HAProxy vs Cloudflare Application Security and Performance

by Gralio Feb 20, 2025

HAProxy and Cloudflare Application Security and Performance offer distinct approaches to improving website and application performance and security. HAProxy excels in customization and performance but requires technical expertise. Cloudflare provides a user-friendly, managed service with comprehensive features but may have higher costs for high-traffic applications.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 748 reviews and 60 websites, saving 4 hours, 39 minutes of reading.

HAProxy

Website LinkedIn Twitter

Cloudflare Application Security and Performance

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

HAProxy is a popular software tool that helps balance internet traffic to ensure websites and applications run smoothly and reliably, even with large numbers of users. Businesses use HAProxy to improve their online services by making them fast, secure, and always available.

Cloudflare Application Security and Performance safeguards and optimizes your online applications and digital presence. It acts as a protective shield against cyberattacks, while simultaneously boosting speed and reliability for your users. This comprehensive platform consolidates various security and performance tools, simplifying your IT infrastructure. Cloudflare caters to a wide range of businesses, from small startups to large enterprises, seeking a unified solution for their online security and performance needs. It promises enhanced protection, faster loading times, and simplified IT management.

Summary

Main difference

HAProxy is a powerful on-premise load balancer offering granular control and high performance, ideal for businesses with technical expertise. Cloudflare Application Security and Performance is a cloud-based solution providing a comprehensive suite of security and performance features, better suited for businesses seeking ease of use and a managed service.

Relative strengths of HAProxy (compared to Cloudflare Application Security and Performance)

Highly flexible and customizable.
Excellent performance and reliability.
Cost-effective for high-traffic applications.

Relative weaknesses of HAProxy (compared to Cloudflare Application Security and Performance)

Requires technical expertise to set up and manage.
Lacks the comprehensive security features of Cloudflare.
On-premise solution may not be as scalable as Cloudflare.

Who should use HAProxy VS. Cloudflare Application Security and Performance

HAProxy is a versatile load balancing solution designed to enhance the speed, security, and reliability of websites and online applications. Users praise its flexibility, automation capabilities, and stability, highlighting its effectiveness in handling millions of requests per second. Some users note the complexity of debugging and limitations in the free version. It's a great choice for businesses of all sizes looking to improve their online services.

Cloudflare Application Security and Performance offers robust protection against cyberattacks while optimizing website speed and reliability. Easy setup and comprehensive security features are praised by users, but some have noted inconsistent customer support and complex pricing. Best for businesses seeking a unified solution for online security and performance.

Ideal for small, medium, and large enterprises seeking enhanced online service reliability.
Suitable for businesses across various sectors aiming to optimize application performance and availability.

Ideal for small to large businesses seeking enhanced online security and performance.
Strong fit for E-commerce and Software companies; suitable for various other industries.

HAProxy and Cloudflare Application Security and Performance features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Performance monitoring

Partially supported

HAProxy offers basic performance metrics, but relies on external tools for website speed monitoring.

Supported

Cloudflare provides performance monitoring including website speed and loading times.
Load Balancing Integration

Supported

HAProxy supports load balancing with various algorithms for traffic distribution.

Supported

Cloudflare offers load balancing across multiple protocols and environments.
Application protection

Supported

HAProxy protects against DDoS attacks using features like rate limiting and access control lists.

Supported

Cloudflare offers robust DDoS protection for applications.
Caching functionality

Supported

HAProxy supports caching to improve website loading speeds.

Supported

Cloudflare offers various caching features to improve website loading speeds.
API management

Partially supported

HAProxy can manage and secure APIs, but not design them.

Supported

Cloudflare offers API management via its API Gateway and API Shield.
DDoS Protection

Partially supported

HAProxy offers DDoS protection via configuration and its Enterprise version.

Supported

Cloudflare offers built-in DDoS protection across all plans.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

+0.29

Neutral sentiment

-0.11

Neutral sentiment
Customer Service

+0.86

Strongly positive sentiment

-0.33

Rather negative sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.77

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.79

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+0.97

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.65

Rather positive sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+0.35

Rather positive sentiment

+0.22

Neutral sentiment
Scalability

+0.85

Strongly positive sentiment

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

HAProxy and Cloudflare Application Security and Performance Pricing

Could not find a pricing page.

See full Pricing page

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

-0.11

We couldn't find a pricing page for Cloudflare Application Security and Performance.

HAProxy and Cloudflare Application Security and Performance review insights

748 reviews analysed from

Users love

Highly flexible configuration, from simple conditions to Lua scripting.
Easy integration with automation software like Ansible.
Well-maintained project with long support periods and in-place upgrades.
Very stable and reliable; used in production for years without downtime.
Excellent performance, handling millions of requests per second.

Easy setup and configuration through a user-friendly dashboard
Effective DDoS protection and mitigation capabilities
Free SSL certificates and other cost-effective features
Widely available global CDN for improved website performance
Comprehensive security features like WAF and bot management

Users dislike

WAF feature is only available in the Enterprise Edition.
Limited documentation for tools like halog.
JSON logs are only supported in HAProxy 3+.
Difficult to debug; logs are not very clear.
Lacks native SSL termination and session persistence.

Inconsistent or unresponsive customer support, especially for billing issues
Confusing pricing structure and potential hidden costs
Occasional routing problems and content delivery inconsistencies
Limited documentation for certain advanced features
Potential false positives in bot detection and security rules

HAProxy and Cloudflare Application Security and Performance Ratings

G2

4.6/5

(229)
Glassdoor

4.8/5

(5)

G2

4.5/5

(533)
Glassdoor

3.4/5

(724)

Company health

Employee growth

12% increase in the last year

21% increase in the last year

Web traffic

14% decrease in the last quarter

1% increase in the last quarter

Financing

No data

December 2018 - $332M

How configurable is HAProxy compared to Cloudflare?

HAProxy is significantly more configurable than Cloudflare. While Cloudflare offers a user-friendly dashboard and pre-configured security and performance features, HAProxy allows for extensive customization through its configuration language and even Lua scripting, enabling fine-grained control over traffic management and security policies. This makes HAProxy more suitable for complex deployments and specific performance tuning needs, whereas Cloudflare prioritizes ease of use and rapid deployment.

Which product offers better logging and debugging tools?

HAProxy offers superior logging and debugging tools compared to Cloudflare. While Cloudflare has a user-friendly dashboard, users report limited documentation for advanced features. HAProxy, despite some users finding the logs unclear, allows for highly flexible configuration including Lua scripting, and integrations with automation software, offering more control and deeper insights for debugging. Furthermore, HAProxy users specifically praise the software's stability and reliability in production environments.

What are the advantages of HAProxy?

HAProxy offers highly flexible configuration, allowing for simple setups or complex configurations using Lua scripting. It's known for its stability and reliability, often deployed in production environments for extended periods without downtime. Performance is a key strength, capable of handling millions of requests per second. It also integrates easily with automation tools like Ansible, simplifying deployment and management. Finally, HAProxy benefits from a well-maintained project with long support periods and in-place upgrades, reducing maintenance overhead.

What are the disadvantages of HAProxy?

HAProxy users have reported difficulties debugging due to unclear logs. The WAF functionality is limited to the Enterprise Edition, potentially increasing costs for users needing that feature. Some users find the documentation lacking, especially for tools like halog. Additionally, certain features like JSON logging and native SSL termination are only available in more recent versions (HAProxy 3+).

Alternatives to HAProxy and Cloudflare Application Security and Performance

Datadog

Datadog is a cloud-based software platform that gives you a complete view of your company's technology systems, from websites and apps to servers and databases. It helps you monitor performance, analyze data, and improve security, all in one place. Datadog is designed for companies of all sizes and is used by various teams, including IT, development, and security. It helps businesses ensure their technology runs smoothly, efficiently, and securely.

StackPath

StackPath is a platform offering security and performance tools for websites and online applications. It helps businesses protect their online presence from cyberattacks and ensures fast loading times for users. Key features include content delivery, web application firewall, and protection against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. StackPath is designed for businesses of all sizes that prioritize online security and reliability.

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Microsoft Defender for Cloud enhances the security of your cloud resources. It helps find and fix vulnerabilities, protect against cyber threats, and maintain compliance with security standards. It provides a range of security features covering applications, data, and infrastructure across multiple cloud platforms, not just Microsoft's. Defender for Cloud helps organizations of all sizes manage their cloud security posture more effectively.

Ivanti vADC

Ivanti vADC is a software tool that makes websites and apps run faster and more reliably. It acts like a traffic manager, ensuring smooth access even when many users are online. This can be particularly beneficial for mid-sized companies in the US looking to improve their online presence and user experience.

Cequence Security

Cequence Security protects your company's applications and data. It finds vulnerabilities, helps you fix them, and stops attacks in real-time. Think of it as a three-part system: it discovers and tracks your software connections, makes sure they follow security rules, and blocks dangerous users like hackers and bots. Cequence is used by many large companies, proving its reliability for businesses of all sizes.

Vanta

Vanta is a security and compliance platform designed to help businesses automate their compliance processes for various standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA. It enables you to connect existing tools, receive guidance on fixing security gaps, and prepare for audits more efficiently. Vanta aims to simplify compliance, manage risk, and build trust with stakeholders through automation and continuous monitoring, making it easier for businesses to meet regulatory requirements and gain a competitive advantage.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

How are we doing?

Is this information helpful to you? Is there anything we are missing?

Did this help you select your product?

Other issues? Vote & Let us know