DDoS Protection Service Comparison: Cloudflare, Chunghwa Telecom, AWS Shield Complete Review (2025)

"Is Cloudflare's free version enough?" "Is Chunghwa Telecom's protection service worth it?" "What's the difference between AWS Shield Standard and Advanced?"

We receive these questions every week.

There are too many DDoS protection service options, with prices ranging from free to hundreds of thousands per month. Choose wrong, and you either waste money or can't block attacks when it matters.

This article will completely review mainstream DDoS protection services on the market, including features, pricing, and pros and cons, to help you find the best solution.

Need answers quickly? Schedule a free consultation directly and let experts recommend solutions based on your needs.

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DDoS Protection Service Selection Considerations

Before comparing services, understand the key evaluation metrics.

Key Metrics for Evaluating Protection Needs

1. Mitigation Capacity

The maximum attack traffic the service can absorb. Usually measured in Tbps.

• Small websites: Several Gbps is enough
• Medium enterprises: Tens of Gbps
• Large enterprises: Tbps level

2. Attack Type Coverage

Different services have varying protection capabilities for various attack types:

Attack Type	Description
L3/L4 attacks	UDP Flood, SYN Flood, etc.
L7 attacks	HTTP Flood, Slowloris, etc.
Reflection amplification	DNS, NTP Amplification, etc.

3. Time to Mitigation

Time from detecting an attack to beginning defense. Shorter is better.

• Excellent: < 10 seconds
• Good: < 1 minute
• Average: < 5 minutes

4. SLA Guarantee

Service availability guarantee, usually expressed as a percentage.

• 99.9% = Maximum 43 minutes downtime per month
• 99.99% = Maximum 4 minutes downtime per month

Cloud Protection vs On-Premise Equipment vs Hybrid

Solution Type	Advantages	Disadvantages	Suitable For
Cloud protection	Large capacity, fast deployment, low maintenance	Increased latency, third-party dependency	SMBs
On-premise equipment	Low latency, complete control	High cost, limited capacity	Financial industry, data centers
Hybrid	Combines advantages	Complex architecture, high cost	Large enterprises

Evaluation Checklist for Choosing Protection Services

Ask yourself these questions before choosing:

1. If our service is attacked for one hour, how much money do we lose?
2. Where does most of our traffic come from geographically?
3. Which cloud services do we already use (AWS, Azure, GCP)?
4. How much technical staff do we have for maintenance?
5. What's our budget range?

Want to understand complete DDoS protection concepts? Check out Complete DDoS Attack and Protection Guide.

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Cloudflare DDoS Protection Review

Cloudflare is the world's most well-known CDN and security service provider, with DDoS protection as one of its core features.

Cloudflare Free Version Protection Capabilities

Included Features:

• L3/L4 DDoS protection (unlimited)
• Basic WAF rules
• SSL certificate
• Basic CDN caching

Limitations:

• L7 protection only has basic rules
• No advanced Rate Limiting
• No Bot Management
• Support is community only

Test Results:

We've tested Cloudflare's free version, and it can indeed block most L3/L4 attacks. However, for sophisticated L7 attacks, protection capabilities are limited.

Suitable For: Personal websites, small blogs, low-risk applications

Cloudflare Pro / Business Plans

Pro Plan ($20/month):

• Advanced WAF rules
• Faster caching
• Image optimization
• Mobile optimization

Business Plan ($200/month):

• Custom WAF rules
• Rate Limiting (advanced)
• 100% SLA guarantee
• Priority customer support

Feature Comparison:

Feature	Free	Pro	Business
L3/L4 protection	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
L7 protection	Basic	Advanced	Advanced + Custom
WAF rules	5	20	100
Rate Limiting	None	Basic	Advanced
SLA	None	None	100%

Cloudflare Enterprise Plan

Price: Quote based on needs (typically $3,000+/month)

Included Features:

• Dedicated account manager
• 24/7 phone support
• Custom SSL certificates
• Advanced Bot Management
• Custom protection rules
• Detailed attack reports

Suitable For: Large e-commerce, financial industry, enterprises with high security requirements

Cloudflare Pros and Cons Summary

Pros:

• Free version includes basic protection
• 310+ global locations with wide coverage
• Simple setup, just switch DNS
• Unlimited bandwidth

Cons:

• Free version L7 protection is limited
• Support is primarily in English
• Advanced features require Enterprise
• Poor coverage in mainland China

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Chunghwa Telecom / HiNet DDoS Protection Service

For Taiwan enterprises, Chunghwa Telecom's DDoS protection service is an important option.

Service Content and Architecture

Service Architecture:

Chunghwa Telecom's DDoS protection operates at the ISP level:

1. Traffic enters Chunghwa Telecom backbone network
2. Detection system identifies abnormal traffic
3. Routes attack traffic to scrubbing center
4. Cleaned normal traffic returns to user

Protection Capabilities:

• Protection capacity: Hundreds of Gbps
• Supports L3/L4/L7 attacks
• Detection time: Approximately 1-3 minutes
• Scrubbing time: Approximately 3-5 minutes

Service Types:

Service	Description	Suitable For
Standard	Fixed protection threshold	General enterprises
Advanced	Adjustable threshold + reports	Medium enterprises
Professional	Custom rules + dedicated monitoring	Large enterprises

Application Method and Pricing

Application Method:

1. Contact Chunghwa Telecom enterprise customer service (0800-080-365)
2. Or contact account manager
3. Provide IP ranges to protect
4. Approximately 1-2 weeks to activate after signing

Pricing Reference:

Plan	Monthly Fee (Reference)	Protection Capacity
Standard	NT$10,000-30,000	Several Gbps
Advanced	NT$30,000-50,000	Tens of Gbps
Professional	NT$50,000+	Customized

Actual fees depend on bandwidth, IP count, and custom requirements

Chunghwa Telecom Pros and Cons Summary

Pros:

• ISP level protection, filtering at source
• Chinese service, no communication barriers
• Meets government procurement requirements
• Local technical support

Cons:

• Higher pricing
• Must be HiNet customer
• Less configuration flexibility
• No global CDN integration

Suitable For: Government agencies, financial industry, large enterprises needing local service

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AWS Shield Protection Service

If you're already using AWS, Shield is a natural choice.

AWS Shield Standard (Free)

Automatically Enabled Features:

• L3/L4 DDoS protection
• Protects CloudFront, Route 53, ELB
• Automatic detection and mitigation
• No additional configuration needed

Limitations:

• Only protects AWS services
• No L7 protection
• No attack reports
• No 24/7 support

Protection Capabilities:

AWS claims Shield Standard can block 99% of common attacks. For users of CloudFront, this is good basic protection.

AWS Shield Advanced (Paid)

Price:

• Monthly fee: $3,000
• Data transfer fees: Additional
• One year minimum commitment

Included Features:

• Complete L3/L4/L7 protection
• Free AWS WAF usage
• 24/7 DDoS Response Team
• Attack cost protection (resource scaling costs during attacks can be refunded)
• Detailed attack reports
• Health check integration

Feature Comparison:

Feature	Standard	Advanced
L3/L4 protection	Yes	Yes
L7 protection	No	Yes
24/7 support	No	Yes (DRT)
Attack reports	No	Yes
Cost protection	No	Yes
WAF	Additional	Included

Integration with Other AWS Services

Shield Advanced integrates with these services:

• CloudFront: Global CDN + DDoS protection
• Route 53: DNS level protection
• ALB/NLB: Load balancer protection
• Elastic IP: Direct IP protection
• Global Accelerator: Acceleration + protection

Best Practice:

User → CloudFront (Shield) → ALB (Shield) → EC2
         ↓                      ↓
       WAF rules            Security groups

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Still Undecided on Which to Choose?

Every enterprise's needs are different, and decision difficulty is normal.

Schedule a free consultation and let us recommend based on your situation:

• Which solution fits your existing architecture
• Budget-optimized choices
• Deployment and migration recommendations

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Azure DDoS Protection

Enterprises using Azure can consider native DDoS protection.

Azure DDoS Protection Basic (Free)

Automatically Enabled:

• Protects all Azure resources
• L3/L4 basic protection
• Automatically mitigates common attacks

Limitations:

• No custom thresholds
• No attack reports
• No dedicated support

Azure DDoS Protection Standard

Price:

• Fixed monthly fee: Approximately $2,944/month
• Data processing fee: $0.05/GB (after exceeding 100 TB)

Included Features:

• Adaptive tuning (adjusts based on traffic patterns)
• Attack analysis reports
• 24/7 DDoS Rapid Response
• Cost protection (resource scaling during attacks can be refunded)
• Azure Monitor integration

Supported Resources:

• Virtual Networks
• Public IP addresses
• Application Gateway
• Azure Firewall
• Azure Front Door

Azure Pros and Cons Summary

Pros:

• Deep integration with Azure services
• Adaptive tuning with high automation
• Supports Terraform and other IaC
• Detailed monitoring and reporting

Cons:

• High fixed monthly fee
• Primarily protects Azure resources
• L7 protection requires WAF
• Non-Azure users cannot use

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Akamai Prolexic

Akamai is an established vendor in CDN and security, with Prolexic as their DDoS protection solution.

Service Content

Protection Capabilities:

• 20+ global scrubbing centers
• Protection capacity: 20+ Tbps
• Supports all attack types
• Real-time attack mitigation

Service Models:

• Always-On: Traffic continuously passes through Akamai scrubbing
• On-Demand: Route for scrubbing only during attacks

SOC Service:

• 24/7/365 dedicated monitoring
• Proactive threat hunting
• Regular security reports

Pricing and Use Cases

Price: Quote based on needs, typically $10,000+/month

Suitable For:

• Financial industry
• Large e-commerce
• Multinational enterprises
• Gaming industry

Akamai Pros and Cons Summary

Pros:

• Industry-leading protection capabilities
• Professional SOC team
• Complete security product line
• Suitable for most demanding requirements

Cons:

• Highest pricing
• Configuration and integration more complex
• Primarily serves large enterprises
• Lower contract flexibility

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Price and Feature Comparison Table

Service	Free Plan	Starting Price	L3/L4	L7	Chinese Support	Suitable For
Cloudflare	Yes	$20/month	Unlimited	Limited	No	SMBs
Chunghwa Telecom	No	~NT$10,000/month	Yes	Yes	Yes	Government/Enterprise
AWS Shield	Standard	$3,000/month	Yes	Yes (Adv)	Limited	AWS users
Azure DDoS	Basic	~$2,944/month	Yes	Needs WAF	Limited	Azure users
Akamai	No	~$10,000+/month	Yes	Yes	Limited	Large enterprises

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Recommended Solutions for Different Scenarios

Budget-Limited Small Websites

Recommended: Cloudflare Free + Pro

Reasons:

• Free version already has L3/L4 protection
• $20/month gets advanced WAF
• Simple setup, instant effect

Configuration Suggestions:

1. Switch DNS to Cloudflare
2. Enable "Under Attack Mode" as backup
3. Configure basic Rate Limiting

Medium Enterprise E-commerce Websites

Recommended: Cloudflare Business or AWS Shield Advanced (if using AWS)

Reasons:

• Need L7 protection against CC attacks
• 100% SLA guarantee
• Customer support available

Budget Reference: $200-$3,000/month

Large Enterprises / Financial Industry

Recommended: Hybrid Architecture

Combination Suggestions:

• Chunghwa Telecom DDoS + Cloudflare Enterprise
• Or Akamai Prolexic + On-premise equipment

Reasons:

• Multi-layer protection distributes risk
• ISP layer filters high-volume attacks
• CDN layer handles L7 attacks

Budget Reference: $50,000+/month

Government Agencies / Regulatory Requirements

Recommended: Chunghwa Telecom DDoS Protection

Reasons:

• Meets government procurement regulations
• Local service and support
• Chinese contracts and invoices

Considerations:

• Must comply with government security regulations
• May require security certifications (like ISO 27001)

After choosing a service, check out DDoS Defense Implementation Tutorial for configuration.

For enterprise implementation, see Enterprise DDoS Protection Solution Complete Guide.

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Need DDoS Protection Solution Recommendations?

Choosing DDoS protection services requires considering many factors: existing architecture, budget, risk tolerance, human resources...

Evaluating yourself may take a lot of time and you might not choose correctly.

Schedule a free consultation and we can help you:

• Analyze your needs and risks
• Compare suitable solutions
• Plan optimized budget

All consultations are completely confidential with no sales pressure.

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Selection Recommendations Summary

Budget Priority: Cloudflare Free → Pro → Business

Already Using AWS: Shield Standard (free) → Advanced

Already Using Azure: DDoS Basic (free) → Standard

Need Chinese Service: Chunghwa Telecom DDoS Protection

Maximum Protection: Akamai Prolexic or hybrid architecture

FAQ

Q1: Do Cloudflare, Akamai, and AWS Shield have significantly different latency in Asia (especially Taiwan)?

Yes, but not as dramatic as you'd think. All three have PoPs in Asia: (1) Cloudflare — nodes in Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul; Taiwan users reach the nearest node in <10ms; (2) Akamai — densest Asian coverage (multiple PoPs in Taiwan alone), typically lowest latency of the three, but most expensive; (3) AWS Shield + CloudFront — Taiwan users primarily hit Tokyo/Singapore nodes, 30–60ms latency. Practical impact: for general websites, e-commerce, and content sites, <50ms differences aren't perceptible; gaming, financial trading, and HFT are the only latency-sensitive use cases where 10–20ms matters. For Taiwan domestic deployments, Cloudflare is most economical; Akamai suits large multinationals (best latency + support); AWS Shield is only recommended when already heavily invested in AWS.

Q2: Chunghwa Telecom DDoS vs. Cloudflare — which should SMBs pick?

They're positioned differently, not direct competitors. Chunghwa Telecom fits: (1) enterprises already on CHT network (smoothest integration); (2) Chinese-language support, Taiwan invoices, procurement compliance for government/corporate; (3) local customer service needs; (4) larger budgets, accepting NT$50,000–300,000/month. Cloudflare fits: (1) sites already in the cloud; (2) tech teams who can self-configure; (3) budget sensitivity ($25–250/month); (4) international business needing global CDN. Real comparison: Chunghwa Telecom's main advantage is "local support + SLA guarantees + live phone support"; Cloudflare's advantage is "global coverage + automation + affordable pricing." 90% of SMBs (under 50 staff) should pick Cloudflare, unless you're finance, government, or a large CHT-network enterprise.

Q3: AWS Shield Standard is free. Why pay $3,000/month for Shield Advanced?

Standard only handles basic L3/L4; complex attacks need Advanced. Specific differences: (1) Standard (free) — auto-enabled, blocks UDP Flood, SYN Flood, basic L7; (2) Advanced ($3,000/month + data fees) includes (a) Advanced L7 protection — 24/7 DDoS Response Team (DRT); (b) Cost protection — AWS absorbs attack-induced cost spikes (traffic, EC2, ELB); (c) Real-time visualization — detailed CloudWatch attack metrics; (d) WAF included — Advanced bundles WAF (separate purchase otherwise). When to upgrade: (A) monthly AWS bill >$20K (cost protection alone can save $10K+ during an attack); (B) previously experienced complex L7 attacks; (C) compliance requirements for 24/7 NOC support. Most SMBs are fine with Standard — upgrade only when actually attacked.

Q4: Can DDoS protection services block legitimate traffic? How are false positives handled?

Yes, but manageable. False positive sources: (1) VPN users — shared IPs flagged as suspicious; (2) Office NATs — hundreds of users behind one company IP; (3) Crawlers — legitimate bots (Google, Bing) behavior resembling malicious scanning; (4) Legitimate traffic spikes — media coverage or flash sales causing real surges. Industry false positive rates (approximate): Cloudflare 0.1–0.5%, Akamai 0.05–0.3%, AWS Shield 0.2–0.8%. Mitigation mechanisms: (1) Challenge mode (JS/CAPTCHA) rather than outright block — real users pass, bots fail; (2) Allowlists — whitelist partner IPs and legitimate crawlers; (3) Analytics review — watch for suspicious patterns in blocks (e.g., entire countries or ASNs getting blocked is a red flag); (4) Support channels — enterprise tiers typically have real-time tuning support. Configuration principle: when launching a new site, start loose and gradually tighten.

Q5: If we use Cloudflare, do we need a backup service? What if Cloudflare itself goes down?

Most enterprises don't need backup; specific scenarios do. Cloudflare availability: since 2019, major incidents roughly every 18 months (Jul 2019, Jul 2020, Jun 2022, Nov 2023, Jun 2024), each lasting 30 minutes to 4 hours. When multi-cloud defense matters: (1) Financial trading, critical healthcare, emergency services — any minute-scale downtime has major consequences; (2) Politically sensitive sites — may face state-level DDoS requiring multiple providers in parallel; (3) Very large e-commerce — one hour of Cloudflare downtime might cost millions. Common multi-cloud patterns: (A) Multi-CDN — use NS1 or Cedexis DNS-level routing with health checks to auto-switch to Akamai/Fastly; (B) DDoS-specific backup — primary on Cloudflare with Akamai Prolexic as hot standby; (C) Pure DNS-level switching — set DNS TTL to 60 seconds, manually switch when needed (5–10 min recovery). Practical guidance: 99% of enterprises are fine with just Cloudflare; annual cost difference is $25 vs $5,000+/month.

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Further Reading

• Back to Core Concepts: Complete DDoS Attack and Protection Guide
• Understand Attack Types: Complete DDoS Attack Analysis: L3/L4/L7 Attack Types
• Configuration Tutorial: DDoS Defense Tutorial: From Basic Configuration to Advanced Protection
• Enterprise Implementation: Enterprise DDoS Protection Solution Complete Guide

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References

1. Cloudflare Plans and Pricing
2. AWS Shield Pricing
3. Azure DDoS Protection Pricing
4. Akamai Prolexic
5. Chunghwa Telecom Enterprise Customer Service