AWS WAF Pricing 2026: Plans, Costs & Free Options
Last Updated: May 2026
Cloud-native WAF for AWS with managed rules bot control and fraud prevention. This page breaks down AWS WAF's Paid pricing model, what it includes, and how it compares to free alternatives in the WAF & Bot Protection category.
Pricing Overview
Pricing Model
Paid
This means the tool requires a paid subscription. Pricing is typically per user per month or per year, with tiered plans for individuals, teams, and enterprises.
Is AWS WAF Free?
No. AWS WAF requires a paid subscription. There is no free tier available, though some plans may offer a free trial.
Is AWS WAF Worth It?
AWS WAF is rated 4.3/5 in our WAF & Bot Protection directory and uses a Paid pricing model, so it is best suited for teams with budget allocated to commercial security tooling. The paid plans typically include vendor support, regular updates, and integrations that free alternatives lack. For WAF & Bot Protection workflows where reliability and SLAs matter, AWS WAF is worth the investment, particularly for organizations that cannot dedicate engineers to self-hosting open-source equivalents. Always request a demo and compare it against the free alternatives below before committing.
Cheaper Alternatives
If AWS WAF's pricing is out of budget, these WAF & Bot Protection tools offer free or freemium options:
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Cloudflare WAF
Freemium
Global CDN with AI-powered WAF DDoS protection and bot management at scale.
Compare
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does AWS WAF cost?
AWS WAF uses a Paid pricing model. This means the tool requires a paid subscription. Pricing is typically per user per month or per year, with tiered plans for individuals, teams, and enterprises. For exact current pricing, visit the AWS WAF website directly — vendors update tiers and quotas regularly.
Is there a free version of AWS WAF?
No. AWS WAF requires a paid subscription. There is no free tier available, though some plans may offer a free trial.
What are cheaper alternatives to AWS WAF?
In the WAF & Bot Protection category, the most popular free or freemium alternatives are Cloudflare WAF. Each offers a comparable feature set at lower or zero cost — see our /alternatives page for full breakdowns.