to look at when the attack surface goes beyond a normal website. Prolexic covers cloud, on-premises, and hybrid setups, and it can run always on or on demand. The on-premises option is powered by Corero, and the hybrid option combines on-premises scrubbing with the cloud platform.
- Traffic is routed to the nearest scrubbing center by anycast, filtered there, and only clean traffic is sent on to the origin.
- Akamai lists 20+ Tbps of dedicated defense capacity across 32 anycast global scrubbing centers, a zero-second mitigation SLA, and a 100 percent platfo
- The service is staffed by more than 225 frontline SOCC responders across six global locations, with 24/7 support.
- Akamai lists no price for Prolexic, so the starting price is quote only.
Pros
- 20+ Tbps dedicated defense capacity across 32 scrubbing centers
- Zero-second mitigation SLA with 24/7 SOCC support
Cons
- No listed price, so costs need a sales quote
- Routed GRE needs a /24 or larger IPv4 block, or /48 for IPv6
Sucuri
Best for: Small WordPress and small business sites that want a cloud firewall plus cleanup help
Sucuri is the budget pick for a single small site that needs a cloud firewall in front of the server. The Basic Firewall costs $9.99 per month for one site, and the Pro Firewall costs $19.98 per month. Both include the cloud WAF and a CDN layer, and traffic is filtered through the Sucuri network after a DNS change, before it reaches the origin server.
- That placement is the key point for DDoS cover: attack traffic is blocked away from the server, so the server does not have to absorb the flood itself
- The Platform plans add monitoring, scanning, and cleanup.
- Basic Platform costs $229 per year for one site, Pro Platform costs $339 per year, and Business Platform costs $549 per year.
- Basic includes a complete security scan every 12 hours and a 30-hour first-response time for malware removal, Pro moves that to every 6 hours and 12 h
Pros
- Basic Firewall includes WAF and CDN for one site
- Platform plans add unlimited malware cleanups with a 30-hour first-response time on Basic
Cons
- Platform plans are billed annually, with Basic at $229 per year
- Firewall-only plans do not include malware cleanup
Fastly
Best for: Developer-led teams that want edge delivery with per-request DDoS billing
Fastly is an edge platform that combines content delivery with security, and its DDoS pricing is usage based. The pricing page lists DDoS Protection at $1.00 per 10,000 requests for 500,000 to 10 million requests per month, with the first 500,000 requests free. The rate then falls to $0.50 per 10,000 requests for 10 million to 50 million requests, and to $0.30 per 10,000 requests for 50 million to 100 million requests.
- Bandwidth in North America and Europe costs $0.12 per GB for 100 GB to 10 TB.
- The security packages on the pricing page are a separate line: Security Core, Security Core Plus, and Security Total are all listed as contact sales,
Pros
- First 500,000 DDoS Protection requests per month are free
- Bandwidth starts at $0.12 per GB in North America and Europe for 100 GB to 10 TB
Cons
- Security packages for Next-Gen WAF and DDoS are listed as contact sales, so there is no listed bundle price
- DDoS Protection is billed per request on top of bandwidth
How we chose
We chose services that protect web servers from DDoS attacks at Layer 3, Layer 4, or Layer 7, and that list a real product page with DDoS cover as a named feature. We checked the official pricing page for each service on 2026-11-12, and we used the listed price where one was shown. Where the vendor listed no price, we wrote quote only. We did not test any tool hands-on, and we did not install any product. One fact that shaped the list is the Azure break-even point: Microsoft states that IP Protection is cheaper below 15 protected IPs, and Network Protection is cheaper above 15, so the count of protected IPs decides the Azure tier.
Pick by budget and setup
| Situation | Pick | Why it fits | Monthly cost to plan for |
|---|---|---|---|
| One small site, lowest cost | Cloudflare Free | Free plan includes unmetered HTTP and HTTPS DDoS protection | $0 |
| One small site, firewall plus cleanup | Sucuri Basic Firewall | $9.99 per month for WAF and CDN | $9.99 |
| Professional site, managed WAF | Cloudflare Pro | $20 per month when billed annually, with managed WAF rules and ticket support | $20 |
| Site on AWS, enterprise cover | AWS Shield Advanced | $3,000 per month, with up to 50 billion WAF requests and response team access | $3,000 plus data transfer fees |
| Site on Azure, fewer than 15 IPs | Azure IP Protection | $199 per protected IP per month, cheaper than Network Protection below 15 IPs | $199 per IP |
| Site on Azure, more than 15 IPs | Azure Network Protection | $2,944 per month for up to 100 protected IPs | $2,944 |
| Site on Google Cloud, variable traffic | Google Cloud Armor Standard | $0.75 per 1,000,000 requests, with no fixed monthly fee | Varies with requests |
| Large network, non-web traffic | Akamai Prolexic | Dedicated scrubbing with 20+ Tbps capacity and a zero-second mitigation SLA | quote only |
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest DDoS security service for a web server?
Cloudflare Free is the cheapest option in this list, because it costs $0 and includes unmetered HTTP and HTTPS DDoS protection for a proxied site. Sucuri Basic Firewall is the cheapest option with a monthly fee, at $9.99 per month for one site.
Which DDoS service is best for a site on AWS?
AWS Shield Advanced is the best option for a site that already runs on AWS, because it is built for EC2, Elastic Load Balancing, CloudFront, Global Accelerator, and Route 53. It costs $3,000 per month with a 1-year commitment, plus data transfer out fees.
Which DDoS service is best for a site on Azure?
Azure DDoS Protection is the best option for a site that runs in Azure virtual networks, and the tier depends on the count of protected IPs. IP Protection costs $199 per protected IP per month and is cheaper below 15 protected IPs. Network Protection costs $2,944 per month for up to 100 protected IPs and is cheaper above 15.
Do I need a separate WAF with DDoS protection?
In most cases no, because the services in this list bundle WAF cover with DDoS cover, or they work with a WAF from the same vendor. Cloudflare Pro adds managed WAF rules, Sucuri Firewall includes a cloud WAF, and AWS Shield Advanced includes standard AWS WAF usage up to 50 billion requests per month.
How much does DDoS protection cost per month?
The cost ranges from $0 on Cloudflare Free to $3,000 per month on AWS Shield Advanced, with many options in between. Cloudflare Pro costs $20 per month when billed annually, Sucuri Basic Firewall costs $9.99 per month, Azure IP Protection costs $199 per protected IP per month, and Azure Network Protection costs $2,944 per month. Google Cloud Armor Standard costs $0.75 per 1,000,000 requests.
What is the difference between always-on and on-demand DDoS protection?
Always-on protection filters traffic at all times, so mitigation starts at once when an attack begins. On-demand protection only routes traffic through scrubbing when an attack is declared, so there can be a delay while the team notices the attack and activates the service. Imperva and Akamai Prolexic both offer always-on and on-demand options.
Sources
- https://www.cloudflare.com/
- https://www.cloudflare.com/en-au/plans/application-services/
- https://aws.amazon.com/
- https://aws.amazon.com/shield/pricing/
- https://azure.microsoft.com/
- https://azure.microsoft.com/is-is/pricing/details/ddos-protection/
- https://cloud.google.com/
- https://cloud.google.com/armor/pricing
- https://www.imperva.com/
- https://www.imperva.com/products/ddos-protection-services/
- https://www.akamai.com/
- https://www.akamai.com/products/prolexic-solutions
- https://sucuri.net/
- https://sucuri.net/website-security-platform/
- https://www.fastly.com/
- https://www.fastly.com/pricing
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.