# AWS WAF, F5 Distributed Cloud WAF vs Netgate pfSense Comparison

| | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.3 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.7 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 72 | 10 | 325 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (34.4% of reviews) | Mid-Market (37.5% of reviews) | Small-Business (68.7% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### AWS WAF

Pros:
- WAF (Web Application Firewall) (2 reviews)
- Cloud Integration (1 reviews)

Cons:
- Complex Configuration (1 reviews)
- Expensive (1 reviews)

### F5 Distributed Cloud WAF

**Not enough data**

### Netgate pfSense

Pros:
- Ease of Use (3 reviews)
- Customizability (2 reviews)

Cons:
- Complex Configuration (2 reviews)
- Difficult Learning Curve (2 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 8.9 (48 reviews) | 9.0 (5 reviews) | 9.4 (260 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.2 (48 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.5 (267 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.1 (33 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.7 (246 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.2 (32 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (243 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.7 (44 reviews) | 9.3 (5 reviews) | 9.1 (208 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.8 (31 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.2 (197 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.0 (48 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.6 (261 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### AWS WAF

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### F5 Distributed Cloud WAF

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### Netgate pfSense

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Website Security

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **AWS WAF** | N/A | N/A |
| **F5 Distributed Cloud WAF** | N/A | N/A |
| **Netgate pfSense** | N/A | N/A |

#### Administration

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Content Delivery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Dashboard & Reporting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Alerting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Risk Analysis

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Blacklist and Whitelist** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Vulnerability Assessment** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Security Auditing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Threat Protection

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Firewall** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **DDoS Protection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Malware Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Malware Removal** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Summarization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Web Application Firewall (WAF)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **AWS WAF** | 8.6/10 | 31 |
| **F5 Distributed Cloud WAF** | N/A | N/A |
| **Netgate pfSense** | N/A | N/A |

#### Analysis

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Logging and Reporting** | 8.3 (24 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Issue Tracking** | 8.0 (21 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Security Monitoring** | 8.9 (25 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Controls

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Application-Layer Controls ** | 9.2 (22 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Traffic Controls** | 8.7 (24 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Network Controls** | 8.8 (23 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **API / Integrations** | 8.9 (22 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Extensibility** | 8.2 (20 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Bot Traffic** | 9.0 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Summarization** | 7.7 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Firewall Software

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **AWS WAF** | N/A | N/A |
| **F5 Distributed Cloud WAF** | N/A | N/A |
| **Netgate pfSense** | 8.3/10 | 243 |

#### Administration

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Policy Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (188 reviews) | 
| **Logging and Reporting** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.3 (209 reviews) | 
| **Application Gateway** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.4 (179 reviews) | 
| **Concurrent Sessions** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.0 (200 reviews) | 

#### Agentic AI - Firewall Software

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Adaptive Learning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Functionality

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Virtual Private Network (VPN)** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.1 (217 reviews) | 
| **Antivirus** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 6.6 (136 reviews) | 
| **URL Filtering** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.9 (167 reviews) | 
| **Availability** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.3 (200 reviews) | 

#### Monitoring

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Load Balancing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.5 (163 reviews) | 
| **Continuous Analysis** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.2 (168 reviews) | 
| **Intrusion Prevention** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.7 (188 reviews) | 
| **Intrusion Detection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.4 (181 reviews) | 

#### Generative AI

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **AI Text Summarization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 6.7 (73 reviews) | 

#### Artificial Intelligence - Firewall

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **AI Firewall** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Business VPN

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **AWS WAF** | N/A | N/A |
| **F5 Distributed Cloud WAF** | N/A | N/A |
| **Netgate pfSense** | 8.8/10 | 181 |

#### Usage

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Multi-Device Usage** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.2 (146 reviews) | 
| **Multiple Concurrent Connections** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.5 (162 reviews) | 
| **Protocol Choices** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.3 (165 reviews) | 
| **Unlimited Bandwidth** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.4 (156 reviews) | 
| **No Log Storage** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.9 (110 reviews) | 
| **Varied Server Locations** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.5 (113 reviews) | 
| **Unlimited Server Switches** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.5 (108 reviews) | 

#### Miscellaneous

| Feature | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Live Customer Support** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.1 (109 reviews) | 
| **Open Source Code** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.3 (147 reviews) | 
| **Multiple Payment Methods** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.2 (97 reviews) | 

---
## Categories

**Unique to AWS WAF (1):** [Web Application Firewalls (WAF)](https://www.g2.com/categories/web-application-firewall-waf)

**Unique to F5 Distributed Cloud WAF (2):** [Web Application Firewalls (WAF)](https://www.g2.com/categories/web-application-firewall-waf), [Website Security Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/website-security)

**Unique to Netgate pfSense (2):** [Firewall Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/firewall-software), [Business VPN Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/business-vpn)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | AWS WAF | F5 Distributed Cloud WAF | Netgate pfSense | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 34.4% | 25.0% | 68.7% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 34.4% | 37.5% | 25.0% | 
| **Enterprise** | 31.3% | 37.5% | 6.3% | 

### By Industry

#### AWS WAF

- **Information Technology and Services:** 21.9%
- **Computer Software:** 9.4%
- **Retail:** 7.8%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 7.8%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 7.8%
- **Banking:** 4.7%
- **Internet:** 4.7%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 4.7%
- **Financial Services:** 4.7%
- **Consumer Goods:** 3.1%
- **Other:** 23.4%

#### F5 Distributed Cloud WAF

- **Information Technology and Services:** 25.0%
- **Restaurants:** 12.5%
- **Financial Services:** 12.5%
- **Education Management:** 12.5%
- **Computer Software:** 12.5%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 12.5%
- **Automotive:** 12.5%

#### Netgate pfSense

- **Information Technology and Services:** 20.2%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 11.0%
- **Computer Software:** 6.3%
- **Telecommunications:** 4.1%
- **Computer Networking:** 3.8%
- **Non-Profit Organization Management:** 3.5%
- **Education Management:** 3.2%
- **Government Administration:** 3.2%
- **Higher Education:** 2.8%
- **Health, Wellness and Fitness:** 1.9%
- **Other:** 40.1%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to AWS WAF

- [F5 NGINX](https://www.g2.com/products/f5-nginx/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (107 reviews)
- [Imperva App Protect](https://www.g2.com/products/imperva-app-protect/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (0 reviews)
- [Sucuri](https://www.g2.com/products/sucuri/reviews) — 3.3/5 stars (48 reviews)
- [ModSecurity](https://www.g2.com/products/modsecurity/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (14 reviews)
- [Cloudflare Application Security and Performance](https://www.g2.com/products/cloudflare-application-security-and-performance/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (601 reviews)
- [Google Cloud Armor](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-armor/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (23 reviews)
- [Imperva Web Application Firewall (WAF)](https://www.g2.com/products/imperva-web-application-firewall-waf/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (41 reviews)
- [Barracuda Web Application Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/barracuda-web-application-firewall/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (14 reviews)
- [Azure Application Gateway](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-application-gateway/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (160 reviews)
- [HAProxy](https://www.g2.com/products/haproxy/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (900 reviews)

### Alternatives to F5 Distributed Cloud WAF

- [HAProxy](https://www.g2.com/products/haproxy/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (900 reviews)
- [Cloudflare Application Security and Performance](https://www.g2.com/products/cloudflare-application-security-and-performance/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (601 reviews)
- [Imperva App Protect](https://www.g2.com/products/imperva-app-protect/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (0 reviews)
- [Radware Cloud WAF](https://www.g2.com/products/radware-cloud-waf/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (135 reviews)
- [Intruder](https://www.g2.com/products/intruder/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (206 reviews)
- [Astra Pentest](https://www.g2.com/products/astra-pentest/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (186 reviews)
- [Azure Application Gateway](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-application-gateway/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (160 reviews)
- [Azure Web Application Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-web-application-firewall/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (31 reviews)
- [Imperva Web Application Firewall (WAF)](https://www.g2.com/products/imperva-web-application-firewall-waf/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (41 reviews)
- [FortiAppSec Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/fortiappsec-cloud/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (31 reviews)

### Alternatives to Netgate pfSense

- [Sophos Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/sophos-firewall/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (635 reviews)
- [Check Point Next Generation Firewalls (NGFWs)](https://www.g2.com/products/check-point-next-generation-firewalls-ngfws/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (585 reviews)
- [WatchGuard Network Security](https://www.g2.com/products/watchguard-network-security/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (267 reviews)
- [FortiGate-VM NGFW](https://www.g2.com/products/fortigate-vm-ngfw/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (230 reviews)
- [Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls](https://www.g2.com/products/palo-alto-networks-next-generation-firewalls/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (167 reviews)
- [SonicWall Next Generation Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/sonicwall-next-generation-firewall/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (153 reviews)
- [Cisco Secure Firewall Threat Defense Virtual (formerly NGFWv)](https://www.g2.com/products/cisco-secure-firewall-threat-defense-virtual-formerly-ngfwv/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (93 reviews)
- [CrowdSec](https://www.g2.com/products/crowdsec/reviews) — 4.7/5 stars (87 reviews)
- [GlassWire Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/glasswire-firewall/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (50 reviews)
- [Comodo Firewall](https://www.g2.com/products/comodo-firewall/reviews) — 4.0/5 stars (38 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### AWS WAF

- Title: [What is AWS WAF used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-aws-waf-used-for) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Web application firewalls are used for protection of web applications from owasp top 10 vulnerabilities basis on different CVEs. AWS WAF is nothing but..."

### F5 Distributed Cloud WAF

- Title: [What is the best way which i can use the tool with almost all functionality and at a moderate cost](https://www.g2.com/discussions/51393-what-is-the-best-way-which-i-can-use-the-tool-with-almost-all-functionality-and-at-a-moderate-cost) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Load balancing and cipher support"

### Netgate pfSense

- Title: [Can pfSense be used as a router?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/can-pfsense-be-used-as-a-router) — 11 comments
  > **Top comment:** "pfSense is an open-source firewall and router software distribution based on FreeBSD. It supports NAT and different types of interfaces (WAN, LAN, DMZ). It..."
- Title: [What is pfSense used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-pfsense-used-for) — 7 comments
  > **Top comment:** "router, firewall, vpn server"
- Title: [Is pfSense still free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-pfsense-still-free) — 5 comments
  > **Top comment:** "yes its available in both free and paid version "
- Title: [What is pfSense software?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-pfsense-software) — 4 comments
  > **Top comment:** "It's a firewall/firewall."
- Title: [Is pfSense any good?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-pfsense-any-good) — 3 comments
  > **Top comment:** "Yes, it's excellent "

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/aws-waf-vs-f5-distributed-cloud-waf-vs-netgate-pfsense)