FastlyCloudflare vs Fastly
Verdict
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.
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 |
Which should you choose?
Pick Cloudflare for a free, secure, all-in-one CDN
Pick Fastly for instant purge and edge programmability
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, while Fastly starts at Custom.