BunkerWeb vs Defensia — 2026 Comparison

WAF protection without
changing your infrastructure

BunkerWeb is a great open-source WAF. But it requires a reverse proxy in front of every server. Defensia gives you the same protection — installed directly on your server in 60 seconds.

The fundamental difference

BunkerWeb architecture

Internet

  ↓ DNS change required

[BunkerWeb Reverse Proxy]

  ↓ All traffic routed through proxy

Your Server (nginx/apache)

Requires: DNS change, new server/container for proxy, SSL certificate migration, architecture redesign.

Defensia architecture

Internet

  ↓ No changes

Your Server (nginx/apache)

  + Defensia Agent (installed inside)

    Monitors logs → blocks threats → reports to dashboard

Requires: one curl command. No DNS change, no proxy, no architecture change.

BunkerWeb setup

$ docker pull bunkerity/bunkerweb

$ # Configure docker-compose.yml with reverse proxy settings

$ # Set up SSL certificates and DNS

$ # Route all traffic through BunkerWeb container

$ # Configure ModSecurity rules and Lua plugins

$ docker compose up -d

30-60 minutes. Architecture redesign required.

Defensia setup

$ curl -fsSL https://defensia.cloud/install.sh | sudo bash -s -- --token TOKEN

✓ WAF active (auto-detects nginx/apache)

✓ SSH brute force protection

✓ Malware scanner ready

✓ Dashboard connected

60 seconds. Zero infrastructure change.

Why teams choose Defensia over BunkerWeb

BunkerWeb is a solid open-source WAF. But the reverse proxy model isn't for everyone.

No reverse proxy needed

BunkerWeb sits between the internet and your server. Defensia installs directly on your server — your DNS, SSL, and architecture stay exactly the same.

5x-70x cheaper

BunkerWeb Shield starts at €49/mo, Cloud at €639/mo. Defensia Pro is €9/mo per server with a free tier for 1 server.

More than just a WAF

BunkerWeb is a web firewall. Defensia is a complete security platform: WAF + SSH + malware scanner + rootkit detection + CVE management + bot detection.

60-second install

One curl command. The agent auto-detects your web server, SSH, mail, FTP, and Docker containers. No YAML configs, no container orchestration.

Works with cPanel/WHM

Native WHM sidebar addon with cPHulk integration and automatic domlog discovery. BunkerWeb has no hosting panel integration.

Framework-aware scanning

Detects Laravel, WordPress, Django, Symfony, CakePHP, CodeIgniter, Node, Rails — checks framework-specific security issues. BunkerWeb doesn't inspect your application code.

Feature comparison

FeatureBunkerWebDefensia
Web Application Firewall
OWASP Top 10 Protection
Bot Detection70+ fingerprints
DDoS Protection (L7)Rate limiting
No Infrastructure Change
SSH Brute Force15 patterns
Mail/FTP/DB Protection
Malware ScannerFull (signatures + YARA + heuristic)
Rootkit Detection
Credential Scanning
CVE Vulnerability Management
Framework Detection (10+)
cPanel/WHM Integration
Security Posture Score0-100 (A-F grade)
Docker MonitoringDeploys as containerDetects containers
Kubernetes SupportDaemonSet + Helm
HTTP/2, HTTP/3, TLS 1.3N/A (not a proxy)
Open SourceAGPLv3MIT
Price (per server)From €49/mo€9/mo (free tier)

Pricing comparison

BunkerWeb Shield

€49/mo

Self-hosted + support

BunkerWeb Cloud

€639/mo

Managed SaaS

Defensia Pro

€9/mo

Per server. Free tier available.

Protect your servers without changing your infrastructure

Install Defensia on your first server in 60 seconds. Free forever for 1 server, no credit card required.

Start Free — No Infrastructure Change