Cloudflare WAF vs Netsweeper nFilter: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)
Features, pricing, ratings, and pros & cons — compared head-to-head.
Cloudflare WAF is a commercial cloud web application and api protection tool by Cloudflare, Inc.. Netsweeper nFilter is a commercial cloud web application and api protection tool by netsweeper. Compare features, ratings, integrations, and community reviews side by side to find the best cloud web application and api protection fit for your security stack.
CST VerdictBased on our analysis of NIST CSF 2.0 coverage, core features, company size fit, deployment model, here is our conclusion:
Startups and SMBs with limited security ops capacity should pick Cloudflare WAF for its zero-trust integration with your existing DNS and CDN layers, eliminating the need for separate appliance management. The platform handles NIST PR.PS and PR.IR through managed rulesets and DDoS mitigation without requiring full-time WAF tuning; you're inheriting Cloudflare's threat intelligence across their 280+ million daily requests. Skip this if you need granular application layer control or extensive custom rule development; the managed approach trades flexibility for speed-to-protection.
Enterprise and mid-market security teams managing dispersed workforces need nFilter's on-device filtering that works without VPN, eliminating the latency tax of traditional web gateways while keeping content control enforcement local. The AI-powered URL categorization processes requests at carrier grade with zero added latency, and the platform covers Windows, macOS, Chrome, Android, and iOS from a single pane. Skip this if your priority is blocking sophisticated API attacks rather than controlling web and social media access; nFilter's strength is content governance and compliance monitoring, not API-layer threat detection.
