Akamai Edge DNS vs HYAS Protect Protective DNS: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

Akamai Edge DNS

Mid-market and enterprise security teams defending against DNS-layer DDoS attacks will get the most from Akamai Edge DNS, particularly those running hybrid infrastructure where on-premises DNS needs the same attack surface hardening as cloud-facing services. The Shield NS53 reverse proxy handles both environments without forcing full migration to cloud DNS, and the 100% uptime SLA backed by IP anycast routing across Akamai's global network means your authoritative DNS stays available when attackers are actively flooding it. Skip this if your DNS traffic is light and you're comfortable with basic rate-limiting from your registrar; Edge DNS is built for organizations absorbing sustained volumetric attacks, not for complexity reduction.

HYAS Protect Protective DNS

Organizations between 50 and 2,000 employees need HYAS Protect Protective DNS because it blocks malicious domains at network egress without requiring endpoint agents, cutting deployment friction to weeks instead of months. The hybrid architecture and API-driven integration with your existing EDR and SIEM means you're actually using the threat intelligence instead of letting it sit in another console. Skip this if your primary concern is post-breach forensics; HYAS Protect prioritizes prevention and continuous monitoring over recovery workflows, which leaves gaps in incident reconstruction that a dedicated SIEM handles better.