Security Focus Comparison

G8KEPR vs Cloudflare WAF
Full API Gateway + WAF Security

Cloudflare excels at CDN and DDoS protection. G8KEPR adds The AI Security Layer with API gateway, MCP security, AI gateway, GraphQL security, and marketplace features Cloudflare doesn't have.

API Gateway

431+ endpoints vs none

GraphQL

35 security features

Self-Host

Free Docker/K8s option

Better Together

Cloudflare for CDN, G8KEPR for API Gateway

431+

API Endpoints

Cloudflare has 0

35

GraphQL Features

Not in Cloudflare

Free

Self-Host

On-premise option

5 Min

Setup Time

Quick integration

The Perfect Combination

CDN + Edge Protection + API Gateway + AI Security

Using Cloudflare Alone

Great CDN, but missing API features

Cloudflare

$200+/mo

CDN + WAF + DDoS Protection

Global CDN (275+ cities)
Layer 3/4 DDoS protection
Basic WAF rules

❌ Critical Gaps for APIs:

No API Gateway: No routing, versioning, or OAuth
No GraphQL Security: Can't protect query depth or complexity
No AI Security: No MCP security or LLM routing
No Self-Hosting: All traffic goes through their network

Cloudflare + G8KEPR

Complete protection stack

Layer 1
Cloudflare CDN

CDN, caching, DDoS protection

Layer 2
G8KEPR - The AI Security Layer
$199/mo

Fills all the gaps

🔷 API Security + Gateway

431+ endpoints • GraphQL security

🟣 MCP Security

Secure AI agents

🟢 AI Gateway

Multi-provider LLM routing

🟠 Marketplace

30+ pre-built plugins

Layer 3
Your Application

Protected by both layers

Total Stack Cost
~$399/mo

Cloudflare ($200) + G8KEPR ($199)

Complete CDN + API + AI protection

Best of Both Worlds: Edge + API + AI Security

Cloudflare handles CDN and DDoS. G8KEPR adds API gateway, GraphQL security, AI security, and LLM routing that Cloudflare doesn't provide.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Pricing & Value

FeatureG8KEPRCloudflareWinner
Starting Price$199/month$200/month (WAF)
API GatewayIncludedNot available
Advanced SecurityIncluded+$2,000/mo (Pro plan)
Per-Site FeeUnlimited APIs$20-200/site
Free TierFull self-hostedBasic CDN only

API Security Features

FeatureG8KEPRCloudflareWinner
API Gateway431+ endpointsNot available
Rate LimitingAdvanced, per-endpointPer-site rules
GraphQL Security35 endpointsNot available
OAuth ProviderBuilt-inCloudflare Access (separate)
API AnalyticsReal-time, 52 endpointsBasic logs
Circuit Breakers69 endpointsNot available

WAF & Threat Detection

FeatureG8KEPRCloudflareWinner
OWASP Top 10All patterns includedWAF required ($200/mo)
SQL Injection40+ patternsManaged rulesTie
Business Logic AttacksML-based detectionNot available
Custom RulesUnlimitedLimited (5-100)
Bot DetectionPattern-basedAdvanced ($$$)
DDoS ProtectionLayer 7Best-in-class

API Management

FeatureG8KEPRCloudflareWinner
Plugin System157 endpointsWorkers ($5/10M req)
Request TransformationBuilt-inWorkers only
API VersioningNative supportManual routing
Webhook Management27 endpointsDIY with Workers
Audit LogsHash-chained, tamper-proofStandard logs

Deployment & Flexibility

FeatureG8KEPRCloudflareWinner
Self-Hosted OptionFree, Docker/K8sNot available
Multi-CloudAny cloudCloudflare network only
On-PremiseFully supportedNot available
Hybrid DeploymentEnterprise tierNot available
Global CDNOptional (use Cloudflare!)Built-in

Developer Experience

FeatureG8KEPRCloudflareWinner
Setup Time5 minutes15-30 minutes
DashboardFull API managementSite-focused
Documentation380+ API guidesExcellentTie
SupportEmail/Priority/DedicatedTicket only (free)

AI & MCP Security (G8KEPR Only)

Cloudflare has no AI agent security or modern AI capabilities. G8KEPR is The AI Security Layer.

FeatureG8KEPRCloudflare
MCP Security (AI Agents)
Yes
✗ No
AI Gateway for LLMs
Yes
Workers AI only
Prompt Injection Detection
Built-in
✗ No
Tool Call Monitoring
Real-time
✗ No
LLM Cost Tracking
Per-request
✗ No
Multi-Provider LLM Routing
OpenAI, Anthropic, +
Workers AI only

🟣 MCP Security for AI Agents

Secure AI agents that use Model Context Protocol (MCP) to access tools, databases, and APIs. G8KEPR monitors tool calls, detects prompt injection, and prevents data exfiltration.

  • Monitor AI agent tool usage (filesystem, database, web)
  • Detect jailbreak attempts and prompt injection attacks
  • Audit trail of all agent actions for compliance

🟢 AI Gateway for LLM Routing

Route LLM calls across multiple providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI). Track costs per request, monitor token usage, and implement intelligent fallbacks.

  • Unified API for OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI, Google AI
  • Real-time cost tracking and budget alerts
  • Automatic failover to backup LLM providers

Pro tip: Use Cloudflare for CDN and DDoS protection, then add G8KEPR for API gateway, AI security, and features Cloudflare doesn't provide. They work great together.

The Perfect Combo

Use both together for complete protection

Recommended Architecture

Layer 1
Cloudflare CDN + DDoS Protection
Global CDN, Layer 3/4 DDoS protection, caching
Layer 2
G8KEPR API Gateway + WAF
API management, GraphQL security, threat detection, rate limiting
Layer 3
Your Application
Protected by both layers

What Cloudflare Does Best:

  • ✓ Global CDN (275+ cities)
  • ✓ Layer 3/4 DDoS protection
  • ✓ Static content caching
  • ✓ DNS management
  • ✓ Image optimization

What G8KEPR Does Best:

  • ✓ API gateway (431+ endpoints)
  • ✓ GraphQL security
  • ✓ API-level threat detection
  • ✓ Request transformation
  • ✓ OAuth/API key management

Pro tip: Keep Cloudflare for CDN/DDoS. Add G8KEPR for API gateway and application-layer security that Cloudflare doesn't provide.

Why Teams Add G8KEPR to Cloudflare

Cloudflare does CDN. G8KEPR adds API management.

No API Gateway

Cloudflare has WAF but no API gateway, request transformation, versioning, or OAuth management.

G8KEPR Solution

431-endpoint API gateway with OAuth, rate limiting, circuit breakers, and request transformation.

No GraphQL Security

Cloudflare can't protect GraphQL queries from depth attacks, complexity abuse, or unauthorized field access.

G8KEPR Solution

35 GraphQL security endpoints: depth limiting, complexity scoring, persisted queries, field permissions.

Cloud-Only

Cloudflare doesn't offer self-hosting. All traffic goes through their network.

G8KEPR Solution

Free self-hosted option. Deploy on-premise or in your VPC for full data sovereignty and compliance.

Add API Gateway to Your Stack

Already using Cloudflare? Perfect. Add G8KEPR for the API features Cloudflare doesn't have.

Works great with Cloudflare • 5-minute setup • No conflicts