CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Akamai vs Fastly

Akamai sells cloud computing, security and content delivery products. Fastly is an edge cloud platform that helps companies deliver fast, secure, and reliable digital experiences. CISO Tribune files both under WAF and WAAP, DDoS protection and Bot and abuse management. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

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  • Akamai
  • Fastly
Akamai vs Fastly: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
AkamaiAkamai sells cloud computing, security and content delivery products.akamai.comFastlyFastly is an edge cloud platform that helps companies deliver fast, secure, and reliable digital experiences.fastly.com
What it sells
  • App & API Protector[1][4]A web application firewall solution that identifies vulnerabilities and mitigates threats across web and API architectures.
  • Bot Manager[3][5][6]Detects bot traffic and mitigates malicious bots at the edge.
  • Prolexic[9]Akamai's DDoS protection platform.
  • Firewall for AI[8]Protects enterprise AI apps and LLMs from prompt injection, data exfiltration and toxic output.
  • Edge DNS[9]A DNS service built on Akamai's edge network.
  • Account Protector[6]A security solution that protects against account abuse across the lifecycle of an account.
  • Akamai Functions[3]An edge native serverless platform that runs globally.
  • Next-Gen WAF[2][9][11]A web application firewall that monitors suspicious and anomalous web traffic.
  • DDoS Protection[5][6][10]Real-time visibility into and defense against common DDoS attacks.
  • API Discovery[10]A continuously-updating record of incoming API requests.
  • Managed Security[5][11]24/7 expert-managed WAF, bot, and DDoS threat protection.
  • AI Runtime Control[7][12]A unified control plane between applications and AI models.
  • Managed CDN[5]Fastly's managed cloud CDN deployed inside the customer's own network.
  • Professional Services[5]Expert help to migrate or optimize a delivery service.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesSan Francisco, United States[4]
Founded
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Not stated on its pagesPublic (NYSE: FSLY)[1][8]
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • October 27, 2026Akamai launched Akamai Inference and Akamai Agent Sandbox, two AI stack products for its cloud platform.[13]
  • July 2, 2026Akamai completed its acquisition of LayerX, a secure enterprise browser provider.[14]
  • September 28, 2026Comcast and Fastly are working with NBCUniversal to run Fastly delivery software on Comcast's network for live streaming events on Peacock.[18]
  • September 21, 2026Fastly announced AI Runtime Control, AI Firewall and new API Security capabilities aimed at giving organizations visibility and control across their AI systems.[7]
  • June 10, 2026Fastly and Skyfire announced a partnership under which Skyfire integrated its identity and payment-backed credentials into Fastly's edge cloud platform.[19]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[15]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 3, 2026[8]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, Akamai sells security for enterprise AI apps and LLMs through Firewall for AI. App & API Protector Hybrid is sold for on-prem, hybrid cloud and multi-CDN environments. Akamai describes organizations that keep some on-prem DNS nameservers and GSLBs for administrative or compliance requirements. Akamai Guardicore Segmentation is applied by an organization in the financial industry working toward Zero Trust. A water utility secured critical infrastructure with Akamai Guardicore Segmentation.From its own pages, Fastly sells mainly to developers, security teams, and digital businesses. Fastly says its security products protect applications, APIs, and microservices, wherever they live. Fastly says it powers media brands with an open edge cloud platform for live and on-demand entertainment. Fastly Next-Gen WAF can be deployed in three different ways, including directly on customers' own web servers. Managed Security Professional is sold to customers that purchase Fastly Full-Site Delivery and Network Services Enterprise Support, along with either Next-Gen WAF or Edge Rate Limiting.
Last verified
November 6, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • WAF and WAAP is the primary category of both Akamai and Fastly; both are also filed under DDoS protection and Bot and abuse management.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Akamai is also filed under Microsegmentation. Fastly is also filed under API security.
  • Akamai lists App & API Protector, Bot Manager, Prolexic, Firewall for AI, Edge DNS and 2 more. Fastly lists Next-Gen WAF, DDoS Protection, API Discovery, Managed Security, AI Runtime Control and 2 more.
  • Fastly is headquartered in San Francisco, United States.
  • Fastly is a public company listed on NYSE as FSLY.

How they differ

CISO Tribune files both Akamai and Fastly under WAF and WAAP as the primary category, with DDoS protection and bot and abuse management also listed for each. Akamai sells App & API Protector, Bot Manager, Prolexic for DDoS protection, Edge DNS, Account Protector and Firewall for AI, and it also sells cloud computing and content delivery products. Fastly sells Next-Gen WAF, DDoS Protection, API Discovery, Managed Security and AI Runtime Control, along with Managed CDN and Professional Services. Both have an AI-facing product: Akamai's Firewall for AI inspects prompts and responses at the edge, while Fastly's AI Firewall is a module within AI Runtime Control that addresses prompt injection.

Fastly is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, and is a public company listed on NYSE as FSLY. Fastly's Next-Gen WAF can be deployed in three different ways and is powered by Signal Sciences technology. Akamai's App & API Protector Hybrid extends security to on-prem, hybrid cloud and multi-CDN environments. Akamai also offers microsegmentation through Akamai Guardicore Segmentation, which SBI Holdings uses in working toward Zero Trust. Other Akamai customers named include SMU, Grupo Xcaret and Samsung Life Insurance.

On October 27, 2026, Akamai launched Akamai Inference and Akamai Agent Sandbox, and on July 2, 2026 it completed its acquisition of LayerX, a secure enterprise browser provider. On September 21, 2026, Fastly announced AI Runtime Control, AI Firewall and new API Security capabilities. On September 28, 2026, Comcast and Fastly were working with NBCUniversal to run Fastly delivery software on Comcast's network for live streaming events on Peacock.

What it sells: Akamai

What App & API Protector does[1][4]
App & API Protector Hybrid extends security off the Akamai platform for on-prem, hybrid cloud and multi-CDN environments. Akamai's all-in-one approach consolidates WAF, API security, bot management and DDoS protection in a single solution. An open API is available for automating App & API Protector configuration changes in a CI/CD pipeline.
What Bot Manager does[3][5][6]
Bot Manager generates a score from 0 (human) to 100 (bot) and looks at all anomalies, starting with the very first request. Bot Manager provides visualization and reporting tools that show the impact various types of bots have on a business and its infrastructure.
What Prolexic does[9]
Prolexic is Akamai's DDoS protection platform. Edge DNS and Shield NS53 can be used with Prolexic to protect digital infrastructure across all layers, ports and protocols.
What Firewall for AI does[8]
Firewall for AI runs at the edge to inspect prompts and responses before they reach AI apps. Akamai Firewall for AI is model-agnostic and works with any LLM-based or AI-driven application. Incoming prompts are analyzed to detect and block threats like prompt injection attacks, jailbreaks and policy violations. Deployment options include the Akamai edge or a REST API.
What Edge DNS does[9]
Akamai Shield NS53 is a reverse proxy solution that protects on-prem and hybrid DNS infrastructure. Edge DNS provides an availability SLA with guaranteed 100% uptime.
What Account Protector does[6]
Account Protector uses a combination of user, device, IP, network, bot and reputation indicators to create a user risk score for each UUID. Block, alert and allow actions are performed based on the user risk score. Account Protector includes all of Akamai Bot Manager's capabilities. User information can be passed to a SIEM using the Akamai SIEM Integration connector.
What Akamai Functions does[3]
Rust, Go, JavaScript, Python and other languages that compile to WebAssembly can be used. Applications are packaged and deployed using open tooling like Spin and SpinKube, locally, in Kubernetes or directly to the edge. Bot Manager can be combined with Akamai Functions so that identified bots are routed to a function that generates bot-specific responses.

What it sells: Fastly

What Next-Gen WAF does[2][9][11]
Fastly Next-Gen WAF protects, in real-time, against attacks directed at the applications and origin servers that customers specify. Next-Gen WAF can be deployed in three different ways. Next-Gen WAF continues to be powered by Signal Sciences technology.
What DDoS Protection does[5][6][10]
Fastly DDoS Protection provides real-time visibility into and defense against common Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Fastly describes it as keeping customers performant and available without any required configuration.
What Managed Security does[5][11]
Fastly describes Managed Security as 24/7 expert-managed WAF, bot, and DDoS threat protection. Managed Security Professional provides continuous monitoring of included Fastly security products and proactive action by Fastly in the event of an identified security incident. Managed Security Professional includes enhanced access to Fastly's Customer Security Operations Center (CSOC).
What AI Runtime Control does[7][12]
ARC is a unified control plane that sits between applications and AI models, giving centralized visibility, governance, and control over all AI traffic. AI Firewall is a security module within ARC that protects AI-powered applications from prompt injection attacks with near-zero latency impact.

Questions about Akamai and Fastly

What do Akamai and Fastly sell?
Akamai sells App & API Protector, Bot Manager, Prolexic, Firewall for AI, Edge DNS and 2 more. Fastly sells Next-Gen WAF, DDoS Protection, API Discovery, Managed Security, AI Runtime Control and 2 more.
Are Akamai and Fastly in the same category?
Yes. WAF and WAAP is the primary category of both on CISO Tribune.
Where are Akamai and Fastly headquartered?
Fastly is headquartered in San Francisco, United States.
Who owns Akamai and Fastly?
Fastly is a public company listed on NYSE as FSLY.
Who are Akamai and Fastly sold to?
From its own pages, Akamai sells security for enterprise AI apps and LLMs through Firewall for AI. From its own pages, Fastly sells mainly to developers, security teams, and digital businesses.
What have Akamai and Fastly announced recently?
October 27, 2026: Akamai launched Akamai Inference and Akamai Agent Sandbox, two AI stack products for its cloud platform. September 28, 2026: Comcast and Fastly are working with NBCUniversal to run Fastly delivery software on Comcast's network for live streaming events on Peacock.

About Akamai

Akamai sells cloud computing, security and content delivery products. Akamai Cloud has added more GPU capacity, an in-memory database and Kubernetes updates. Akamai Inference and Akamai Agent Sandbox extend Akamai Cloud to serve, run and secure AI applications and agents from core to edge. Akamai Functions is an edge native serverless platform that runs globally.[2][3]

App & API Protector defends at the edge and blocks large-scale attacks, and App & API Protector Hybrid extends WAF defense to multicloud and on-prem environments. Akamai's all-in-one approach consolidates WAF, API security, bot management and DDoS protection in a single solution. Akamai Adaptive Security Engine delivers real-time, automated protection across edge, cloud and hybrid environments. The Behavioral DDoS Engine provides automated defense against volumetric attacks. An open API is available for automating App & API Protector configuration changes in a CI/CD pipeline. SMU turns to Akamai App & API Protector and Dynamic Site Accelerator for online shopping. Grupo Xcaret relies on Akamai for app and API protection, bot mitigation and site delivery.[4]

Akamai Bot Manager detects bot traffic, mitigates malicious bots at the edge and manages good bots. Bot Manager generates a score from 0 (human) to 100 (bot) and looks at all anomalies, starting with the very first request. Bot Manager provides visualization and reporting tools that show the impact various types of bots have on a business and its infrastructure. Account Protector is a security solution designed to protect against account abuse across the lifecycle of an account, using machine learning and a dataset of risk and trust indicators. Account Protector uses a combination of user, device, IP, network, bot and reputation indicators to create a user risk score for each UUID. Account Protector includes all of Akamai Bot Manager's capabilities.[5][6]

Akamai Guardicore Segmentation is used to gain visibility across an environment and limit lateral movement. SBI Holdings is working to achieve Zero Trust with Akamai Guardicore Segmentation. A water utility secured critical infrastructure and protected essential services for 1.6 million people with Akamai Guardicore Segmentation. Samsung Life Insurance protects hundreds of applications and thousands of workload servers with Akamai.[2][7]

Akamai Firewall for AI protects enterprise AI apps and LLMs from prompt injection, data exfiltration and toxic output. Firewall for AI runs at the edge to inspect prompts and responses before they reach AI apps. Akamai Firewall for AI is model-agnostic and works with any LLM-based or AI-driven application. Edge DNS is built on Akamai's edge network. Akamai Shield NS53 is a reverse proxy solution that protects on-prem and hybrid DNS infrastructure. Edge DNS provides an availability SLA with guaranteed 100% uptime. Prolexic is Akamai's DDoS protection platform.[4][8][9]

NodeBalancers is a fully managed load balancing solution. NodeBalancers support TCP, HTTP and HTTPS load balancing via HTTP/1.1. CloudTest is a load testing platform. CloudTest is offered as a fully managed or self-service solution and supports websites, apps, APIs and CI/CD processes. Akamai Inference is a fully managed inference service for running AI models in production. Pay-per-token Serverless Inference and Dedicated Inference with reserved GPUs are available, separately or together. AI models are called through an OpenAI-compatible API while Akamai handles GPUs, serving, autoscaling and model lifecycle management.[3][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Akamai on the record

Sources

Akamai full record

  1. [1]akamai.comAkamai · akamai.com · undated page, accessed November 6, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Cloud Computing, Security, Content Delivery (CDN) | AkamaiAkamai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Akamai Functions | Serverless | WebAssembly | AkamaiAkamai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]App & API Protector — Website Application Protection | AkamaiAkamai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Bot Manager | Bot Detection, Protection, and Management | AkamaiAkamai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Account Takeover and Identity Theft Protection | AkamaiAkamai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Akamai Guardicore Segmentation for Hybrid Cloud | AkamaiAkamai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Protection and Security for AI and LLM Applications | AkamaiAkamai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]DNS security | Edge DNS | Shield NS53 | AkamaiAkamai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]NodeBalancers | AkamaiAkamai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]CloudTest | Real-Time Load Testing Tool | AkamaiAkamai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Akamai Inference | AI Inference | AkamaiAkamai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Akamai Launches AI Inference Service and Agent Execution Environment | AkamaiAkamai · published October 27, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Akamai Completes Acquisition of Secure Enterprise Browser Provider LayerX | AkamaiAkamai · published July 2, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Akamai Cloud Computing Reviews & Product DetailsG2 · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier C

Fastly full record

  1. [1]Fastly Announces Acquisition of GlitchFastly via Business Wire · businesswire.com · published May 19, 2022 · Tier A
  2. [2]Web application api protectionFastly · fastly.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]SecureFastly · fastly.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Fsly 20241231Fastly, Inc. via SEC EDGAR (Form 10-K) · sec.gov · published February 25, 2025 · Tier A
  5. [5]Powering the best of the internet | FastlyFastly · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Fastly Edge Cloud Platform | FastlyFastly · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Fastly Launches AI Firewall and AI Runtime Control to Secure and Scale AIFastly, Inc. (Business Wire) · published September 21, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Fastly Content Delivery Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier C
  9. [9]Fastly Next-Gen WAF | Fastly ProductsFastly · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Security | Fastly DocumentationFastly · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Managed Security Professional | Fastly ProductsFastly · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Fastly ARC | AI Runtime Control | FastlyFastly · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Compute | Fastly ProductsFastly · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Products | Fastly DocumentationFastly · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Platform TLS | Fastly ProductsFastly · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Origin Inspector | Fastly ProductsFastly · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Domain Research API | FastlyFastly · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  18. [18]Comcast and Fastly’s New Content Delivery Model Powers Highest Quality Experience for Peacock’s Biggest Live EventsFastly · published September 28, 2026 · Tier A
  19. [19]Fastly and Skyfire Partner to Enable Trusted Agentic Commerce with Verified Identity at the EdgeFastly · published June 10, 2026 · Tier A

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