Quick Comparison
| Feature | RhinoWAF | Cloudflare | ModSecurity | AWS WAF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $20-200/mo | Free | $5+ per million |
| Setup Time | 5 minutes | 30 minutes | 2-4 hours | 1 hour |
| Self-Hosted | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| DDoS Protection | Built-in (L7) | Yes (L3-L7) | Limited | Yes |
| Rate Limiting | Advanced | Yes | Basic | Yes |
| Bot Detection | Yes | Yes | Limited | Limited |
| IPv6 Support | Full | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HTTP/3 Support | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Config Format | JSON | Web UI | Complex | Web UI |
| Memory Usage | Low (50-100MB) | N/A | Medium | N/A |
| Learning Curve | Easy | Easy | Hard | Medium |
vs Cloudflare
When to choose RhinoWAF
- You want full control over your data
- No monthly costs or per-request fees
- Need to run on-premise or air-gapped networks
- Don't want to change DNS settings
- Need custom rules beyond Cloudflare's limits
- Privacy-sensitive applications
When to choose Cloudflare
- You need global CDN functionality
- Want zero maintenance
- Need enterprise support contracts
- Have massive scale (multi-million requests/day)
- Need DDoS protection at network layer (L3/L4)
vs ModSecurity
Why RhinoWAF is better
- Zero-config start vs hours of rule configuration
- Modern Go architecture vs legacy C codebase
- Built-in DDoS protection vs separate modules needed
- JSON config vs complex Apache/Nginx directives
- Active development vs slower update cycle
- Browser fingerprinting and challenge system built-in
When to stick with ModSecurity
- You need OWASP Core Rule Set compatibility
- Already invested in ModSecurity rule customization
- Require specific enterprise compliance certifications
- Need integration with existing Apache/Nginx setup
vs AWS WAF
Why RhinoWAF wins
- No per-request charges (AWS charges per million requests)
- Works with any backend, not just AWS services
- Self-hosted means no data leaves your infrastructure
- Simpler pricing model (free)
- No vendor lock-in
- Full control over rules and policies
When to use AWS WAF
- Already heavily invested in AWS ecosystem
- Need AWS Shield Advanced integration
- Want managed rule sets updated by AWS
- Using AWS CloudFront or Application Load Balancer
Cost Comparison (Annual)
| Solution | Base Cost | Per Million Requests | Typical Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| RhinoWAF | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Cloudflare Pro | $240/year | Included | $240 |
| Cloudflare Business | $2,400/year | Included | $2,400 |
| AWS WAF | $730/year (base) | $6 | $1,000-5,000 |
| ModSecurity | $0 | $0 | $0 (but higher ops cost) |
Use Case Recommendations
Choose RhinoWAF for
- Startups and small businesses
- Self-hosted applications
- Privacy-sensitive applications
- Development and staging environments
- Learning web security
- Cost-conscious deployments
- On-premise requirements
- Air-gapped networks
Consider alternatives for
- Enterprise with strict compliance requirements
- Need 24/7 vendor support with SLAs
- Global CDN is critical to your architecture
- Massive scale (multi-million req/s)
- Need network-layer DDoS protection (L3/L4)
Migration Difficulty
| From | To RhinoWAF | Complexity |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare | Easy - just point traffic to RhinoWAF | Low |
| ModSecurity | Medium - some rule translation needed | Medium |
| AWS WAF | Easy - similar rule concepts | Low |
| Nginx | Easy - RhinoWAF can replace nginx | Low |