F5 Distributed Cloud API Security vs Fastly API Security: Side-by-Side Comparison (2026)

F5 Distributed Cloud API Security

Mid-market and enterprise teams protecting APIs across multiple cloud providers should start here; F5 Distributed Cloud API Security bundles WAF, DDoS, and bot management in a single SaaS instance rather than forcing you to stitch together separate tools. The platform covers all three major clouds natively and scores notably on NIST PR.PS (platform security) and PR.IR (infrastructure resilience), meaning you're getting hardened delivery alongside threat prevention. Skip this if your API estate is small and on-premise; the SaaS-first architecture and multi-cloud pricing make more sense at scale where you'd otherwise be managing security controls across fragmented deployments.

Fastly API Security

Teams managing APIs at scale across multiple regions need Fastly API Security because it discovers and protects undocumented APIs in real time at the edge, catching shadow APIs before they become breach vectors. The platform covers all six OWASP Top 10 API risks and integrates DDoS and bot mitigation without requiring separate tools, reducing alert fatigue from fragmented stacks. Skip this if you're looking for API governance and compliance workflow automation; Fastly excels at runtime detection and threat response, not policy enforcement or change management.