Overview

Traffic passes through Gcore scrubbing centers for real-time analysis: malicious traffic is blocked and verified clean traffic is delivered to servers. Gcore says its network has over 200 Tbps of filtering capacity, regularly mitigates attacks exceeding 1 Tbps, and scales automatically with threat size. That capacity is relevant to services exposed to large or changing attacks, though it does not remove the need to size clean-traffic commitments carefully.

Protection spans volumetric network-layer (L3), transport-layer (L4), and application-layer (L7) attacks. This is broader than a service limited to network and transport attacks, but Gcore does not include a WAF, so buyers needing that layer of web-application controls must account for it separately.

Key features

All L3/L4 plans include unmetered mitigation, 95th-percentile billing, and payment only for clean traffic. Unmetered mitigation avoids a bill that grows directly with attack volume; the clean-traffic commit and 95th-percentile basis still matter when choosing capacity. The service advertises a 99.99% uptime SLA and 24/7 expert support.

Gcore provides a public REST API across its products; the DDoS API base URL is https://api.gcore.com/security/iaas. Documented automation integrations cover CI/CD pipelines, Terraform workflows, Kubernetes Operators, and custom back-office tools. That makes the service a better fit for teams that want to incorporate protection controls into existing operations than for buyers seeking a purely appliance-based deployment.

Enterprise deployment options include cross-connects to Gcore scrubbing centers, Gcore-provided IP transit, and API control. Control-panel security includes two-factor authentication and token-based API access. Gcore states that its Cloud passed an annual PCI DSS QSA audit, that ISO 27001 compliance was confirmed through an independent audit, and that it complies with GDPR requirements for customer and customer-stored personal data.

Pricing

Gcore’s pricing model is freemium, with a free PAYG option and paid plans. The plan figures are presented in USD except where the Enterprise terms specify euros.

Plan	Price and terms	What it means
PAYG	0.00 USD per free; postpaid; 0 Mbps clean-traffic commit; up to 1 × /24 IPv4, 1 × /48 IPv6, and 2 GRE tunnels	A no-cost starting point with no committed clean traffic, but the address and tunnel caps make it a limited fit for larger networks.
Start	275.00 USD per month; $275/mo; 100 Mbps clean-traffic commit; up to 1 × /24 IPv4, 1 × /48 IPv6, and 2 GRE tunnels; prepaid; 1 month payment setup fee	For a smaller network ready to commit to paid capacity, with the same address and tunnel limits as PAYG.
Pro	495.00 USD per month; $495/mo; 200 Mbps clean-traffic commit; up to 2 × /24 IPv4, 2 × /48 IPv6, and 2 GRE tunnels; prepaid; 1 month payment setup fee	For networks that need twice Start’s clean-traffic commit and address allowances.
Pro+	1045.00 USD per month; $1,045/mo; 500 Mbps clean-traffic commit; up to 4 × /24 IPv4, 4 × /48 IPv6, and 4 GRE tunnels; prepaid; 1 month payment setup fee	For networks needing a larger commit and more address space and tunnels, at a substantial step up in monthly cost.
Enterprise	1500.00 USD per month; starting from €1,500 /mo; networks over 4 × /24; dedicated connectivity, API access, standard SLA, and over 4 GRE tunnels	For larger networks beyond the smaller plans’ address limits and requiring dedicated connectivity; custom pricing starts at the stated euro monthly rate.

The cheaper plans trade lower commitments and fewer address and tunnel allowances for lower monthly spend; Start, Pro, and Pro+ are prepaid and each carries a one-month payment setup fee. Compare the clean-traffic commit against expected normal traffic, rather than attack volume, since mitigation is unmetered on L3/L4 plans. Enterprise’s stated starting rate and dedicated connectivity target a different scale of deployment from PAYG.

Platforms

Gcore identifies web and API platforms. The cloud deployment model and hybrid mitigation approach pair cloud scrubbing with enterprise connectivity options; this is not a self-hosted product.

Who it's for

E-commerce sites, SaaS platforms, gaming servers, and financial services are natural candidates when they need multi-layer DDoS coverage and can work with clean-traffic commitments. Teams using Terraform, Kubernetes, CI/CD, or custom back-office tooling can make use of its documented automation integrations. It is less suitable for buyers whose requirement includes an included WAF or whose network does not fit the stated plan caps and commitments.

Pros and cons

Pros: L3, L4, and L7 coverage addresses attacks across three layers; L3/L4 mitigation is unmetered, with billing based on clean traffic.
Pros: The public REST API and documented automation integrations support operational control through existing tools.
Pros: The advertised 99.99% uptime SLA, 24/7 expert support, and enterprise connectivity options suit organizations with continuity requirements.
Cons: No WAF is included, leaving buyers who need that protection to source it separately.
Cons: Paid plans start at 275.00 USD per month, and prepaid plans also carry a one-month payment setup fee; the clean-traffic commit must fit normal demand.
Cons: PAYG, Start, Pro, and Pro+ impose address and GRE-tunnel caps that may constrain larger or more complex networks.

Alternatives

AWS Shield is worth comparing for AWS customers who want its automatically configured network and transport-layer protection at no cost through Shield Standard; that tier does not include network security director.

FastNetMon is another freemium option, with API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, and web platforms; its LiveView add-on is 70.00 USD per month per user when billed monthly.

Haltdos may suit buyers looking for WAF plans: its Community WAF is free for one website and one security profile, while Professional WAF is 30.00 USD per month.

F5 BIG-IP APM is a paid alternative with a free trial and broad platform coverage, including self-hosted environments; its perpetual license is available on BIG-IP Virtual Editions, hardware, or hybrid environments.

Fastly Image Optimizer is a paid image-optimization product rather than a direct substitute for DDoS protection.

A10 Thunder ADC, Andrisoft Wanguard, and Check Point DDoS Protector are also alternatives to compare.

Browse the broader DDoS Protection Software category for more options.

Verdict

Choose Gcore if you need cloud-based protection across L3, L4, and L7, want unmetered L3/L4 mitigation, and can match a plan’s clean-traffic commit and network limits to your deployment. Its API and enterprise connectivity options strengthen the case for operationally mature teams. Look elsewhere if an included WAF is essential or the stated monthly commitments and address caps do not fit.

	AWS Shield	Gcore DDoS Protection
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	$3,000/mo	$275/mo
Platforms	api, Web	api, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	3,000 /mo
Attack layers	both	both
Mitigation mode	always-on	hybrid
Deployment model	cloud	cloud
Managed mitigation	Yes
WAF included	Yes	No

AWS Shield vs Gcore DDoS Protection

AWS Shield

Gcore DDoS Protection