Cloudflare One vs F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Cloudflare and F5 are both solutions in the Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection category. Cloudflare is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.5, while F5 is ranked #12 with an average rating of 8.5. Cloudflare holds a 3.7% mindshare in DDOS, compared to F5’s 2.0% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Cloudflare users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 95% of F5 users who would recommend it.

Cloudflare One

Read 23 Cloudflare One reviews

25,480 Views
3,058 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall...

Read 26 F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) reviews

3,021 Views
3,021 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Cloudflare One

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 5, 2026

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) and Cloudflare One compete in the advanced security solutions category. F5 AFM seems to have the upper hand in network protection features, while Cloudflare One excels in simplicity and cloud-based integration.

Features: F5 AFM provides robust network protection, load balancing, and integrated security modules. It supports extensive customization and AI-driven threat detection. Cloudflare One offers easy configuration, effective cloud-based security, and application-based access controls. It minimizes hardware investments, emphasizing simplicity and cost-effectiveness.

Room for Improvement: F5 AFM faces challenges with complex configurations, underutilization of capabilities, and higher pricing. It also needs improved integration with other systems and enhanced dashboard reports. Cloudflare One requires better initial setup processes, dashboard insights, and integration with legacy systems. Users also seek clearer documentation and support for phased migrations.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: F5 AFM is generally on-premises with reliable technical support focusing on comprehensive problem resolution. Cloudflare One offers cloud deployment flexibility and rapid, effective support, with a cloud-centric design that allows straightforward integration and scaling.

Pricing and ROI: F5 AFM, though expensive, provides a comprehensive on-premises feature set with practical value. Cloudflare One is cost-effective in application-based cloud environments, often resulting in lower total cost of ownership despite higher upfront prices, allowing for long-term savings in management and infrastructure.

To learn more, read our detailed Cloudflare One vs. F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Cloudflare One vs. F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)

September 2026

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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:

Categories and Ranking

Cloudflare One

Ranking in Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection

8th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Email Security (20th), Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (12th), Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (24th), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (13th), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (14th), Access Management (11th), Bot Management (4th), ZTNA as a Service (7th), ZTNA (5th), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (9th), Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) (2nd)

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall...

Ranking in Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection

12th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection category, the mindshare of Cloudflare One is 3.7%, up from 3.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) is 2.0%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cloudflare One	3.7%
F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)	2.0%
Other	94.3%

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection

Featured Reviews

Cobe Van Coller

Network Architect at IP Dimension

Cloud security has improved remote access and has reduced costs for smaller client sites

I have used Cloudflare One's Identity-Aware Proxy, and it is quite straightforward from what I have seen so far. The app registration on the Azure side integrates fully into Cloudflare, and I am very satisfied with that part because it is easy to set up. The integration of Cloudflare One's Secure Web Gateway and Zero Trust Network Access works without any issues. That part is pretty automatic, and if you complete the rest of the setup, it comes together by itself with no issues from my side. What makes it nice is that we can actually start replacing on-site firewalls at this stage for the smaller clients because it does not matter if they go to a coffee shop or work from home; they are still secured by the same connection. The hops get shorter and you get better latency. We have done testing to see if it is better. One thing that we did notice with our proof of concept with our current client is that they have people connecting from the UK. When they used their previous VPN solution, uploading CAD drawings and other files to the server took a long time. They mentioned that it is much quicker on Cloudflare One's solution. I definitely believe that is part of the improved performance, and I am satisfied with that as well. What is nice about Cloudflare One is that it makes the setup easier and also easier to train technicians to maintain it. Compared to legacy systems, we do not need to get fancy firewalls in place that are costly. That is definitely also a cost-saver with Cloudflare One.

Read full review

Nawapol Boonlerd

Information Security Engineer at BigFish Enterprise Ltd.

Comprehensive network protection has mitigated DDoS risks and supports secure on-prem operations

Currently, there are no weaknesses or disadvantages in F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) that I have identified. It is a little bit expensive, and I think about additional features they could have in the future to make it even better. For example, I have thoughts about the price. Currently, it does not integrate, and I would assess the importance of F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)'s integration with cloud services as significant. Currently, I use only one site, and I cannot tell you about F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) centralized security policies. I have not used F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)'s Threat Intelligence capabilities. I have not used their dynamic traffic shaping feature. So far, the only thing that could be improved is the pricing of F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM).

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It's the endpoint exposition. We don't need to expose our VPN server to the internet and need a zero-test solution. I can apply some conditional access to the endpoint that's connecting to our network to check their security policies or the security condition of their workstation. Once the workstation is trying to connect to my internal network, then I would like to check the discrete condition of these endpoints that are trying to access my internal network. We created some conditional access. We have CrowdStrike, to check if the CrowdStrike is installed, to check if it's updated, and to check for Windows updates. We created some conditional policies to check it."

"Cloudflare, in my opinion, was easy to implement."

"Cloudflare DDoS mitigates DDoS attacks."

"For Cloudflare Access, I am using the free plan...The most valuable feature is their protection."

"Cloudflare Access is a stable solution."

"It's a perfect solution from my perspective; it's easy to understand and easy to configure."

"What makes it nice is that we can actually start replacing on-site firewalls at this stage for the smaller clients because it does not matter if they go to a coffee shop or work from home; they are still secured by the same connection."

"Clover is the best product globally."

More Cloudflare One pros

"The product is stable, scalable, and easy to use."

"The setup and functionality are fairly straightforward."

"The most valuable feature of F5 BIG-IP AFM is all of my workers enjoy using it."

"This product excells in every aspect from installation and the interface to providing superior network security."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the blocking of IPs and F5 has many advantages."

"We use three main features. The first one is access control. The second feature we use is called IP intelligence. Finally, we have a DDoS safety feature."

"The decryption is great."

"F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager's most valuable feature is load balance. It is readily available and uncomplicated."

More F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) pros

Cons

"The response time for support must be reduced."

"Feedback could be enhanced."

"Cloudflare One is not very powerful, but for what we require, it is basic and sufficient."

"They don't have a person to provide support for customers using the solution under their free plan."

"Operating and tuning the product is difficult."

"Cloudflare DDoS has poor technical support."

"I would like them to include a VPN feature to provide a secure connection to the data center."

"Feedback could be enhanced. While I work efficiently with Clover as a partner in Mexico City, sometimes the information and requests are easier to manage with more concrete solutions."

More Cloudflare One cons

"NGINX, which F5 purchased, has room for improvement in its features, particularly its load balancing or application load balancing features."

"We needed to protect the database but the solution didn't offer a certain feature to do so."

"The appliance and features could be enhanced further, especially in terms of security. Some features like the WAF firewall may seem expensive compared to the standard license, so there could be room for adjusting the pricing."

"The product is a little expensive but it is such a good solution and unified that the cost is worth the price."

"It is a little bit expensive, and I think about additional features they could have in the future to make it even better."

"Apart from the price, I feel no other areas need improvement."

"This would be absolutely the best network security solution if the price were not so high."

"The solution's UI could be improved."

More F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution's pricing lacks transparency."

"The price tag is no longer $200,000, but rather $300,000 to $400,000. It's twice."

"My company has to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution. There are no hidden charges apart from the licensing costs of the solution."

"The solution is not that expensive."

"Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform's pricing is good."

"The pricing is somewhere in the middle. I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten."

"The prices are slightly expensive."

"The pricing of the solution is cheap. The licensing cost is also very low. I rate the cost and pricing a three out of ten."

"As per pricing, I would not say cheap, but little higher than cheap, but not very expensive. So you can say kind of value for money solutions."

"It is somewhat on the expensive side although it is worth the additional cost."

"F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager is not an expensive solution."

"F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) is an expensive solution. They are one of the best in the market, but the price could be cheaper."

"The price of F5 BIG-IP AFM is a little more expensive than other firewalls on the market."

"The solution is slightly on the higher priced side."

"We need to pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution."

"The product is expensive."

More F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection solutions are best for your needs.

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

18%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Outsourcing Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Construction Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Large Enterprise	13

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	9
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	14

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform?

Pricing is competitive. Akamai is more expensive, in my view.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform?

In my opinion, Cloudflare One can be improved mainly through compatibility, as the integration should be much simpler because it is currently too closed and too proprietary. Regarding additional fe...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform?

Cloudflare One's primary use case for my organization is to protect servers and to provide remote access with the VPN, strong authentication, and DDoS protection. The integration of Secure Web Gate...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 Advanced Firewall Manager?

The standard license is reasonably priced, but additional features like the WAF can be more expensive. There are plenty of technical documents and a supportive community available, which helps mana...

See all answers

What needs improvement with F5 Advanced Firewall Manager?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for F5 Advanced Firewall Manager?

I am starting to learn and working with F5 team to conduct a proof of concept, and I do have experience with F5 Rules for AWS WAF. I have experience with BIG-IP, not BIG-IQ, and I may have experien...

See all answers

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Compared 3% of the time

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Compared 3% of the time

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Compared 3% of the time

Twingate vs Cloudflare One

Compared 2% of the time

Fortinet FortiGate vs Cloudflare One

Compared 2% of the time

More Cloudflare One Competitors

Sucuri vs F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)

Compared 19% of the time

NETSCOUT Arbor DDoS Protection & Mitigation vs F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)

Compared 14% of the time

Fastly vs F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)

Compared 12% of the time

Radware Cloud DDoS Protection Service vs F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)

Compared 11% of the time

Akamai App and API Protector vs F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)

Compared 4% of the time

More F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cloudflare One

November 2026

Download Cloudflare One product report

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)

November 2026

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) report

Download F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) product report

Also Known As

Cloudflare Area 1 Email Security, Cloudflare Bot Management, Cloudflare Gateway, Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform, Cloudflare DDoS, Cloudflare SASE & SSE Platform

F5 AFM, F5 Advanced Firewall Manager

Overview

Cloudflare One is a comprehensive platform for security, performance, and connectivity. It provides features like rate limiting, DDoS protection, and application access, tailored to enhance user experience while securing internet access and accelerating communications.

Designed to integrate security measures with ease of use and scalability, Cloudflare One offers a secure web gateway and zero trust network access. These features ensure seamless setup and operation, making connectivity reliable and protected. Users appreciate its integrated console, intuitive interface, and the ability to manage risk effectively. It offers straightforward deployment, improves latency, and boasts cost-effectiveness. While its onboarding process and documentation need enhancement, its value in content delivery and application shielding is notable. Despite challenges in integrating Cloudflare Access with existing VPNs and the need for better automation and support, it remains vital for DNS and infrastructure protection.

What features make Cloudflare One stand out?

Rate Limiting: Controls the traffic rate to prevent abuse.
DDoS Protection: Shields applications from distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Secure Web Gateway: Provides secure internet access with seamless operation.
Zero Trust Network Access: Ensures secure, application-based connectivity without relying on traditional VPNs.
Access for Connectivity: Facilitates access to internal applications securely.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Security: Robust measures for DNS and browsing protection.
Performance: Enhanced site accessibility and communication speed.
Cost-Effectiveness: Offers competitive pricing for its features.
Ease of Deployment: Straightforward and efficient setup process.

In industries like finance, retail, and technology, Cloudflare One is crucial for enabling secure remote access and protecting web applications against dynamic threats. It supports compliance access policies and enhances content delivery, playing a key role in safeguarding digital infrastructure.

Cloudflare

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager provides robust network protection with advanced DDoS features and efficient load balancing. Its design prioritizes scalability and ease of management, catering to securing data centers and applications.

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager is a strategic choice for combating cyber threats, including DDoS attacks. With powerful network defenses, integrated WAF, and adaptable capabilities, it efficiently handles web services on-premise and in the cloud. Users value its application-level threat defense with IP blocking and AI-enhanced reporting. Advanced integration with SIEM solutions allows comprehensive monitoring and enhanced threat detection through dynamic resource allocation. However, areas for improvement include better dashboard statistics and pricing adjustments. Enhancing integration with BIG-IQ and intuitive configuration would streamline its operation. Automatic geolocation updates and improved support could address current challenges alongside its high cost and complex initial setup.

What are the standout features?

Integrated WAF: Enhances security by protecting applications from online threats.
DDoS Protection: Defends against large-scale DDoS attacks efficiently.
AI-Enhanced Reporting: Provides detailed insights through AI-driven analytics.
IP Blocking: Offers IP-based threat defense and geolocation capabilities.
Resource Allocation: Dynamically allocates resources for optimized performance.

What are the benefits and ROI to consider?

Ease of Management: Simplifies management processes with user-friendly features.
Comprehensive Monitoring: Through SIEM integration for better visibility.
Superior Threat Detection: Identifies and mitigates threats proactively.
Scalability: Adapts to evolving network needs and traffic demands.

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager is widely used in sectors requiring stringent security measures, such as finance and healthcare. These industries deploy it as a data center and web application firewall to protect against cyber threats, manage client connections, and ensure the security of on-premise and cloud applications.

Sample Customers

23andMe

City Bank, Ricacorp Properties, Miele, American Systems, Bangladesh Post Office

Buyer's Guide

Cloudflare One vs. F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)

September 2026

Free Report: Cloudflare One vs. F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)

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