Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!
Akamai vs Amazon CloudFront vs Fastly: What are the differences?
## Key Differences Between Akamai, Amazon CloudFront, and Fastly
1. **Global Reach**: Akamai has one of the most extensive global networks with servers in over 130 countries, providing unparalleled coverage. Amazon CloudFront and Fastly also have global reach but may not have the same extensive network as Akamai, impacting response times and availability in certain regions.
2. **Pricing Structure**: Amazon CloudFront offers competitive pricing with pay-as-you-go options, making it suitable for small to large scale businesses. Akamai, on the other hand, is known for its premium pricing model, tailored towards enterprise-level clients. Fastly falls in between both, offering flexible pricing plans that can cater to a wide range of businesses.
3. **Security Features**: Akamai is recognized for its robust security features, including DDoS protection, web application firewall, and bot management, making it a preferred choice for organizations prioritizing security. While Amazon CloudFront and Fastly also provide security features, they may not offer the same level of comprehensive security as Akamai.
4. **Content Delivery Performance**: Akamai has a proven track record of delivering fast and reliable content delivery, leveraging its vast network infrastructure and advanced caching mechanisms. Amazon CloudFront and Fastly also offer impressive performance but may not be as optimized as Akamai in certain scenarios, resulting in potentially slower load times.
5. **Customization and Control**: Fastly stands out for its high level of customization and control, allowing users to tailor caching rules and configurations to specific needs. While Amazon CloudFront also offers some flexibility in customization, Akamai provides a more structured approach that may not offer as much granular control as Fastly.
6. **Support and Customer Service**: Akamai is known for its excellent customer support, offering dedicated account managers and 24/7 technical assistance to ensure smooth operations. Amazon CloudFront and Fastly also provide support services, but it may not be as personalized or comprehensive as Akamai's support system.
In Summary, Akamai, Amazon CloudFront, and Fastly differ in global reach, pricing structures, security features, content delivery performance, customization options, and level of support provided to customers. Each platform caters to unique requirements and preferences based on individual business needs.
Decisions about Akamai, Amazon CloudFront, and Fastly
Francesco Boffa
CTO at ORDR · | 14 upvotes · 51.2K views
I don't think I have registered a domain in the last 10 years that hasn't been linked to CloudFlare within the first 2 hours from registration.
The benefits you get from even the free version of CloudFlare are amazing. From day 0: - 30/80% of bandwidth savings thanks to their CDN - Origin IP address protection - Managed SSL
Manage your open source components, licenses, and vulnerabilities
Learn MorePros of Akamai
Pros of Amazon CloudFront
Pros of Fastly
Pros of Akamai
Be the first to leave a pro
Pros of Amazon CloudFront
- Fast245
- Cdn166
- Compatible with other aws services157
- Simple125
- Global108
- Cheap41
- Cost-effective36
- Reliable27
- One stop solution19
- Elastic9
- Object store1
- HTTP/2 Support1
Pros of Fastly
- Real-time updates28
- Fastest CDN26
- Powerful API22
- Great support20
- Great customer support14
- Instant Purging7
- Custom VCL7
- Good pricing6
- Tag-based Purging6
- HTTP/2 Support5
- Speed & functionality4
- Image processing on demande (Fastly IO)4
- Best CDN4
Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions
Cons of Akamai
Cons of Amazon CloudFront
Cons of Fastly
Cons of Akamai
Be the first to leave a con
Cons of Amazon CloudFront
- UI could use some work3
- Invalidations take so long1
Cons of Fastly
- Minimum $50/mo spend1
Sign up to add or upvote consMake informed product decisions
2.5K
3K
317
70.4K
5K
419
5K
80
What is Akamai?
If you've ever shopped online, downloaded music, watched a web video or connected to work remotely, you've probably used Akamai's cloud platform. Akamai helps businesses connect the hyperconnected, empowering them to transform and reinvent their business online. We remove the complexities of technology, so you can focus on driving your business faster forward.
What is Amazon CloudFront?
Amazon CloudFront can be used to deliver your entire website, including dynamic, static, streaming, and interactive content using a global network of edge locations. Requests for your content are automatically routed to the nearest edge location, so content is delivered with the best possible performance.
What is Fastly?
Fastly's real-time content delivery network gives you total control over your content, unprecedented access to performance analytics, and the ability to instantly update content in 150 milliseconds.
Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!
What companies use Akamai?
What companies use Amazon CloudFront?
What companies use Fastly?
What companies use Akamai?
What companies use Fastly?
Sign up to get full access to all the companiesMake informed product decisions
What tools integrate with Akamai?
What tools integrate with Amazon CloudFront?
What tools integrate with Fastly?
What tools integrate with Akamai?
What tools integrate with Amazon CloudFront?
What tools integrate with Fastly?
Sign up to get full access to all the tool integrationsMake informed product decisions
Blog Posts
+23 11
6889
+29 14
13682
+42 49
41030
+47 55
72925
+46 27
32774
+30 27
18804
+43 18
5331
+26 15
5446
What are some alternatives to Akamai, Amazon CloudFront, and Fastly?
CloudFlare
Cloudflare speeds up and protects millions of websites, APIs, SaaS services, and other properties connected to the Internet.
Google Cloud CDN
Google Cloud CDN leverages Google's globally distributed edge caches to accelerate content delivery for websites and applications served out of Google Compute Engine. Cloud CDN lowers network latency, offloads origins, and reduces serving costs. Once you've set up HTTP(S) Load Balancing, simply enable Cloud CDN with a single checkbox.
Apigee
API management, design, analytics, and security are at the heart of modern digital architecture. The Apigee intelligent API platform is a complete solution for moving business to the digital world.
Imperva
It provides complete cyber security by protecting what really matters most—your data and applications—whether on-premises or in the cloud.
F5
It powers apps from development through their entire life cycle, so our customers can deliver differentiated, high-performing, and secure digital experiences.