I almost paid $200/month for a cloud WAF — until I realized I could get the same protection for free with SafeLine.
Here’s how the numbers actually break down.
Why I Looked Beyond Cloud WAFs
When you Google “WAF for homelab” or “how to secure my apps,” you’ll see the same recommendations over and over:
- Cloudflare (“free” plan)
- Managed ModSecurity
- Other commercial cloud WAF services
They all sound cheap or even free at first… but if you’re running multiple apps, APIs, and personal projects, the cost adds up quickly.
I wanted to secure my homelab (6+ apps: blog, Jellyfin, Vaultwarden, APIs, etc.) without signing up for another monthly bill. That’s how I stumbled into SafeLine WAF.
The Cost of Running SafeLine WAF (Self-Hosted)
SafeLine is completely free to self-host for up to 10 applications — more than enough for most homelabs or small projects.
What it really costs:
- One-time setup: your time + a VM/container (~1GB RAM, 5GB storage)
- Ongoing cost: $0, since it runs on your existing server
- Privacy: logs and traffic stay in your homelab
- Scalability: protect multiple services with one deployment
For me, the marginal cost of running SafeLine across 6+ services is basically $0/month.
The Real Cost of Cloud WAFs
Here’s where the “free” marketing falls apart:
Cloudflare
- Free tier: very limited WAF rules
- Pro tier: $20/month per site
- Business tier: $200/month per site
If you have 5–6 apps, even Pro costs $100–120/month. Business? Forget it.
Managed ModSecurity
- Base rules are free, but proper OWASP CRS tuning takes hours
- Managed services: $10–50/month per app
- High false positives → extra maintenance time
Other Commercial WAFs
- $50–100/month per app is the norm
- Pricing is usually per-domain or traffic-based
- Vendor lock-in is common
Cost Comparison (6 Apps Example)
| Solution | Monthly Cost | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| SafeLine (self-hosted) | $0 | Full control, no traffic cap, privacy | Requires your own server |
| Cloudflare Pro | $120 | Easy setup, global CDN | Per-site pricing, limited rules |
| Cloudflare Business | $1,200 | Strong protection, SLA | Way too expensive for homelab |
| Managed ModSecurity | $60–300 | Flexible, industry standard | High FP rate, tuning required |
My Takeaway
For homelabbers and indie devs, SafeLine is a no-brainer:
- $0 ongoing cost
- Protects up to 10 apps
- Enterprise-grade detection without the bill shock
Cloud WAFs make sense if you’re running a SaaS with global customers where the integrated CDN and SLA are worth it.
But for personal projects, homelabs, or even small business apps, SafeLine gives you the same level of protection — at literally a fraction of the cost.
Conclusion
Don’t get fooled by the “free” marketing of cloud WAFs.
They almost always come with per-site or traffic-based pricing that scales badly.
If you’re experimenting, learning, or just protecting your own stack, SafeLine WAF keeps your costs predictable (basically zero) while giving you enterprise-level protection.
💡 My advice:
- Start with SafeLine in self-hosted mode
- Only use cloud WAFs if you truly need global edge protection
Try It Yourself
Before you pay for another Cloudflare subscription, give SafeLine a shot.
Worst case, you lose 10 minutes. Best case, you save $1,000/year.
👉 Have you compared self-hosted vs cloud WAFs?
Which do you value more — cost savings, privacy, or global reach?
Drop your thoughts below, I’d love to hear your take.
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