Akamai App and API Protector vs Nexusguard DDoS Protection comparison

Akamai and Nexusguard are both solutions in the Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection category. Akamai is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.0, while Nexusguard is ranked #24. Akamai holds a 4.2% mindshare in DDOS, compared to Nexusguard’s 1.5% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Akamai users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Nexusguard users who would recommend it.

Akamai App and API Protector

Read 29 Akamai App and API Protector reviews

4,499 Views
1,710 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Nexusguard DDoS Protection

Read 5 Nexusguard DDoS Protection reviews

890 Views
890 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Akamai App and API Protector

Nexusguard DDoS Protection

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 5, 2024

Nexusguard DDoS Protection and Akamai App and API Protector are competitive products in the cybersecurity sector, focusing on DDoS attack management. Nexusguard stands out in pricing and support, while Akamai is preferred for advanced features.

Features: Nexusguard offers a streamlined set of features for DDoS mitigation, significant flexibility, and local scrubbing functionality of around 100 GB. Akamai provides extensive app security, API integration, and rotating blacklists capabilities, making it suitable for enterprises seeking comprehensive security.

Room for Improvement: Nexusguard could enhance its dashboard interface, expand cloud services, and optimize integration for larger networks. Akamai may improve response times in customer service, simplify complex deployment setups, and adjust pricing to be more competitive for smaller enterprises.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Nexusguard is praised for its straightforward deployment and speedy customer support. It appeals to businesses requiring minimal setup complexity. Akamai, while robust in deployment, has a more complex initialization process due to its extensive features, and customer service can be slow due to demand.

Pricing and ROI: Nexusguard is recognized for offering great value with a competitive pricing structure, especially appealing to small and medium businesses. Akamai's higher cost reflects its security integrations and extensive features, providing worthwhile ROI for those who can leverage all its functionalities.

To learn more, read our detailed Akamai App and API Protector vs. Nexusguard DDoS Protection Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Akamai App and API Protector vs. Nexusguard DDoS Protection

February 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

Akamai App and API Protector

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

8th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Web Application Firewall (WAF) (16th), Cloud and Data Center Security (12th)

Nexusguard DDoS Protection

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

24th

Average Rating

9.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection category, the mindshare of Akamai App and API Protector is 4.2%, up from 3.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Nexusguard DDoS Protection is 1.5%, down from 2.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Akamai App and API Protector	4.2%
Nexusguard DDoS Protection	1.5%
Other	94.3%

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection

Featured Reviews

Gavin Pinho

Privacy & Risk Management Vice President, Information Security at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees

Has provided strong protection against evolving threats but still needs support for configuration fine-tuning

The standout features of Akamai App and API Protector are rooted in it being the Web Application Firewall, where all traffic gets scanned, including the implementation of web firewall rules, and after this phase, traffic proceeds through the BMP, which is Bot Management. Akamai App and API Protector exceeds expectations in terms of AI capabilities, and it genuinely combines a plethora of advanced features. The area in which Akamai excels compared to other competitors with a WAF is in threat intelligence, as threats continually evolve, requiring ongoing updates to backend algorithms to effectively capture smart bots, and Akamai's commitment in that regard is backed by an excellent team, while other providers are still catching up.

Read full review

ShashikaKodikara

Head of Cybersecurity at Technovage Solution

A solution requiring straightforward maintenance while remaining cost-effective compared to its competitors in the market

I am not in a position to speak about the areas where the solution needed improvement because I resigned during the implementation phase. At that time, the implementation was ongoing, and everything seemed to be going well. Using the solution, our team managed to transfer a couple of routers through a few areas. However, I believe the migration is still ongoing. Nonetheless, the first phase of the implementation was successful before my departure. There was a certain level of performance degradation in the solution, which I don't know if it can be tuned. This is because I was working for a short period on the solution. In my experience, it is an area that can be improved while also considering the stability and scalability aspects of the solution. If one wants to scale up, then one needs to change their plan. However, the thing is, one can always go for the larger scale based on one's anticipation of future traffic.

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

"The most valuable feature is the custom rules feature. This is because many of our customers require a lot of custom rules. Because it's a very customized project for our customers, I think they have the best of everything already."

"Akamai App and API Protector exceeds expectations in terms of AI capabilities, and it genuinely combines a plethora of advanced features."

"The features are powerful and better than F5."

"The solution easily identifies, delays, or allows business traffic."

"All the solution's features are very good."

"Adaptive stream delivery and WAF protection are valuable."

"They have a fantastic tool for analyzing and viewing your traffic."

"The product has a good UI."

More Akamai App and API Protector pros

"Filters can be customized depending on the characteristics of the attack traffic. This feature has made it easier for Nexusguard's SOC team to further isolate any specific attack that can't be blocked by pre-configured mitigation."

"Cloud Diversion is another good feature packaged with the whole solution. When attack traffic is detected, Cloud Diversion triggers to automatically route our prefix to Nexusguard’s scrubbing center, ensuring that all attack traffic is dropped in the shortest time possible."

"Based on the support received for implementation, I rate the solution's technical support a nine out of ten."

"The managed service allows us to confidently rely on Nexusguard’s professional team to take relevant actions as and when required to make sure DDoS attacks are successfully mitigated, ensuring 100% uptime of our service."

"The support team was helpful."

Cons

"One thing I asked them is to integrate the API discovery product that they have and push that data into Akamai App and API Protector so that we do not have two types of reviews to identify the type of traffic. We already know the APIs that are frequently getting used, so analysis becomes easier. We can integrate both products and use them."

"The effectiveness of Akamai's bot management in reducing unauthorized access is quite good, although it does require a lot of fine-tuning and tweaking, which involves spending ample time with their support teams to tailor the configuration to our applications."

"It could have better analytics and reporting visibility in the OEM console."

"The custom rules must be improved."

"The product should provide a secure NTP."

"We are experimenting with EdgeWorkers to write our own code at the Edge level. It could grow to be much better."

"A lot of piracy happens in India and other countries. If there is a product for protection from piracy, it would be great. For example, there are multiple hackers that hack your event, and there are some channels that pirate and publish the event on some other website. We protect our streaming through DRM and different technologies. We are also protecting the website, but hacking is still happening. If they can work on protecting from piracy, it would be great."

"The pricing could be reduced a bit."

More Akamai App and API Protector cons

"The solution must provide features for the post-processing of the traffic type and the traffic quality."

"The mitigation scope of Origin Protection is not fully efficient as there could be delays in activating the countermeasures."

"One of the features that should be added to the next release is report generation. Currently, reports can be downloaded every month and are only available at the beginning of each month. It would be nice to generate the reports based on specific dates that we prefer and not have to wait until the next month for the current month’s report."

"One thing that we would like to improve from them is to provide more training to SOC team for them to have a deep understanding of the solution so that they would always be ready to answer anything without the need to escalate queries to senior personnel."

"There was a certain level of performance degradation in the solution, which I don't know if it can be tuned...In my experience, it is an area that can be improved while also considering the stability and scalability aspects of the solution."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Cost depends on the volume of traffic."

"Its price is slightly high. Every company has a justification for the high price. Overall, it feels worth the money based on how the service has been structured, but we do negotiate it."

"Akamai Web Application Protector is an expensive product."

"Akamai is very expensive."

"The product is expensive, but it is worth the money."

"If you want quality, you have to pay the price. Its price is fair. Their account managers are also very helpful. They help you a lot with pricing even though they are working with Akamai."

"The solution is expensive."

"One reason not all people use Akamai is that it is a little bit more expensive than some other providers."

More Akamai App and API Protector pricing and cost advice

"On a scale of one to ten, where one represents a cheap option, and ten represents an expensive option, I would rate the solution a seven in terms of cost."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

18%

Computer Software Company

Manufacturing Company

Performing Arts

Comms Service Provider

36%

Media Company

10%

Educational Organization

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	18

No data available

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Akamai Web Application Protector?

The price is higher than others. It could be about 80% to 70% more expensive than other tools. So, it’s not just a slight difference.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Akamai Web Application Protector?

There are no significant areas for improvement on the WAF side or for Akamai App and API Protector solution; they are comprehensive in their current state.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Akamai Web Application Protector?

The main use case for Akamai App and API Protector is serving as the WAF, Web Application Firewall.

See all answers

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Comparisons

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Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

Prolexic vs Akamai App and API Protector

Compared 6% of the time

Imperva Application Security Platform vs Akamai App and API Protector

Compared 5% of the time

AWS WAF vs Akamai App and API Protector

Compared 5% of the time

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Cloudflare vs Nexusguard DDoS Protection

Compared 22% of the time

Arbor DDoS vs Nexusguard DDoS Protection

Compared 14% of the time

Fortinet FortiDDoS vs Nexusguard DDoS Protection

Compared 13% of the time

Radware DDoS vs Nexusguard DDoS Protection

Compared 11% of the time

NSFOCUS ADS vs Nexusguard DDoS Protection

Compared 8% of the time

More Nexusguard DDoS Protection Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Akamai App and API Protector

February 2026

Download Akamai App and API Protector product report

Buyer's Guide

Nexusguard DDoS Protection

January 2026

Download Nexusguard DDoS Protection product report

Also Known As

Akamai Web Application Protector, Akamai Kona Site Defender, Akamai Kona DDoS Defender

No data available

Overview

Akamai App and API Protector provides website security by preventing DDoS attacks, acting as an application firewall, managing content delivery, and monitoring APIs. It adapts to threat profiles and is used for fast media delivery and identifying malicious activities.

Akamai App and API Protector offers strong protection, adaptable security features, and efficient traffic management. Its WAF blocks IP addresses and country-specific threats while preventing SQL injections. Companies utilize it for scalable CDN services and comprehensive traffic analysis. Known for its cost-effectiveness and user-friendly dashboard, this protector stands out for its customizable rules and technical support. Users also highlight the ease of integration and detailed attack insights available through its advanced dashboard.

What are the key features of Akamai App and API Protector?

DDoS Protection: Strong defense against Distributed Denial of Service attacks.
Scalable CDN: Manages content delivery efficiently under high traffic loads.
WAF Capabilities: Blocks specific IPs and countries, prevents SQL injections.
Traffic Filtering: Analyzes and controls incoming requests to maintain security.
Adaptive Stream Delivery: Adjusts content delivery to meet bandwidth needs.

What benefits should users expect?

Cost-Effectiveness: Provides robust security tools at a competitive price.
Enhanced Security: Comprehensive protection against cyber threats.
Scalability: Easily handles increasing traffic and data loads.
Ease of Integration: Simple integration with existing systems.
Insightful Analytics: Offers data-driven insights into traffic and attack patterns.

In media, Akamai App and API Protector ensures smooth streaming by handling high bandwidth demands. E-commerce companies use it to guard against fraud and data breaches. Financial sectors rely on its ability to protect sensitive transactions. Implementations in healthcare focus on safeguarding patient data while maintaining compliance with regulations.

Akamai

Founded in 2008, Nexusguard is the global leader in fighting malicious internet attacks. Nexusguard protects clients against a multitude of threats, including distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, to ensure uninterrupted internet service. Nexusguard provides comprehensive, highly customized solutions for customers of all sizes, across a range of industries, and also enables turnkey anti-DDoS solutions for service providers. Nexusguard delivers on its promise to maximize peace of mind by minimizing threats.

Nexusguard’s purpose-built DDoS Protection platform is comprised of three pillars:

Application Protection
Nexusguard Application Protection mitigates all types of DDoS attacks and cyber threats, delivering maximum uptime to organizations with an online presence. Our solutions are secure, reliable, customizable, and backed by enterprise grade SLAs.

Origin Protection
Nexusguard Origin Protection secures all backend network elements, including the origin of applications, network infrastructure, and the backend IPs typically associated with proxy solutions. It is highly suitable for organizations that cannot afford any downtime of assets running their own network.

DNS Protection
Nexusguard DNS Protection protects mission-critical online services from DNS attacks. Our dedicated, fully redundant network of globally distributed proxy servers resolves every incoming DNS query quickly and reliably, ensuring your DNS server is protected from both internal and external attacks.

Visit www.nexusguard.com for more information.

Nexusguard

Sample Customers

Douglas Omaha Technology Commission, ZALORA, PrintPlanet

21st Century Technologies, Netpluz, REDtone, SNOC, StarHub, aamra

Buyer's Guide

Akamai App and API Protector vs. Nexusguard DDoS Protection

February 2026

Free Report: Akamai App and API Protector vs. Nexusguard DDoS Protection

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