FastlyCloudflare vs Fastly
Cloudflare rates 4.7/5 and starts at Free. Fastly rates 4.4/5 and starts at Custom. Cloudflare is the higher rated. Only Cloudflare has a free tier.
Cloudflare wins for most sites thanks to its free tier, built-in security, and huge network; Fastly wins for developer-led sites needing instant purge and fine-grained edge control. Choose Cloudflare for value and security, Fastly for real-time control.
Cloudflare vs Fastly at a glance
| Measure | Cloudflare | Fastly |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Reviews | 13,400 | 2,600 |
| Starting price | Free | Custom |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Public API | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations listed here | 5 | 4 |
Feature & pricing comparison
| Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.4 |
| Starting price | Free | Custom |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid |
| API available | ||
| Best for | Everyone from hobbyists to enterprise | Developer-led & large sites |
| Global CDN cache | ||
| Free tier | ||
| WAF & DDoS protection | ||
| DNS | ||
| Workers (edge compute) | ||
| Instant purge | ||
| Edge compute (Compute@Edge) | ||
| VCL configuration | ||
| Real-time logs | ||
| Image optimizer | ||
| Visit | Visit |
Pricing side by side
Cloudflare
Full pricing →| Plan | Price | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | — |
| Pro | $20/mo | $240 |
| Business | $200/mo | $2,400 |
Fastly
Full pricing →| Plan | Price | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | Custom | — |
Which should you choose?
Choose Cloudflare if…
- Excellent free tier matters to you.
- Security built in matters to you.
- Huge network + edge compute matters to you.
- More technical would be a problem.
Choose Fastly if…
- Instant cache purging matters to you.
- Powerful edge control matters to you.
- Great real-time logs matters to you.
- Advanced features gated to paid would be a problem.
Cloudflare
Pros
- Excellent free tier
- Security built in
- Huge network + edge compute
Cons
- Advanced features gated to paid
- Enterprise pricing opaque
Fastly
Pros
- Instant cache purging
- Powerful edge control
- Great real-time logs
Cons
- More technical
- Usage pricing needs monitoring
Frequently asked questions
Is Cloudflare better than Fastly?+
Cloudflare wins for most sites thanks to its free tier, built-in security, and huge network; Fastly wins for developer-led sites needing instant purge and fine-grained edge control. Choose Cloudflare for value and security, Fastly for real-time control.
Which is cheaper, Cloudflare or Fastly?+
Cloudflare starts at Free and Fastly starts at Custom.
Do Cloudflare or Fastly have a free plan?+
Cloudflare has a free tier; Fastly does not (though trials may be available).
Which is better rated, Cloudflare or Fastly?+
Cloudflare, at 4.7/5 across 13,400 reviews, versus 4.4/5 for Fastly.
What is Cloudflare best for, and what is Fastly best for?+
Cloudflare is aimed at Everyone from hobbyists to enterprise (speeding up sites, ddos/waf protection). Fastly is aimed at Developer-led & large sites (high-traffic sites, dynamic content).