No more typing reviews! Try our Samantha, our new voice AI agent.

F5 Distributed Cloud Services vs Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service comparison

Sponsored
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
Sponsored
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
79
Ranking in other categories
CDN (1st), WAN Optimization (4th), Web Application Firewall (WAF) (9th), Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection (2nd), Managed DNS (1st), Domain Name System (DNS) Security (5th), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) (14th)
F5 Distributed Cloud Services
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.0
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
CDN (6th), Web Application Firewall (WAF) (16th), API Security (8th)
Sophos Cybersecurity as a S...
Average Rating
8.8
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
AWS Marketplace (5th)
 

Mindshare comparison

CDN Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
F5 Distributed Cloud Services2.4%
Cloudflare15.0%
Akamai11.6%
Other71.0%
CDN
AWS Marketplace Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service0.2%
Stardog Enterprise Knowledge Graph Platform0.4%
Prior Labs TabPFN-2.50.3%
Other99.1%
AWS Marketplace
 

Featured Reviews

M.A. Faisal - PeerSpot reviewer
General Manager at bKash Limited
Advanced protection has secured critical web workloads and provides clear traffic visibility
From a security perspective, there remains a security loophole, as some browsers in the market can bypass the Turnstile solution, which requires approximately 40 seconds to do so. From a performance perspective, this is acceptable. We also tried Google reCAPTCHA, and that can also be bypassed. From a security perspective, I would say neither solution is completely secured. Regarding uptime, we have faced a couple of incidents due to Cloudflare in recent years, so I cannot say we receive 100% uptime for our region. We sometimes face challenges, including downtime and other issues. As a result, we are not receiving 100% uptime from Cloudflare's solution. Since most of our customers are in this region, we need alternatives. We need something more competitive than Cloudflare. Unfortunately, in Bangladesh, Cloudflare has three points of presence already, and we cannot find any other solution provider in Bangladesh as an alternative, which presents another challenge. Competitor solutions have more attack signatures, which ensure better security compared to Cloudflare's predefined configurations. Customers do not have options to modify any configuration parameters in Cloudflare, whereas other competitor solutions, such as F5 Distributed Cloud, allow customers to tune configurations according to their requirements. Cloudflare could improve in this area. Additionally, regarding visibility, Cloudflare has static visibility, but they could adopt dynamic graph features for their customers.
Mohan Janarthanan - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Vice President at Novac Technology Solutions
Centralized security has protected APIs and optimized multi‑cloud traffic management
F5 Distributed Cloud Services has been used for two years for DDoS protection, and there is a particular feature called API protection. Within API protection, there is malicious user mitigation, which is one particular technology that has been implemented. This is a kind of advanced bot attack prevention. Malicious user mitigation is an AI/ML-based technology that was introduced by the F5 team, and this particular MUG protects rate limiting. If some users are having anomaly detection or someone is trying to do a bot attack, it will create a CAPTCHA challenge for that particular user alone and not for all users. For example, if someone is trying to act as a rogue, it will create a CAPTCHA challenge in the backend system on that particular system, so they cannot try again and again at the same time. It is for a concurrent session, and it will give the CAPTCHA challenge. This MUG, malicious user mitigation, prevents bot attacks. F5 Distributed Cloud Services includes the real-time intelligence feature, which helps with threat response strategies from a threat intelligence perspective. For example, if there are geo-restrictions or geo-based restrictions, sometimes people may come in through proxy-based servers, and it will prevent that. The load balancing feature optimizes application performance. Observability is the basic piece where F5 got introduced. This observability piece provides end-to-end visibility on the application performance. It gives complete end-to-end visibility across network latency and application performance issues. Sometimes when it is getting more than 200 pages, it throws errors such as 300, 400, or whatever has been configured, including 500 errors. F5 Distributed Cloud Services has helped improve traffic management efficiency. Most applications are hosted in the Check Point and F5 firewall, F5 web application firewall, where applications and traffic management can be accessed in a single dashboard. Automated threat detection is a basic feature of F5 Distributed Cloud Services meant for that purpose. There are two scenarios with automated threat detection, which is provided by F5. It is a completely machine learning solution that came from the bot defense, and it automatically protects against sophisticated attacks.
SR
Director at a outsourcing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Integrated defenses have enabled rapid ransomware prevention and streamlined incident response
Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service is a mature platform with strong endpoint protection, MDR, and integrated security capabilities. However, areas exist where it can continue to evolve. I see opportunities around AI-driven automation, cloud-native security, identity protection, third-party integrations, executive reporting, and proactive risk management. Sophos already provides a strong integrated security platform with MDR, XDR, endpoint protection, and firewall integration. The next evolution is to become even more predictive and autonomous. I would like to see deeper AI-driven response automation, enhanced cloud and identity threat detection, broader third-party integrations, executive-focused risk dashboards, automated compliance mapping, and continuous external attack surface management. These enhancements would not only improve security outcomes but also help CISOs better demonstrate cyber risk reduction and business value. To make it a ten, I would like to see cloud-native workload protection and identity security deeper compared with some specialized competitors. Some enterprises with highly customized SOCs may prefer broader native integration and automation available from platforms such as Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, or CrowdStrike. Further enhancement in executive reporting and exposure management capabilities is also needed.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"In my opinion, CloudFlare is one of the best CDN networks I have ever used."
"The initial setup is extremely easy but will require access to your Domain Name Servers."
"The UI is good."
"I have not had a DDOS attack since, or at least not become unavailable due to DDOS which means my ROI is pretty good."
"CloudFlare's caching brings the load speed down from 4.32 seconds to 2.45 seconds."
"The solution is very good at mitigating threats."
"The web application firewall brought us good security and a view of the accesses/blocks of the entire domain and subdomain that were accessed both by region (country) and IPs."
"Cloudflare is a security SaaS provider that provides security and protects us from any application layer attack."
"The main benefit is Web App Security, offering a complete security package from DDoS to web application firewall, API protection, and bot mitigation."
"Technical support from F5 is good compared to Cisco and HP."
"F5 is known for being the best load balancer in the market. Customers with an existing module can easily adopt additional modules without investing in new hardware."
"Elastic environments are the most valuable features because I can pull these apps and migrate the on-premises environment to the Distributed Cloud environment, and this capability is very strong and the security regarding the apps is really very powerful."
"I appreciate the UI of F5 Distributed Cloud Services and the backend cost, alongside the actual value proposition that they provide with the load balancer, which is excellent."
"F5 Distributed Cloud Services is the market leader in load balancers and manages traffic really well."
"F5 Distributed Cloud Services provides a single unified console for security operations, network operations, and DevOps across all environments."
"In a multi-cloud or distributed cloud, there are many protection possibilities from data to web application or API protection, including bot mitigation."
"Support comes not only on problems in terms of security, but also on other matters such as concerns, questions, or inquiries about the license and inquiries about the best way to deploy it."
"Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service has positively impacted my organization by simplifying cybersecurity operations while improving our ability to detect and respond to threats."
"Since using Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service, I have seen measurable improvements such as faster incident response, fewer successful attacks, and significant efficiency gains for IT teams, with independent evaluations showing near-perfect detection rates and response times under two minutes, translating directly into saved hours and reduced risk."
"Enhanced Threat Hunting and Forensics help my organization address cyberattacks."
"Since the day we started using Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service MDR, there has not been a single incident."
"Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service offers very tight security and compliance; if anybody applies Sophos at their premises, the environment is completely secure and sound."
"Sophos Heartbeat and the Sophos AI-driven ransomware protection for Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service are significant benefits."
"Overall, I find Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service to be very great and very fast."
 

Cons

"Cloudflare does not have an on-premise solution. If they had different approaches they could be better suited to accommodate more customers, such as on-premise and hybrid deployments. For example, hybrid deployments would be useful where you could move the traffic from the enterprise to the cloud."
"I believe they currently have this feature, but there will most likely be integration with APIs so we can control some features through API."
"Although I think it's quite good, it doesn't provide me with all the features I would expect to have if I were using Imperva."
"Cloudflare could offer a better view or maybe dashboards of the main resources used in the client."
"CloudFlare doesn't provide the cache flush history. I am not able to find out the URL information of those I have recently flushed."
"We experienced some downtime in the fall of 2013, causing us to switch to Incapsula."
"More insight into analytics and threats would be a good place to start improving Cloudflare."
"For the free and Pro plans, Cloudflare could use a simple bot to provide information to users. This would improve support, especially for less advanced users who utilize the free components."
"One area where F5 Distributed Cloud Services can be improved is in API security, which can be enhanced."
"Last year there was a downtime of 30 minutes across the cloud distributed console, and that was the only impact observed."
"For small players, it is completely not worth it."
"The main issue is integration with other parts or products of F5, like on-premise WAF. There are some problems, mainly from the perspective of implementation and customer expectations, which sometimes differ from reality."
"The pricing could be adjusted to better meet the needs of typical customers in regions like Poland, where the product is considered too expensive."
"The worst experience is that with so many solutions available, it is very complicated to know all of the solution modules, and the offers from F5 Distributed Cloud Services are vast."
"There are a lot of technical issues with the implementation of Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service, particularly because we are currently implementing the XG series, where Citrix is the endpoint, leading to a lot of confusion."
"There are a few areas where Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service could be improved."
"In terms of improvement, Sophos testing after implementation is quite difficult."
"The disadvantages of Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service include that the support, specifically after-sales support, needs to be improved."
"The issue is that I am mentioning the need for more education because customers are using the solution, but I do not think they are maximizing the use or the functionalities of the solution."
"Unfortunately, Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service doesn't provide that kind of visibility into what software or tools are installed on a particular system."
"Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service could be improved by adding features such as patch management and file encryption, as these are currently missing."
"To make it a ten, I would like to see cloud-native workload protection and identity security deeper compared with some specialized competitors."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is reasonable."
"The solution has many features but there are ones that you need to pay for. Sometimes you have to find out which is available for free and which you have to pay for."
"That is one of the great features. I was able to access the majority of the features and services for free."
"We are using the free version."
"The pricing for the service is reasonable, neither excessively cheap nor prohibitively expensive. It aligns well with the value of their solution."
"For Cloudflare, I recommend it heavily for small businesses with revenue under a couple of million dollars. Onboarding is easy, and they even have a free plan. This makes it simple for businesses in the $100,000-$500,000 range to try it out and see its value, allowing them to scale up their infrastructure as needed."
"The price of the solution is expensive."
"The solution is expensive when compared to other products but offers unlimited bandwidth."
Information not available
Information not available
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which CDN solutions are best for your needs.
908,858 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
10%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
Construction Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Computer Software Company
7%
Outsourcing Company
7%
Construction Company
38%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Security Firm
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business46
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise26
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business5
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise5
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Large Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

Which is the best DDoS protection solution for a big ISP for monitoring and mitigating?
Cloudflare. We are moving from Akamai prolexic to Cloudflare. Cloudflare anycast network outperforms Akamai static GR...
Which would you choose - Cloudflare DNS or Quad9?
Cloudflare DNS is a very fast, very reliable public DNS resolver. It is an enterprise-grade authoritative DNS service...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cloudflare DNS?
The pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Cloudflare are a bit on the higher side overall.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for F5 Distributed Cloud Services?
F5 Distributed Cloud Services is affordable. I think it is very affordable. I do not think it is expensive.
What needs improvement with F5 Distributed Cloud Services?
One area where F5 Distributed Cloud Services can be improved is in API security, which can be enhanced.Specifically, ...
What is your primary use case for F5 Distributed Cloud Services?
My main use case for F5 Distributed Cloud Services is WAF protection.I am using F5 Distributed Cloud Services primari...
What needs improvement with Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service?
The R&D team is very good in doing their task and continuously conducting research. I cannot comment on what coul...
What is your primary use case for Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service?
I want to discuss the experience with Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service products. I have familiarity with the service...
What advice do you have for others considering Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service?
Most of our customers are very cautious about the data that they are keeping, so they prefer buying Sophos Cybersecur...
 

Also Known As

Cloudflare DNS
No data available
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Trusted by over 9,000,000 Internet Applications and APIs, including Nasdaq, Zendesk, Crunchbase, Steve Madden, OkCupid, Cisco, Quizlet, Discord and more.
Information Not Available
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Cloudflare, Imperva, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and others in CDN. Updated: August 2026.
908,858 professionals have used our research since 2012.