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AWS Shield Reviews

Vendor: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
4.3 out of 5
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What is AWS Shield?

AWS Shield is a managed Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection service that safeguards applications running on AWS. AWS Shield provides always-on detection and automatic inline mitigations that minimize application downtime and latency, so there is no need to engage AWS Support to benefit from DDoS protection.

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AWS Shield is the #5 ranked solution in top Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection solutions. PeerSpot users give AWS Shield an average rating of 8.6 out of 10. AWS Shield is most commonly compared to Cloudflare: AWS Shield vs Cloudflare. AWS Shield is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 57% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 12% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
AWS Shield
December 2025
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AWS Shield mindshare

As of December 2025, the mindshare of AWS Shield in the Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection category stands at 5.2%, down from 6.5% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
AWS Shield5.2%
Cloudflare17.8%
Arbor DDoS10.2%
Other66.8%
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection

PeerResearch reports based on AWS Shield reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryDistributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) ProtectionDec 31, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersDec 31, 2025Download
ComparisonAWS Shield vs CloudflareDec 31, 2025Download
ComparisonAWS Shield vs Radware DDoSDec 31, 2025Download
ComparisonAWS Shield vs Arbor DDoSDec 31, 2025Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
Cloudflare4.317.8%96%77 interviewsAdd to research
Cloudflare One4.43.9%100%22 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers
Last updated Oct 26, 2025

Valuable Features

AWS Shield's most valuable features include easy integration with AWS, ease of use, automatic DDoS attack detection and mitigation, trend analysis, transparent operations without performance degradation, real-time protection, comprehensive dashboards, and strong security measures against web attacks. Advanced offers tailored defense with 24/7 DDoS response access and compensation. It integrates with WAF for effective protection and uses pattern recognition for threat interception ensuring privacy and confidentiality. Advanced detection through tailored rules enhances security effectiveness.
  • "The automatic detection and mitigation of DDoS attacks in the product operates in real-time and provides satisfactory results."
  • "AWS Shield is aligned with the web application firewall (WAF), and they work seamlessly together, primarily working with Elastic Load Balancer, CloudFront, and Route 53 for CDN and DNS services protection."
  • "AWS Shield offers numerous protection features that are crucial at the application layer, safeguarding users from distributed denial of service attacks, man-in-the-middle assaults, and hacker orchestrations."

Room for Improvement

AWS Shield needs easier management and architectural support, more flexible security customization, and enhanced traffic visibility. Users find it costly, with limited access to essential features without added expenses. Dashboards require improvement, and anomaly detection should be faster. Shield Standard could benefit from features of Advanced, offering better protection against sophisticated attacks. AWS should improve logs, reports, and health checks, with a more usage-based pricing structure and 24/7 expert support to aid in complex attacks.
  • "There is an area for improvement regarding health checks. AWS Shield does not come with its own health check functionality."
  • "AWS Shield has limited coverage as it only protects against common and high-volume network and transport layer attacks, such as SYN floods."
  • "The network has been experiencing frustrating performance issues today, which is not typical for Nigeria."

Pricing

AWS Shield pricing is scalable and varies based on subscription level and monthly traffic, often aligning with AWS spending. Users report monthly costs ranging from $200 to $3,000 depending on the level of protection, such as Shield Advanced for CloudFront or Route 53. While Shield Standard offers free basic support, Shield Advanced costs $3,000 monthly. Users find the pricing competitive, though some note the overall AWS stack can be costly.
  • "The tool is cheap."
  • "The tool's pricing is good."
  • "We pay $3000 per month for the solution."

Popular Use Cases

AWS Shield is primarily used for protecting against DDoS attacks and ensuring firewall security, crucial for safeguarding websites from potential threats. Companies, especially in high-risk industries like online casinos, utilize AWS Shield for Layer 7 attack protection and WAF capabilities. It helps prevent high-latency issues caused by distributed denial-of-service attacks, securing public-facing applications and infrastructure. Many organizations choose AWS Shield for its comprehensive protection, available in Standard and Advanced tiers.

Service and Support

Users find AWS Shield's customer service and support highly responsive and professional. They mention positive experiences, emphasizing the importance of accessing higher-level tech support quickly. Multiple interactions with AWS's technical account managers have been beneficial in aligning security models. AWS's support team is praised for addressing and providing lasting fixes for issues. For AWS Shield Advanced, proactive outreach is appreciated, whereas AWS Shield Standard support is seen as limited in visibility.

Deployment

AWS Shield's initial setup is straightforward and easy. Companies find it simple to enable without extensive configuration. It usually takes a few minutes and requires minimal personnel. Some need additional training or knowledge for effective integration or protection, often depending on architecture and application needs. Training might be required due to complexity, but AWS documentation and resources support users. Specialist knowledge helps in integrating protection effectively; otherwise, the process is easy for those with a cloud security background.

Scalability

AWS Shield is highly scalable, with automation that adjusts to traffic demands. Users give its scalability high ratings. Many organizations have reported no scalability issues, managing numerous instances seamlessly. Even with larger user bases, such as teams up to 200, AWS efficiently maintains uptime and service agreements. Through automated processes, AWS handles the management autonomously, delivering consistent performance tailored to company needs. Many companies have successfully integrated AWS Shield within their security infrastructure.

Stability

User experiences indicate AWS Shield maintains high stability. Multiple users rate it eight to ten out of ten, highlighting reliability and absence of major issues over several years. Notifications about events and security triggers are beneficial. Despite generally smooth operation, some users in Nigeria report occasional instability.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our AWS Shield Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business105
Midsize Enterprise43
Large Enterprise193
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
12%
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Insurance Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
University
5%
Government
5%
Retailer
4%
Real Estate/Law Firm
3%
Media Company
3%
Energy/Utilities Company
3%
Educational Organization
3%
Healthcare Company
3%
Construction Company
3%
Outsourcing Company
3%
Non Profit
2%
Hospitality Company
2%
Performing Arts
2%
Wholesaler/Distributor
1%
Non Tech Company
1%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
1%
Transportation Company
1%
Logistics Company
1%
Sports Company
1%
Legal Firm
1%
Leisure / Travel Company
1%
Consumer Goods Company
1%
Pharma/Biotech Company
1%

Compare AWS Shield with alternative products

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AWS Shield customers

netflix, dow jones, mapbox, pearson, rovio, youview, moviestar planet, asurion, payplug, hour of code

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Product Categories

Product Categories
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection

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AWS Shield Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
Lead Architect at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees4.5I've used AWS Shield for several years; it's effective against DDoS attacks, especially in the Advanced tier, but it lacks deeper Layer 7 protection without WAF and costs $3,000 monthly, requiring technical knowledge for proper setup.
Professor at Southwestern University, Nigeria4.5I've used AWS Shield for five years and value its strong DDoS protection and real-time threat assessment, though costs and setup could improve, and enhancements in WAF rules, antivirus, and network security are still needed.
DevOps Engineer at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees4.5I've used AWS Shield for over two years to mitigate DDoS attacks; its Advanced version offers valuable visibility and protection, though I wish some features were available in the Standard version for more accessible security.
Senior IT Auditor at Ernst & Young4.5I find AWS Shield effective for real-time DDoS protection and easy to set up, though health checks should be included by default. It's stable, scalable, and integrates well, but the high cost is a notable drawback.
Senior Project Manager at Synopsys Inc4.0In our data-focused workload, AWS Shield provides effective endpoint protection. While monitoring is valued, faster anomaly detection would enhance security. It's affordable and meets our needs without considering alternatives, utilizing native systems within the AWS ecosystem.
Senior Security Specialist at Westpac Bank4.5We use AWS Shield for DDoS and basic WAF protection, benefiting from its trend analysis and event triggering capabilities, though it lacks customization, detailed traffic insights, and flexibility compared to other WAF tools available in the market.
Head of Strategic Alliances at Quantum Security5.0I implemented AWS Shield for firewall protection against DDoS attacks due to its ease of use and integration with AWS. Despite some cost concerns, the solution is cost-effective and maintenance-free, offering excellent ROI without performance issues or complex configurations.
Senior Project Manager at Synopsys Inc4.0I use AWS Shield to protect workloads on EKS, appreciating its effectiveness against DDoS attacks and ease of use. However, anomaly detection speed needs improvement, as other in-house solutions sometimes identify attacks before AWS Shield.