What is the difference between a rule-based WAF (web firewall) and an AI-based WAF?

When it comes to protecting a website against cyberattacks, two main families of web application firewalls (WAF) exist:

• those based on predefined rules, such as the one included with Hodi web hosting, FortiWeb, mod_security, or Cloudflare;
• those using artificial intelligence, such as v6Protect.

Rule-based WAFs already offer an excellent level of security for most websites, effectively blocking known threats. However, for more sensitive sites or those exposed to complex, targeted attacks, an AI-based WAF provides finer, more proactive protection through behavioral analysis and machine learning.
The table below compares these two approaches, highlighting their strengths and limitations across several criteria, to help you choose the solution best suited to your needs. But if you need a bit more help deciding, you can contact us.

${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)]((Hodi, FortiWeb, Cloudflare, mod_security, etc.)) | ${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)](AI-based WAF)

${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)]((no zero-day detection)) | ${color}rgb(23, 25, 28)
${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)]((proactive anomaly detection)) |

${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)]((carried out by Hodi as part of your web hosting)) | ${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)](Improves automatically through machine learning) |

${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)]((dynamic adjustment to context)) |
| ${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)](Integration mode) | ${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)](Web server module (Hodi, mod_security), firewall module (FortiWeb), or reverse proxy (Cloudflare)) | ${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)](Reverse proxy) |

${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)]((included free with Hodi web hosting)) | ${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)](Starting from €249 per month) |
| ${color}[rgb(23, 25, 28)](Security approach) | ${color}rgb(23, 25, 28) | ${color}rgb(23, 25, 28) |

Updated on: 17/07/2026