# Cloudflare WAF vs ModSecurity

| Attribute | Cloudflare WAF | ModSecurity |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 42.7 (74% (medium)) | 44.4 (23% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | - | 38 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | - | 9,802 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A cloud-based firewall that intercepts HTTP/S requests at Cloudflare's distributed network, using automated and customizable rules to block common vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site scripting attacks without adding latency to legitimate user requests. It is indexed under WAF.","source":"https://www.cloudflare.com/plans","question":"What is Cloudflare WAF?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Cloudflare WAF offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans start at $20 per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.cloudflare.com/plans","question":"Is Cloudflare WAF free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Cloudflare WAF supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.cloudflare.com/plans","question":"What platforms does Cloudflare WAF support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for Cloudflare WAF, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://www.cloudflare.com/plans","question":"Can Cloudflare WAF be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed GDPR for Cloudflare WAF. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Cloudflare WAF not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.cloudflare.com/solutions/security","question":"What security certifications does Cloudflare WAF have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Cloudflare WAF is available worldwide. The vendor is headquartered in the United States.","source":"https://www.cloudflare.com/plans","question":"Where is Cloudflare WAF available?","confidence":0.75}]` | `[{"answer":"A flexible firewall module that monitors HTTP traffic and enforces security policies through a customizable rules engine. It is indexed under WAF.","source":"https://modsecurity.org/","question":"What is ModSecurity?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"ModSecurity is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://modsecurity.org/","question":"Is ModSecurity free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. ModSecurity can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://modsecurity.org/","question":"Can ModSecurity be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed GDPR for ModSecurity. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as ModSecurity not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"http://modsecurity.org/privacy-policy/","question":"What security certifications does ModSecurity have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Yes. ModSecurity is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity","question":"Is ModSecurity open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true}` | `{"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A cloud-based service that monitors incoming web traffic for vulnerabilities and attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting, blocking threats at the network edge with automatic rule updates. Provides comprehensive attack protection without requiring manual security management. | An open-source firewall module that monitors and controls HTTP traffic, providing customizable security rules and advanced protections against web application attacks. It serves as the foundation for many WAF implementations globally. |
| features.capabilities | `{"pricing_model":"subscription","rate_limiting":true,"bot_management":true,"deployment_model":"cloud","pci_dss_compliant":true,"ddos_l7_protection":true,"custom_rules_engine":true,"owasp_top_10_protection":true,"api_discovery_protection":true,"siem_logging_integration":true}` | `{"pricing_model":"open_source","deployment_model":"self_host","custom_rules_engine":true,"owasp_top_10_protection":true}` |
| integrations.count | 1 | 1 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Amazon S3","native":true,"category":"storage","direction":"outbound"}]` | `[{"name":"OWASP CRS","native":true}]` |
| language.primary | - | C++ |
| license.spdx | - | Apache-2.0 |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"hqCountry":"US","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | - |
| pricing | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","summary":"$0/month","features":["DNS","Unmetered DDoS Protection","Universal SSL Certificate","Managed Ruleset"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"$20/mo billed annually ($25/mo monthly)","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":20,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Business","summary":"$200/mo billed annually ($250/mo monthly)","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":200,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Contract","summary":"Custom pricing, billed annually","commitment":"annual","description":"For mission-critical applications core to your business","contactSales":true}],"summary":"Free tier; Pro starts at $20/mo annually, Business at $200/mo annually; custom pricing for enterprise","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.cloudflare.com/plans","retrievedAt":"2026-10-12T15:29:37.862Z","startingPrice":{"amount":20,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://modsecurity.org/","retrievedAt":"2026-10-14T22:36:34.235Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | mid | free |
| pricing.starting_price | `{"amount":20,"currency":"USD"}` | - |
| pricing.transparent | yes | - |
| release.cadence_days | - | 61 |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v3.0.17","date":"2026-09-29T21:01:11Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.17"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v2.9.15","date":"2026-09-29T20:47:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.15"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v2.9.14","date":"2026-07-02T18:56:26Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.14"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v3.0.16","date":"2026-06-29T16:40:53Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.16"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v3.0.15","date":"2026-04-28T17:48:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.15"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v2.9.13","date":"2026-04-28T18:09:37Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.13"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v2.9.12","date":"2025-08-05T19:21:09Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.12"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v2.9.11","date":"2025-07-01T20:07:12Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.11"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v2.9.10","date":"2025-06-02T15:07:24Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v2.9.9","date":"2025-05-21T19:49:37Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v3.0.14","date":"2025-02-25T14:32:53Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.14"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v3.0.13","date":"2024-09-03T13:56:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.13"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v2.9.8","date":"2024-09-03T13:07:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v3.0.12","date":"2024-01-30T15:52:56Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.12"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v3.0.11","date":"2023-12-06T20:01:25Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.11"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v3.0.10","date":"2023-07-25T16:38:18Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v3.0.9","date":"2023-04-13T03:22:09Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v2.9.7","date":"2023-01-05T01:45:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v3.0.8","date":"2022-09-07T20:16:11Z","type":"stable","version":"v3.0.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/owasp-modsecurity/ModSecurity/releases/tag/v2.9.6","date":"2022-09-08T00:23:08Z","type":"stable","version":"v2.9.6"}]` |
| reliability.sla_pct | 100 | - |
| security.certifications | `[{"name":"PCI DSS 4.0","level":"4.0","status":"active"}]` | - |
| security.gdpr | yes | yes |
| security.pci | yes | - |
| security.trust_center | https://www.cloudflare.com/solutions/security | http://modsecurity.org/privacy-policy/ |
| security.vulnerabilities | - | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=gentoo&package_name=www-apache%2Fmod_security&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (WAF)

| Capability | Cloudflare WAF | ModSecurity |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Deployment model | Cloud | Self host |
| Owasp top 10 protection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom rules engine | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bot management | ✓ | - |
| API discovery protection | ✓ | - |
| Ddos l7 protection | ✓ | - |
| Rate limiting | ✓ | - |
| Threat intel feeds | - | - |
| SIEM logging integration | ✓ | - |
| Kubernetes ingress support | - | - |
| SOC2 type ii | - | - |
| PCI DSS compliant | ✓ | - |
| Fedramp authorized | - | - |
| Pricing model | Subscription | Open source |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T18:59:37.496Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*