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Provider Pricing Facts
Provider pricing facts: Cloudflare CDN offers a free plan; Fastly offers a free plan.
Source and Freshness Note
Source and freshness note: pricing, free-plan, and feature signals are compared from public provider data and updated comparison records. Last checked May 2026.
Cloudflare CDN vs Fastly: Honest Comparison (2026)
Cloudflare CDN
The global network that makes everything faster and more secure
Fastly
Edge cloud platform for fast, secure digital experiences
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Quick Verdict:
Cloudflare CDN wins with 9.1/10 vs 8.6/10. Choose Cloudflare CDN for ease of use. Choose Fastly for its unique strengths.
Cloudflare CDN wins this comparison with a score of 9.1/10 vs 8.6/10. Both offer free plans. Cloudflare CDN stands out for incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth, while Fastly excels at industry-leading instant cache purging under 150 milliseconds globally. This is confirmed by our feature analysis where Cloudflare CDN also scores higher (9.5/10).
| Feature | Cloudflare CDN | Fastly |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 9.1/10 | 8.6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8.7/10 | 7.8/10 |
| Features | 9.3/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Value for Money | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 |
| Customer Support | 7.9/10 | 8.3/10 |
| Free Plan | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
| Starting Price | $20/mo | $50/mo |
| Feature Score | 9.5/10 | 7.2/10 |
| Top Strength | Incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth | Industry-leading instant cache purging under 150 milliseconds globally |
| Biggest Weakness | 310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide | Powerful Compute@Edge platform for serverless edge computing |
| Best For | - | Enterprise media and publishing companies needing instant cache purging |
| Winner | Cloudflare CDN (9.1/10) | |
What is Cloudflare CDN?
The global network that makes everything faster and more secureCloudflare operates one of the world's largest content delivery networks spanning 310+ cities in 120+ countries. Beyond CDN caching, Cloudflare provides DDoS protection, web application firewall (WAF), SSL/TLS encryption, DNS management, and edge computing through Workers. Its generous free tier and performance-enhancing features have made it the default choice for millions of websites worldwide.
- +Incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth
- +310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide
- +Workers edge computing platform enables running code at the edge without origin servers
What is Fastly?
Edge cloud platform for fast, secure digital experiencesDelivers content through a Varnish-based edge cloud with sub-150-millisecond cache purging for instant updates. Supports HTTP/3, QUIC, TLS 1.3, and serverless computing at the edge via Compute@Edge. Powers latency-sensitive sites like GitHub and The New York Times across 90+ global PoPs with 365+ Tbps capacity.
- +Industry-leading instant cache purging under 150 milliseconds globally
- +Powerful Compute@Edge platform for serverless edge computing
- +Exceptional performance for real-time and latency-sensitive applications
- •Enterprise media and publishing companies needing instant cache purging
- •Developers building edge-first applications with serverless computing
- •High-traffic e-commerce sites requiring low-latency global delivery
Cloudflare CDN vs Fastly: Key Differences
Cloudflare CDN vs Fastly: Quick Verdict
Cloudflare CDN leads by a hair — 9.1/10 vs 8.6/10. At this margin, the specifics matter more than the overall score.
Choose Cloudflare CDN if:
- Incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth
- 310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide
- Workers edge computing platform enables running code at the edge without origin servers
- You want the higher-rated option overall (9.1/10 vs 8.6/10)
- Ease of use matters to you — Cloudflare CDN scores 8.7/10 here
Choose Fastly if:
- Industry-leading instant cache purge (150ms globally) enables real-time content updates
- Programmable edge with VCL and Compute@Edge provides unmatched flexibility
- Real-time analytics and log streaming give immediate visibility into traffic and performance
Decision Summary
Who wins in each scenario? A quick look at how Cloudflare CDN and Fastly compare across different buyer needs.
Scores 9.1/10 vs 8.6/10
Scores 9.5/10 on value vs 7.5/10
Ease of use: 8.7/10 vs 7.8/10
Features + support avg: 8.8/10 vs 8.6/10
Free plan available + 9.5/10 value
Both offer free plans
Choose Cloudflare CDN if you need...
- ✓Incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth
- ✓310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide
- ✓Workers edge computing platform enables running code at the edge without origin servers
- ✓Lower starting price ($20/mo vs $50/mo)
- !Incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth
- !310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide
Choose Fastly if you need...
- ✓Industry-leading instant cache purging under 150 milliseconds globally
- ✓Powerful Compute@Edge platform for serverless edge computing
- ✓Exceptional performance for real-time and latency-sensitive applications
- !Industry-leading instant cache purging under 150 milliseconds globally
- !Powerful Compute@Edge platform for serverless edge computing
Our Take: Cloudflare CDN vs Fastly
Cloudflare CDN edges ahead with a 9.1/10 vs 8.6/10. The gap is noticeable but not dramatic — both are legitimate options depending on what you prioritize.
Where they differ: Cloudflare CDN's biggest strengths are incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth and 310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide. Fastly, on the other hand, shines with industry-leading instant cache purging under 150 milliseconds globally and powerful Compute@Edge platform for serverless edge computing. These reflect fundamentally different product priorities.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each one with zero risk before committing. We recommend trying both for a week with real data.
Cloudflare CDN vs Fastly Score Comparison
| Category | Cloudflare CDN | Fastly |
|---|---|---|
🏆Overall Score | 9.1▲ | 8.6 |
💫Ease of Use | 8.7▲ | 7.8 |
⚙Features | 9.3▲ | 9.2 |
💰Value for Money | 9.5▲ | 7.5 |
💬Customer Support | 7.9 | ▲8.3 |
Why These Scores? Our Reasoning
- +Incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth
- +310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide
- +Workers edge computing platform enables running code at the edge without origin servers
- -Incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth
- -310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide
Fastly — 8.6/10- +Industry-leading instant cache purging under 150 milliseconds globally
- +Powerful Compute@Edge platform for serverless edge computing
- +Exceptional performance for real-time and latency-sensitive applications
- -Industry-leading instant cache purging under 150 milliseconds globally
- -Powerful Compute@Edge platform for serverless edge computing
Cloudflare CDN vs Fastly Pros & Cons
+Strengths
- ✓Incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth
- ✓310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide
- ✓Workers edge computing platform enables running code at the edge without origin servers
-Weaknesses
- ✗Incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth
- ✗310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide
- ✗Workers edge computing platform enables running code at the edge without origin servers
Fastly8.6/10+Strengths
- ✓Industry-leading instant cache purging under 150 milliseconds globally
- ✓Powerful Compute@Edge platform for serverless edge computing
- ✓Exceptional performance for real-time and latency-sensitive applications
- ✓Developer-friendly with custom VCL and comprehensive API access
- ✓Generous free tier with 50 USD monthly credit for testing
-Weaknesses
- ✗Industry-leading instant cache purging under 150 milliseconds globally
- ✗Powerful Compute@Edge platform for serverless edge computing
- ✗Exceptional performance for real-time and latency-sensitive applications
- ✗Developer-friendly with custom VCL and comprehensive API access
- ✗Generous free tier with 50 USD monthly credit for testing
Who Should Use Cloudflare CDN vs Fastly?
Fastly is ideal for
- •Enterprise media and publishing companies needing instant cache purging
- •Developers building edge-first applications with serverless computing
- •High-traffic e-commerce sites requiring low-latency global delivery
- •Streaming platforms delivering live and on-demand video content
When NOT to Choose Cloudflare CDN or Fastly
Knowing when a tool is the wrong fit is just as important as knowing its strengths
Skip Cloudflare CDN if...
- ✗Incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth
- ✗310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide
- ✗Workers edge computing platform enables running code at the edge without origin servers
Skip Fastly if...
- ✗Industry-leading instant cache purging under 150 milliseconds globally
- ✗Powerful Compute@Edge platform for serverless edge computing
- ✗Exceptional performance for real-time and latency-sensitive applications
- ✗Developer-friendly with custom VCL and comprehensive API access
- ✗Generous free tier with 50 USD monthly credit for testing
Cloudflare CDN vs Fastly Decision Framework
Choose based on what matters most to you
FastlyCloudflare CDN vs Fastly Pricing
| Pricing Feature | Cloudflare CDN | Fastly |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Starting Price | $20/mo | $50/mo |
| Free Trial | Not available | 30 days |
| Number of Plans | 4 | 4 |
| Value Rating | 9.5/10 | 7.5/10 |
Cloudflare CDN Plans
- ✓CDN & caching
- ✓DDoS protection
- ✓Free SSL
- ✓DNS management
- ✓WAF
- ✓Image optimization
- ✓Mobile optimization
- ✓100% uptime SLA
- ✓Custom SSL
- ✓Advanced DDoS
- ✓Dedicated support
- ✓Custom rules
- ✓Network priority
Fastly Plans
- ✓Up to 50 USD/month credit
- ✓Core CDN features
- ✓2 free TLS domains
- ✓Community support
- ✓Pay-as-you-go from 0.12 USD/GB
- ✓5 TLS domains
- ✓Mutual TLS
- ✓Standard support
- ✓Bundled bandwidth
- ✓Image optimization
- ✓WebSockets
- ✓Predictable pricing
- ✓Custom bandwidth
- ✓Dedicated support
- ✓Premium SLA
- ✓Custom configurations
What You Get: Plan Feature Comparison
Comparing Cloudflare CDN's Pro ($20/mo) vs Fastly's Usage ($50/mo)
| Feature | Cloudflare CDN | Fastly |
|---|---|---|
| WAF | ✓ | ✗ |
| Image optimization | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile optimization | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pay-as-you-go from 0.12 USD/GB | ✗ | ✓ |
| 5 TLS domains | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mutual TLS | ✗ | ✓ |
| Standard support | ✗ | ✓ |
Which Should You Choose?
Cloudflare CDN
Fastly
Quick Buyer's Guide
Based on our analysis, here's who each tool is best suited for
- ✓Users who need incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth
- ✓Users who need 310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide
- ✓Teams with tighter budgets ($20/mo vs $50/mo)
Fastly is best for:- ✓Enterprise media and publishing companies needing instant cache purging
- ✓Developers building edge-first applications with serverless computing
- ✓Users who need industry-leading instant cache purging under 150 milliseconds globally
Cloudflare CDN vs Fastly: The Bottom Line
Cloudflare CDN takes this matchup, though Fastly remains a viable alternative.
## Our Verdict Cloudflare CDN leads by a hair — 9.1/10 vs 8.6/10. At this margin, the specifics matter more than the overall score. ### Choose Cloudflare CDN if: - Incredibly generous free tier includes CDN, DDoS protection, and SSL for unlimited bandwidth - 310+ global PoPs deliver exceptional performance with minimal latency worldwide - Workers edge computing platform enables running code at the edge without origin servers - You want the higher-rated option overall (9.1/10 vs 8.6/10) - Ease of use matters to you — Cloudflare CDN scores 8.7/10 here ### Choose Fastly if: - Industry-leading instant cache purge (150ms globally) enables real-time content updates - Programmable edge with VCL and Compute@Edge provides unmatched flexibility - Real-time analytics and log streaming give immediate visibility into traffic and performance Fastly at 8.6/10 is still competitive and may be the better fit depending on your specific requirements and budget.