DDoS protection cost compared: AWS Shield vs Azure vs Cloud Armor

Quick answer

AWS Shield Standard is free (basic protection on all resources); Shield Advanced is a flat monthly commitment (around $3,000/month, annual) plus data. Azure DDoS Protection is a flat Network plan (~$3,000/month) or per-IP IP Protection. GCP provides always-on network DDoS defense free, with Cloud Armor adding application-layer protection per policy and request. All three offer free baseline protection; the paid tiers (Shield Advanced, Azure Network plan) are flat commitments worth it for high-value, attack-prone workloads.

DDoS protection has a free baseline on every cloud and a paid tier for stronger guarantees. The paid tiers differ in shape, flat commitment (AWS Shield Advanced, Azure Network Protection) versus per-IP (Azure IP Protection) versus application-layer per-request (Cloud Armor), so the choice depends on your risk and resource count.

Free baseline plus paid tier

Cloud	Free baseline	Paid tier
AWS	Shield Standard (all resources)	Shield Advanced ~$3,000/mo flat + data
Azure	Basic platform protection	Network plan ~$3,000/mo or per-IP
GCP	Always-on network DDoS defense	Cloud Armor per policy + per request

AWS Shield Standard protects all resources free, with Shield Advanced adding a flat monthly commitment for enhanced protection, cost protection, and DDoS response, as in Shield Advanced. Azure has basic protection free and DDoS Protection (flat Network plan or per-IP) as the paid tier, as in Azure DDoS Protection. GCP provides always-on network DDoS defense free, with Cloud Armor adding application-layer protection.

Which is cheaper

For the free baseline, all three protect against common volumetric attacks at no cost, adequate for many workloads. For the paid tier, AWS Shield Advanced and Azure's Network plan are similar flat commitments (around $3,000/month), worth it for high-value, attack-prone workloads that need the guarantees, cost protection, and response support. GCP folds much protection into free network defense plus per-use Cloud Armor, so it can be cheaper if the free baseline plus application-layer rules suffice.

Choosing the tier

Most workloads are adequately served by the free baseline on any cloud. Pay for the enhanced tier (Shield Advanced, Azure Network Protection) when you run high-value, high-visibility workloads that are genuine attack targets and need the stronger SLAs, cost protection against attack-driven scale-out, and dedicated DDoS response. The flat commitment only makes sense when spread across enough protected resources or justified by the value at risk.

Choosing on cost

Start with the free baseline every cloud provides, and add the paid tier only for workloads whose value or attack-exposure justifies the flat commitment. Use the cloud where your workloads run (its native protection integrates with your load balancers and CDN), and combine network-layer DDoS protection with application-layer WAF rules for defense in depth, the WAF comparison covers the application layer.

FAQ

Is AWS, Azure, or GCP DDoS protection cheapest?

For the free baseline, all three protect against common volumetric attacks at no cost. For the paid tier, AWS Shield Advanced and Azure's Network plan are similar flat commitments (around $3,000/month), while GCP folds much protection into free network defense plus per-use Cloud Armor. GCP can be cheaper if the free baseline plus application-layer rules suffice.

How do DDoS protection pricing models differ?

AWS Shield Standard is free with Shield Advanced a flat monthly commitment (around $3,000) plus data. Azure has free basic protection with DDoS Protection as a flat Network plan or per-IP tier. GCP provides always-on network DDoS defense free, with Cloud Armor adding application-layer protection per policy and request. The paid tiers differ in shape sharply.

Do I need paid DDoS protection?

Most workloads are adequately served by the free baseline every cloud provides against common volumetric attacks. Pay for the enhanced tier (Shield Advanced, Azure Network Protection) only for high-value, high-visibility workloads that are genuine attack targets and need stronger SLAs, cost protection against attack-driven scale-out, and dedicated DDoS response.

What does the paid DDoS tier add over free?

Enhanced protection guarantees, cost protection (credits for the resource scale-out an attack causes), dedicated DDoS response support, and stronger SLAs. The free baseline handles common volumetric attacks, while the paid tier adds these assurances for workloads where an outage or attack-driven bill would be costly. The flat commitment suits high-value, attack-prone workloads.

Should I combine DDoS protection with a WAF?

Yes, for defense in depth. Network-layer DDoS protection defends against volumetric attacks, while an application-layer WAF filters malicious HTTP requests, they cover different threats. Combining them (Shield plus AWS WAF, Azure DDoS plus Azure WAF, GCP network defense plus Cloud Armor) gives layered protection, with the WAF comparison covering the application layer's cost.

Does C3X estimate DDoS protection cost?

C3X prices DDoS protection resources from your Terraform, including the flat Shield Advanced or Azure Network plan commitments and Cloud Armor policies, so the protection cost appears before deploy. The right tier depends on your workloads' value and attack exposure, which the configuration reflects.

What to do next

Compare DDoS protection tiers for your workload. C3X reads your Terraform and prices your resources against a live catalog. Start with the quickstart.