Cloudflare Application Security and Performance Reviews & Product Details

What I like most about Cloudflare Application Security and Performance is how it combines strong security and performance optimization in a single platform. It provides essential features such as DDoS protection, Web Application Firewall (WAF), and a global CDN, which together significantly improve both the security and responsiveness of my applications.

In my personal setup, I use Cloudflare in front of a VPS hosted on DigitalOcean. I configured Cloudflare DNS and proxy (orange cloud) to route traffic through Cloudflare’s network instead of exposing my server directly to the internet. This helps reduce direct attack exposure on the origin server.

Additionally, I experimented with Cloudflare WARP connectivity in my setup to secure traffic paths and improve routing stability for VPN-style access. This setup helps me manage traffic more safely while benefiting from Cloudflare’s edge network performance improvements. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

One downside is that some advanced configurations, such as custom WAF rules, firewall tuning, and routing optimizations, require a good level of technical understanding. For users who are new to networking or security concepts, the learning curve can be challenging.

Also, certain advanced security and performance features are only available on higher-tier plans, which may limit flexibility for smaller projects or personal use cases. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Honestly, their WAF is top-notch and surprisingly easy to configure. I really value how fast we can push custom rules when a new vulnerability drops or when we're seeing weird traffic anomalies. The real-time visibility is great for threat monitoring, and getting those security events forwarded into our SIEM for deeper correlation is a pretty seamless process. It handles the heavy lifting for DDoS mitigation on autopilot, which gives me peace of mind. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The main headache is around log retention and exporting. Getting granular, real-time logs pushed out to a SIEM can be unnecessarily restrictive and expensive if you aren't on the higher enterprise tiers. Also, while their managed rulesets are generally solid, tuning out false positives sometimes requires writing some pretty complex regex exceptions to ensure you aren't accidentally blocking legitimate API traffic. Support response times can also lag a bit unless you're a massive enterprise account. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I use Cloudflare Application Security and Performance because it offers a ton of free features that other platforms usually charge for. The global edge network helps my customers access the website super fast with almost no lag, which is a huge benefit. Cloudflare also caches websites to make it faster for users, and I appreciate the easy-to-navigate dashboard that provides a single point to access security and insights without needing to switch between multiple tabs. Setting up Cloudflare was easy and simple, with clear rules on what to do, which made the initial setup process smooth. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The customer support for non-enterprise users is hard to access. The Cloudflare dashboard needs improvement due to the service-bloat that hides important features. I suggest adding an AI bot for initial queries and routing to support assistants for complex issues. Additionally, personalized dashboards would be helpful to prioritize important features. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Hey Hey I like best about Cloudflare Application Security and Performance is how integrated and frictionless it is—security, reliability, and speed all work together without adding operational complexity.

A few highlights:

Security baked in by default: WAF, DDoS protection, bot management, and rate limiting are tightly integrated, so protecting apps doesn’t feel like bolting on extra tools.

Performance at global scale: The global Anycast network, smart caching, and Argo routing noticeably reduce latency and improve availability for users everywhere.

Ease of use: The dashboard, rules engine, and APIs make it easy to deploy changes quickly, iterate on policies, and troubleshoot issues without slowing teams down.

Strong visibility and control: Detailed analytics and logs help teams understand traffic patterns, attacks, and performance bottlenecks in real time.

Developer-friendly: Features like Workers and flexible rule customization let teams tailor behavior without sacrificing security or speed.

Overall, Cloudflare does a great job of simplifying app security while actively improving performance, which is a rare and valuable combination. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

A few things I dislike about Cloudflare Application Security and Performance—while still recognizing it’s a strong platform overall—are:

Learning curve for advanced features: The basics are easy to get started with, but configuring more advanced WAF rules, bot management, and rate limiting can become complex and sometimes feels unintuitive.

Limited transparency in some detections: It isn’t always clear why certain requests are blocked or challenged, which can slow down troubleshooting and make tuning harder.

Pricing complexity: Some of the more powerful security and performance features are locked behind higher tiers, and it’s not always obvious what’s included without digging through the documentation.

Rule debugging can be tedious: Testing and validating rules in production-like scenarios takes time, especially when changes have unintended side effects.

UI inconsistencies: Some settings are spread across different areas of the dashboard, so navigation can feel fragmented at times.

Overall, the biggest downside is that the platform’s power and flexibility come with added complexity—especially for teams that want fine-grained control without deep Cloudflare expertise. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Cloudflare makes it easy to create and manage security rules with a lot of flexibility. The firewall rule setup is powerful but still intuitive, and the DNS firewall is fast, reliable, and gives great visibility into traffic. It’s a solid balance of performance and security, and once configured, it runs quietly in the background doing exactly what it’s supposed to do. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Overall, the platform is excellent, but some advanced features require an Enterprise plan, which can be a higher cost barrier for smaller teams or growing businesses. While the value is there, the pricing jump to access certain capabilities (around $2,400 per year) may feel steep if you don’t need everything at that tier. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Cloudflare stands out for its user-friendly interface, featuring an intuitive dashboard that simplifies the management of security and performance settings. One of its key strengths is the ease of implementation, allowing users to enable protection rapidly with minimal setup required. The platform offers a comprehensive set of features, such as DDoS protection, WAF, CDN, and performance optimization tools, which encourages frequent use for daily monitoring and traffic management. Additionally, Cloudflare integrates smoothly with existing infrastructure and cloud services, making adoption straightforward. The combination of responsive customer support and thorough documentation further assists in resolving any issues efficiently. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Although the platform offers a broad range of features, some of the more advanced configuration options can make it less user-friendly, particularly for those who are new to security platforms. While setting up the system is usually straightforward, adjusting and fine-tuning security rules may involve a learning curve. Frequent use of the platform can reveal some shortcomings in its reporting and analytics capabilities, especially when seeking more detailed insights. Additionally, certain integrations and features are only available in higher-priced plans, which can affect how easily the platform integrates with other tools. Customer support response times also tend to vary depending on the level of service plan chosen. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

From an infrastructure management perspective, Cloudflare is relatively easy to deploy and manage. DNS management, traffic routing, and security rules are centralized in a single dashboard, making changes quick and auditable. The visibility provided through logs, analytics, and security insights helps the IT team monitor traffic patterns, identify threats, and make informed decisions without deep manual investigation. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

There are areas where Cloudflare could be improved from an admin perspective. Some advanced security and performance features require careful configuration to avoid false positives or unintended blocking. Additionally, deeper analytics and log retention options are often tied to higher-tier plans, which can be a consideration for budgeting and long-term monitoring needs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like how Cloudflare makes it simple to turn on strong security and performance improvements in one place, with quick setup and clear controls. I’ve used Cloudflare for a few years, and it has become noticeably easier to use over time (and understand what toggle does what, etc.). Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What I dislike is the lack of direct customer support on the Pro plan. When you need timely help for more advanced or urgent issues, it can be limiting, and features like live chat require upgrading to a more expensive plan. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I really love how many customization options there are, and how much I’m able to fine-tune everything, all within such an intuitive, easy-to-use interface. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Some things can feel a bit complex when they’re not routine tasks. For example, if I need to block an IP and make sure that IP is directed to a specific page or a specific 404 page, there’s a bit of a learning curve. In those cases, I usually have to go watch a tutorial. Other than that, it’s pretty intuitive. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like how Cloudflare Application Security and Performance combines both security and performance on one platform. The CDN noticeably improves load time, and it builds in security features like DDoS protection and a web application firewall, which provides strong protection. The interface is very clean and easy to manage, and its overall performance is really good. Their analytics and traffic insights are also very helpful. I find the initial setup to be very straightforward; the dashboard is intuitive, and configuring most core security and performance features doesn't require much technical effort. It's a very easy and good platform to work with. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Some advanced configuration can be a bit complex for a new user, and certain powerful features are limited to the higher-tier plans. It would be great to see simpler guidance for beginners and more flexibility in pricing. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.