MIA vs. Cloudflare Page Shield: Which is Better?
You’re on the Payments Guardian website, so we might be slightly biased. But we’ll make our case. To further your research, here’s the Cloudflare Page Shield product page.
First, the differences are shown in a table; more details are provided below.
The Differences Between MIA and Cloudflare Page Shield
Features | MIA | vs Cloudflare Page Shield |
|---|---|---|
Uses threat feed intel | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Monitors WHOIS records | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Monitors SSL | ⚠️ Partial (indirect validation via compliance checks but does not actively monitor certificates) | ❌ No |
Able to detect inline scripts | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Uses AI and ML to analyze scripts | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Creates allow lists for scripts | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Can automatically restrict unauthorized scripts based on compliance policies but does not actively block all threats | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (relies on CSP policies and manual action) |
Proxies scripts | ❌ No | ❌ No |
Tracks and analyzes script activity for compliance but does not store full script history | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
100% certainty the script reviewed is the one seen by the browser | ⚠️ Partial (validates via compliance analysis rather than proxying) | ❌ No (relies on post-load script fetches) |
Performance enhances scripts | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
Paid tier starts at | Included with Payments Guardian | $1,500 per month |
Client-side JS script detection | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
What We Don’t Like About Cloudflare Page Shield
Cloudflare Page Shield is a crawler-based JavaScript monitoring system, meaning it fetches scripts after they have been delivered to users. While this approach offers some security, it has several significant limitations compared to MIA.
Key Limitations of Cloudflare Page Shield:
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No real-time blocking – Unlike MIA, which can automatically restrict unauthorized scripts based on compliance policies, Page Shield relies on CSP enforcement and post-load script analysis.
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No persistent script storage – Cloudflare does not store past script versions, making forensic analysis and tracking script evolution over time impossible.
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Heavy reliance on CSP policies – CSP is a valuable but limited defense mechanism that does not inspect payloads, meaning trusted domains can still serve malicious scripts.
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Post-load script analysis can be bypassed – Attackers can serve clean scripts to Cloudflare’s crawlers while delivering malicious scripts to real users.
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No SSL monitoring – Page Shield does not track SSL certificate changes, making it challenging to detect compromised third-party sources.
More About MIA
MIA doesn’t just monitor—it proactively defends merchants by detecting unauthorized script activity and enforcing security policies in real time.
Unlike Cloudflare Page Shield, MIA is designed to automate PCI compliance for SAQ A merchants by monitoring scripts, detecting unauthorized changes, and enforcing security policies. This helps businesses stay compliant without requiring additional tools or extensive manual reporting.
MIA also retains a history of script activity for compliance validation and security audits, updating AI and large language models (LLMs) in real time to continuously improve its detection mechanisms.
Additionally, MIA is included at no additional cost for Payments Guardian merchants, while Imperva requires an enterprise subscription with undisclosed pricing.
Your Choice!
So there you have it—our take on how MIA stacks against Cloudflare Page Shield. Have we made our case, or are you still looking for more information? If you’re ready for the most advanced AI-driven compliance and security solution available, MIA is the clear choice.
Get Started Today – Secure your business with MIA & Payments Guardian.