Azure DDoS Protection and Mitigation Services vs Gatekeeper: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

Azure DDoS Protection and Mitigation Services

Teams already invested in Azure infrastructure will find Azure DDoS Protection and Mitigation Services the path of least friction; it operates at layer 3 and 4 without requiring additional agents or appliances, and the free tier covers standard attacks up to 100 Gbps on public IPs. Microsoft's telemetry across Azure's global network means you're getting attack signatures informed by real traffic patterns across millions of customers. Skip this if you need layer 7 application-layer protection or run a hybrid environment where your critical assets sit outside Azure; the service prioritizes mitigation over forensics, so if attack attribution and deep incident analysis matter more than stopping traffic, a dedicated DDoS vendor will serve you better.