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

Cloudflare and F5 are both solutions in the Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection category. Cloudflare is ranked #7 with an average rating of 9.0, while F5 is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.3. Cloudflare holds a 4.1% mindshare in DDOS, compared to F5’s 1.2% 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 22 Cloudflare One reviews

9,306 Views
1,396 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall...

Read 25 F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) reviews

1,062 Views
1,062 Comparison Views

95% willing to recommend

Cloudflare One

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 4, 2026

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager and Cloudflare One compete in network security. Cloudflare One seems to have the upper hand due to its ease of deployment and cost-effective solution.

Features: F5 BIG-IP AFM offers comprehensive network protection with load balancing, extensive security configurations, and seamless integration of its solutions, making it ideal for unified network security. Cloudflare One features an intuitive interface with integrated DDoS protection, rate limiting, and caching, appealing to small teams seeking simple and efficient security solutions.

Room for Improvement: F5 BIG-IP AFM could benefit from enhancements in geolocation features, improved automation for incident handling, and better edge firewall capabilities. Cloudflare One can improve its onboarding experience, simplify dashboard insights, and enhance feedback mechanisms during troubleshooting.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: F5 BIG-IP AFM often deployed on-premises, is praised for reliable but sometimes inconsistent customer service. It struggles with immediate issue resolution. Cloudflare One, being cloud-based, offers a streamlined deployment process with efficient problem-solving, although knowledgeable representatives can sometimes be hard to find.

Pricing and ROI: F5 BIG-IP AFM is expensive but delivers a justified ROI through its robust functionality. Customers note pricing concerns despite available discounts. Cloudflare One presents a generally cheaper and transparent pricing model, aligning well with smaller organizations and delivering efficient ROI, though it could benefit from greater pricing transparency.

To learn more, read our detailed Cloudflare One vs. F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

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

December 2025

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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

7th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Email Security (21st), Secure Web Gateways (SWG) (16th), Data Loss Prevention (DLP) (21st), Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB) (11th), Software Defined WAN (SD-WAN) Solutions (13th), Access Management (10th), Bot Management (3rd), ZTNA as a Service (8th), ZTNA (2nd), Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (10th), Remote Browser Isolation (RBI) (3rd)

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall...

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

13th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Protection category, the mindshare of Cloudflare One is 4.1%, up from 3.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) is 1.2%, down from 1.3% 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 (%)
Cloudflare One	4.1%
F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)	1.2%
Other	94.7%

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.

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Pawel Augustyn

System Advisor at CRIF SpA

Provides outstanding resource management and application security across multiple geographies

The most valuable features for me are stability, availability, and security, along with the ability to manage multiple features to secure my applications. The solution also monitors and blocks unconventional requests and maintains security efficiently. The scalability feature also allows me to manage and allocate resources dynamically without disrupting production 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 tool also offers good scalability, and the dashboard, along with real-time analytics, is very good."

"Cloudflare is simple to use."

"The blocking feature is very good."

"I'm very satisfied with the environment and the dashboard."

"The capabilities of the software are strong enough for me to do what it's supposed to do. For me, we don't need to do a lot of configuration on our site. We just enable it and monitor it."

"Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform removes the risk of exposing the applications to the public."

"Cloudflare is by far the most effective solution that I have come across."

"The solution has different options that can be used to differentiate DDoS attacks."

More Cloudflare One pros

"The most valuable features of F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) are the web gateway, load balancing, services, and applications available."

"The protection is very useful."

"The solution provides behavioral analysis via AI to detect malicious traffic."

"The product helps us provide security validation by protecting various applications from getting hacked."

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

"It is stable."

"The decryption is great."

"The most valuable features for me are stability, availability, and security, along with the ability to manage multiple features to secure my applications."

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

Cons

"Feedback could be enhanced."

"The tool should provide on-premise versions. Currently, all versions are cloud-based."

"The free plan has limitations. For example, I can only set up three rules, and the application firewall is unavailable."

"The initial onboarding was causing us some confusion."

"Cloudflare Zero Trust Platform needs to improve its documentation. It took time to do the implementation."

"The response time for support must be reduced."

"Our customers no longer use Cloudflare because its service is subpar."

"There are premium tier live service and lower tier live service, so we opted for the lower tier. But there is no medium tier where we pay a little extra and get a bit more service. So if that can be improved."

More Cloudflare One cons

"The solution doesn't really meet our requirements for an edge firewall."

"It doesn't compare to next generation firewalls"

"The pricing of the solution could be a little bit better."

"There is room for improvement in Advanced Firewall Manager's dashboard statistics, especially during attacks."

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

"For configuring the firewall, every single vendor on the planet has pretty much the same logic when it comes to firewalls, and F5 has a completely different approach and completely different behavior."

"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."

"There should be simplified and better integration with BIG-IQ."

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

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"The solution is not that expensive."

"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."

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

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

"The solution's pricing lacks transparency."

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

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

"It's very expensive, and you pay extra for the models."

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

"We have purchased a five-year licensing package for the product."

"F5 BIG-IP AFM is an affordable solution. There were not any additional fees other than the standard licensing."

"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

Computer Software Company

12%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Financial Services Firm

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Performing Arts

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	10

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	8
Midsize Enterprise	5
Large Enterprise	14

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access has strong integration with Microsoft, among other platforms. However, when it comes to Kaspersky, we have clients who typically encounter challenges. The usual setup involves con...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access provides secure access to internal applications for employees, external members of the organization, or third-party providers. It acts similarly to a VPN but uses a different kind...

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Cloudflare Access?

Cloudflare Access is one of the best integrations available. While about two hundred vendors offer similar services, Cloudflare's approach as a SASE solution stands out. Clients prefer a single pla...

See all answers

What do you like most about F5 Advanced Firewall Manager?

CGNAT is one of its strong areas.

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?

The appliance and features could be enhanced further, especially in terms of security. Some features like the WAF ( /categories/web-application-firewall-waf ) firewall may seem expensive compared t...

See all answers

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cloudflare One

January 2026

Download Cloudflare One product report

Buyer's Guide

F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM)

January 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 (AFM) is a high-performance, full-proxy network security solution designed to protect networks and data centers against incoming threats that enter the network. Built on F5’s industry-leading BIG-IP hardware and software platforms, BIG-IP AFM provides a scalable platform that delivers the flexible performance and control needed to mitigate aggressive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) and protocol attacks before they overwhelm and degrade applications and infrastructure availability.

For service providers, BIG-IP AFM IPS does even more, protecting the network edge and performing traffic inspection and protocol adherence for prevalent service provider protocols such as SS7, Diameter, HTTP/2, GTP, SCTP and SIP traffic coming into the network over UDP, TCP, and SCTP.

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)

December 2025

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

Find out what your peers are saying about Cloudflare One vs. F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager (AFM) and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

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