DDoS detection without the hardware
Corero SmartWall requires inline appliances starting at $80K+, rack space, and weeks of professional services. Flowtriq deploys on any Linux server in 5 minutes at $9.99/node/month with zero hardware.
The cost gap
What a Corero SmartWall deployment actually costs
SmartWall is a capable inline mitigation platform built for large service providers. But the total cost of ownership puts it out of reach for most operators.
Six-figure hardware CapEx
SmartWall appliances are purpose-built inline hardware. Entry-level 10 Gbps units start at $80,000-$150,000. Higher-capacity 40-100 Gbps tiers run $200,000-$500,000+. These are capital expenditures that require procurement cycles, budget approval, and physical rack space before you can protect a single server.
Enterprise sales cycle
Corero does not publish pricing. SmartWall is sold through channel partners (including Juniper Networks) with custom enterprise contracts. Expect weeks to months from initial inquiry to deployment, with professional services engagements of $15,000-$50,000 for installation and configuration.
Inline placement required
SmartWall must be physically deployed in the network traffic path. It only protects traffic that flows through it. Every additional data center, PoP, or network location requires its own appliance deployment. Cloud-hosted infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure) cannot be protected unless traffic is backhauled through a SmartWall location.
Ongoing support costs
Annual support and software subscriptions run 18-22% of original appliance cost per year. For a $150,000 deployment, that is $27,000-$33,000/year in recurring fees on top of the initial hardware investment, before accounting for rack space, power, and network engineering time.
Side-by-side comparison
Corero SmartWall vs Flowtriq
A factual comparison across deployment model, capabilities, cost structure, and operational requirements.
| Capability | Flowtriq | Corero SmartWall |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment | ||
| Deployment model | Software agent on existing servers | Inline hardware appliance in network path |
| Setup time | 5 minutes per server | Weeks to months (procurement + professional services) |
| Hardware required | None | Dedicated appliance ($80K-$500K+) |
| Network changes | None, agent runs on server OS | Requires inline placement in traffic path |
| Multi-site coverage | Install agent at any location | Separate appliance per network location |
| Cloud & Infrastructure | ||
| AWS / GCP / Azure | Full support, native Linux agent | No support (inline hardware only) |
| Bare metal / colocation | Full support | Full support (primary use case) |
| Hybrid / multi-cloud | Single dashboard for all environments | Only covers traffic through SmartWall appliance |
| Detection & Mitigation | ||
| Inline mitigation | No (detection and alerting only) | Always-on surgical packet filtering |
| Detection latency | 1-2 second detection per server | Sub-second (always inline) |
| Per-server baselines | Per-node dynamic baselines | Network-level baselines only |
| Attack classification | Automatic multi-vector with confidence scoring | DPI-based automatic classification |
| Server-side PCAP | Automatic PCAP on every attack | Appliance-side capture only |
| Below-threshold detection | Per-server baselines catch low-volume attacks | Aggregate thresholds miss server-specific anomalies |
| Alerting & Integrations | ||
| Alert channels | Slack, Discord, PagerDuty, OpsGenie, SMS, email, webhook | SecureWatch, SNMP, syslog, email |
| Web dashboard | Built-in cloud dashboard | SecureWatch management platform |
| REST API | Full REST API included | API available (details not publicly documented) |
| Pricing | ||
| Starting cost | $9.99/node/month ($7.99 annual) | $80,000+ appliance + custom enterprise contract |
| Pricing model | OpEx, per-node, public pricing | CapEx hardware + annual licensing (not public) |
| Contract length | Monthly or annual, cancel anytime | Multi-year enterprise agreements typical |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card | No public trial (enterprise sales process) |
True cost of ownership
Corero SmartWall vs Flowtriq pricing
SmartWall pricing is not publicly listed. These ranges are based on industry pricing for typical deployments through Corero's channel partner network.
SmartWall Deployment
- 10 Gbps appliance: $80,000-$150,000
- 40-100 Gbps appliance: $200,000-$500,000+
- Professional services: $15,000-$50,000
- Annual support: 18-22% of appliance cost/year
- Rack space, power, and network engineering
- Separate appliance per data center location
- Enterprise contract required (pricing not public)
- Inline always-on packet filtering
- Sub-second mitigation
- Multi-tenant service provider support
Flowtriq
- 50 nodes: $499.50/month ($4,794/year annual)
- 150 nodes: $1,498.50/month ($14,382/year annual)
- 500 nodes: $4,995/month ($47,940/year annual)
- No hardware, no CapEx, no rack space
- Covers cloud, bare metal, VPS, edge
- Per-server PCAP capture and forensics
- Automatic multi-vector attack classification
- Slack, Discord, PagerDuty, OpsGenie, SMS, webhook
- Built-in dashboard, REST API, Prometheus export
- BGP blackhole integration (optional)
Who each tool serves
Different architectures for different needs
SmartWall and Flowtriq address different problems. The right choice depends on your threat model, infrastructure, and budget.
Flowtriq works well for
Hosting providers, ISPs, game server operators, cloud-hosted infrastructure, organizations without CapEx budget for inline hardware, multi-site and hybrid deployments, teams that need per-server visibility and PCAP forensics, operators who rely on upstream BGP-based or cloud scrubbing mitigation, and teams that want self-serve deployment in minutes rather than a multi-month procurement cycle.
Corero SmartWall works well for
Large service providers and carriers that need always-on inline packet filtering at the network edge, operators with CapEx budget and dedicated network engineering teams, data centers that need sub-second surgical mitigation with multi-tenant customer isolation, and organizations where every packet must be inspected and filtered before reaching customer infrastructure.
Use both together
The strongest deployment layers SmartWall at the network edge for inline filtering with Flowtriq agents on servers behind it. SmartWall handles volumetric mitigation. Flowtriq provides per-server detection, below-threshold attack visibility, server-side PCAP, and mitigation validation. For hosting companies, this combination lets you offer both active protection and detailed per-server forensics as a competitive differentiator.
Flowtriq as SmartWall alternative
If your mitigation strategy relies on upstream provider scrubbing, BGP RTBH, or cloud-based DDoS services rather than inline hardware, Flowtriq provides the detection layer. Its 1-2 second detection triggers webhook-driven BGP automation for upstream mitigation responses, replacing SmartWall's inline hardware with a software-defined detection and response architecture at a fraction of the cost.
Common questions
Corero alternatives: FAQ
Getting started
Deploy Flowtriq in
5 minutes
Whether you are adding Flowtriq behind existing SmartWall hardware or evaluating it as a standalone detection layer, the install is the same: one command, no network changes, no hardware.
Next Steps
Ready to see how Flowtriq compares?
Two ways to get started. Pick whichever works for you.