---
title: "Cloud Defender or a traditional WAF: how to choose"
description: "Cloud Defender and an in-house WAF compared: activation, maintenance, rules, DDoS, direct access to the server and visibility."
canonical: https://www.aegister.com/en/solutions/compare/cloud-defender-vs-traditional-waf/
url: /en/solutions/compare/cloud-defender-vs-traditional-waf/
lang: en
---

![](https://www.aegister.com/static/images/header.webp)

# Cloud Defender or a traditional WAF

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) can be installed in house, as an appliance or software, or used as a managed service. What changes for your sites and APIs.

## In short

There is no right choice for everyone: it depends on where the applications are and who can look after them every day.

### Cloud Defender

Makes sense when:

- You protect sites and APIs exposed to the internet and nobody in the company has time to run a WAF.
- You want DDoS protection and malicious IP blocking without installing hardware.
- You want to see blocked attacks in Cyber Console, next to the other services.

### In-house WAF

Makes sense when:

- You need to protect internal applications that are not reachable from the internet.
- Contractual or regulatory constraints prevent traffic from passing through an external service.
- You need very specific rules and have a team that writes and maintains them.

## Point by point

Comparison checked on 1 October 2026.

| Criterion | Cloud Defender | In-house WAF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Activation | Cloud DefenderA DNS record pointing to secure.aegister.com, with no code changes | In-house WAFInstallation, configuration and placement in the network |
| Maintenance | Cloud DefenderUpdates and rules are on us | In-house WAFUpdates, patches and capacity are on you |
| Rules against SQL injection and XSS | Cloud DefenderTuned by us to your traffic | In-house WAFConfigured and maintained in house |
| Malicious IP addresses | Cloud DefenderBlocked with our threat intelligence, list updated automatically | In-house WAFIf the product has a feed and the licence includes it |
| Volumetric DDoS attacks | Cloud DefenderHandled at the edge, before your line | In-house WAFA device in house cannot stop an attack that saturates the connection |
| Direct access to the server | Cloud DefenderThe server accepts only traffic that comes through Cloud Defender | In-house WAFDepends on how the network is configured |
| TLS certificates | Cloud DefenderHandled at the edge | In-house WAFHandled by you |
| Internal applications | Cloud DefenderNot covered: Cloud Defender protects what is exposed to the internet | In-house WAFCovered, if the WAF sits in the internal network |
| Visibility | Cloud DefenderIn Cyber Console: threats blocked, attacking IPs, origins and the layer that blocked | In-house WAFIn the WAF's console |

## Getting started with Cloud Defender

1. 1

   ### Domains

   Tell us which sites and APIs to protect.
2. 2

   ### DNS

   The DNS record points to secure.aegister.com: requests pass through our edge.
3. 3

   ### Server

   Your server accepts only traffic that comes from Cloud Defender.
4. 4

   ### Tuning

   In the first weeks we tune the rules to your real traffic.

[All about Cloud Defender](https://www.aegister.com/en/solutions/cloud-defender/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Do you need to change the site's code?

No. A DNS record is enough: the applications stay as they are.

### How long does activation take?

A few minutes for the DNS record. In the first weeks we tune the rules to your traffic.

### Does the traffic pass through your systems?

Yes: to inspect HTTPS requests, Cloud Defender handles TLS at the edge and forwards only allowed traffic to your server.

### Does Cloud Defender also protect internal applications?

No: it protects sites and APIs reachable from the internet. Internal applications need protection inside your network.

## Other comparisons

[### Threat Blocker or the firewall's threat intelligence

Threat Blocker and the threat intelligence built into the firewall compared: what they block, compatibility, multiple sites, visibility and when you need both.

Full comparison](https://www.aegister.com/en/solutions/compare/threat-blocker-vs-firewall-threat-intelligence/)
[### Virtual CISO or in-house CISO

Virtual CISO and in-house CISO compared: cost, presence, skills, tools and continuity. When one makes more sense than the other.

Full comparison](https://www.aegister.com/en/solutions/compare/virtual-ciso-vs-in-house-ciso/)

## Not sure yet which fits you?

The Cyber Check-up returns your company's cyber profile and the priorities to start from.

[Start the Cyber Check-up](https://www.aegister.com/en/assessment/)
[Cloud Defender](https://www.aegister.com/en/solutions/cloud-defender/)