Summary
| Cloudflare | Centinel | |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 test (8 tools) | 3 of 8 detected | 8 of 8 detected |
| Where it runs | Cloudflare's network, for traffic proxied through Cloudflare | Edge, CDN, reverse-proxy, server, and CMS integrations, including Cloudflare Workers |
| Buying model | Bot Fight Mode on Free; Super Bot Fight Mode on Pro and up; Bot Management as an Enterprise add-on | Quote from the team after scoping; the site audit is free |
| Data location | Data Localization Suite, an Enterprise add-on, sets where data is inspected and stored | Data stored in the EU |
Cloudflare's bot features come with its CDN. Centinel is a separate layer that runs on Cloudflare Workers or on another stack, so you can add it next to Cloudflare or switch to it.
The benchmark
In September 2026 we ran eight scraping and browser-automation tools against Centinel and against Cloudflare: Browser-use, Firecrawl, Browserbase, kernel.sh, Playwright Stealth, Camoufox, Zyte, and Ulixee Hero.
Centinel detected all eight. Cloudflare detected 3 of 8.
Per-tool detection results
| Scraping tool | Centinel | Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|
| Browser-use | Detected | Not detected |
| Firecrawl | Detected | Not detected |
| Browserbase | Detected | Not detected |
| kernel.sh | Detected | Detected |
| Playwright Stealth | Detected | Detected |
| Camoufox | Detected | Not detected |
| Zyte | Detected | Not detected |
| Ulixee Hero | Detected | Detected |
| Detected | 8 / 8 | 3 / 8 |
The table reports detection in the September 2026 test. See the benchmark scope for the tools and products compared. Download the published per-tool results (CSV).
When Cloudflare fits better
- You want bot controls with no second vendor. Every Cloudflare plan includes a bot feature. Bot Fight Mode on the Free plan challenges simple bots from cloud hosting providers and headless browsers across the whole domain. Super Bot Fight Mode on Pro, Business, and Enterprise lets you allow, block, or challenge detected bots.
- You write your own rules. With Bot Management for Enterprise, each request gets a bot score from 1 to 99 that you use in WAF custom rules or Workers. Teams that want that control inside Cloudflare may not need another layer.
- Your traffic already goes through Cloudflare, and the result is good enough. If the automation that costs you money is already handled, keep it.
Where Centinel fits
Centinel fits when browser-like automation still reaches a route that matters. In the September test, Centinel detected all eight tools, including Browser-use, Firecrawl, Browserbase, Camoufox, and Zyte, which Cloudflare did not detect.
It also fits sites that are not fully on Cloudflare. Centinel has guides for Cloudflare Workers and for other CDNs, proxies, servers, and CMSs, so one policy can cover a mixed stack. Centinel separates declared and verified crawlers from spoofed or hidden automation; Cloudflare also classifies verified bots by category, so compare how each handles the crawlers you care about. You can check one address with the crawler verification tool.
Feature comparison
| Area | Cloudflare (from its documentation) | Centinel |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Built into the Cloudflare proxy | 15 documented guides, including Cloudflare Workers, AWS CloudFront, Akamai, and Fastly |
| Detection | Bot Management: heuristics, machine learning, anomaly detection, and JavaScript detections | Request, browser, and connection evidence evaluated together |
| Crawler identity | Verified bots, grouped by category | Separates declared and verified crawlers from spoofed ones |
| Responses | Allow, block, or challenge; custom rules on the bot score | Identify, observe, rate-limit, challenge, allow, or block, depending on the integration |
| Reporting | Bot Analytics (Enterprise) | Centinel dashboard |
| Pricing model | Included by plan; Bot Management added to Enterprise plans by the account team | Quote after scoping |
| EU and GDPR | Data Localization Suite (Enterprise add-on) | Data stored in the EU; ISO/IEC 27001 certified; assessed against SOC 2 Type 1 |
Sources: Cloudflare's Bot Management subscription page and Data Localization Suite. Centinel's guides are on the integrations page; its security posture is in the trust center.
Setup effort and pricing model
Turning on Bot Fight Mode or Super Bot Fight Mode is a setting in the Cloudflare dashboard. Bot Management scores need rules written against them. Centinel on Cloudflare runs as a Worker in front of your site; on other stacks it is a module on the CDN, proxy, or server. Plan for one engineer who can change that configuration, the owner of the protected workflow, and a rollback path.
Cloudflare's bot features come with the plan, and Bot Management is sold through its account team. Centinel quotes per deployment: bring your domain, typical and peak traffic, and current stack. The site audit is free and needs no card.
Adding Centinel to Cloudflare, or moving off it
You do not have to leave Cloudflare to use Centinel. You can keep the CDN and add Centinel for the routes where automation still gets through.
- Pick the routes. List where automation costs the most and which automation you want to keep, such as search crawlers and monitoring.
- Deploy in observe mode. Add the Centinel Worker on those routes. Cloudflare's rules keep enforcing; nothing changes for visitors.
- Compare decisions. Review where the two disagree, using the tools above and any workflow you can reproduce safely.
- Decide who enforces. Give one product the final decision per route, so an allow in one cannot silently override a block in the other.
- Switch route by route. Move enforcement, check legitimate-user completion and error rates, and keep a rollback.
The proof-of-concept scorecard turns these steps into a written evaluation plan.
FAQ
Is Centinel a Cloudflare Bot Management alternative?
Yes, and it can also run next to Cloudflare. In the September 2026 test, Centinel detected 8 of the 8 tools and Cloudflare detected 3.
Do I have to leave Cloudflare?
No. Centinel has a Cloudflare Workers integration and works alongside your existing CDN and WAF.
Does Centinel publish its prices?
No. Contact the team for current pricing, included usage, and contract terms. The site audit is free.
Where does Centinel store data?
Data is stored in the EU. Centinel is certified to ISO/IEC 27001 and assessed against SOC 2 Type 1.