Network & Connectivity · head to head
Palo Alto Networks vs Cloudflare
Palo Alto Networks
Network & Connectivity
Enterprise cybersecurity platform
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Cloudflare
Network & Connectivity
The web performance and security company
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Cloudflare has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Palo Alto Networks enterprise-focused pricing model; Cloudflare free tier limited to basic features (no advanced analytics or premium features)
- They diverge on capability: Palo Alto Networks covers Advanced threat prevention, Cloudflare covers Global CDN.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Palo Alto Networks and Cloudflare actually diverge.
| Attribute | Palo Alto Networks | Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid | Web |
| Founded | 2005 | 2009 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Network & Connectivity).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Palo Alto Networks
- Advanced threat prevention
- Threat detection and response
- Cloud security
- Endpoint protection
- Network security
- API protection
- Incident response
- Threat intelligence
Only in Cloudflare
- Global CDN
- DDoS Protection
- WAF
- DNS
- SSL/TLS
- Load Balancing
- Bot Management
- Workers (Serverless)
Both cover
- SOC2
- ISO27001
- Cloud deployment
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Palo Alto Networks
- Enterprise network security and threat protectionnot Cloudflare
- Cloud-native application protectionnot Cloudflare
- Identity and access securitynot Cloudflare
- Security operations and incident responsenot Cloudflare
Cloudflare
- Global content delivery network (CDN) with 330+ data centres worldwidenot Palo Alto Networks
- DDoS protection and bot blockingnot Palo Alto Networks
- Web application security and rate limitingnot Palo Alto Networks
- DNS management and domain protectionnot Palo Alto Networks
- Static and dynamic content cachingnot Palo Alto Networks
- Serverless computing via Cloudflare Workersnot Palo Alto Networks
- Database and storage services (D1, R2)not Palo Alto Networks
- Performance optimisation for Core Web Vitalsnot Palo Alto Networks
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Palo Alto Networks
- Enterprise-focused pricing model
- Complex implementation required
Cloudflare
- Free tier limited to basic features (no advanced analytics or premium features)
- Pro tier ($20-25/month) caps at professional websites (higher tiers needed for enterprise scale)
- Caches only anonymous API GET responses (authenticated requests and non-GET methods not cached)
- Geographic coverage limited to announced 330+ cities (may not cover all regions globally)
Pricing, plan by plan
Palo Alto Networks
On request- Enterprise$undefined/year
- Threat prevention
- Detection and response
- Cloud security
Cloudflare
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Cloudflare review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Palo Alto Networks if
- You need advanced threat prevention.
- You work on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid.
- You also want threat detection and response.
Choose Cloudflare if
- You need global cdn.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want ddos protection.
Questions people ask
- Is Palo Alto Networks or Cloudflare better?
- Neither clearly leads. Palo Alto Networks starts at On request and Cloudflare at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Palo Alto Networks or Cloudflare?
- Cloudflare has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Palo Alto Networks and Free for Cloudflare.
- Does Palo Alto Networks or Cloudflare run on more platforms?
- Palo Alto Networks runs on Cloud, On-premises, Hybrid. Cloudflare runs on Web.
- Can I use Cloudflare for free?
- Yes. Cloudflare has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Palo Alto Networks starts at On request.
- What is Palo Alto Networks best used for?
- Palo Alto Networks is most often used for enterprise network security and threat protection, cloud-native application protection, identity and access security, security operations and incident response. Of those, enterprise network security and threat protection and cloud-native application protection are not what Cloudflare is typically brought in for.
- What can Palo Alto Networks do that Cloudflare cannot?
- Palo Alto Networks covers Advanced threat prevention, Threat detection and response, Cloud security, Endpoint protection. Cloudflare covers Global CDN, DDoS Protection, WAF, DNS. Both handle SOC2, ISO27001, Cloud deployment, Web support.