FastlyFastly vs Cloudflare
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 | 4.4 | 4.7 |
| Starting price | Custom | Free |
| Pricing model | Paid | Freemium |
| API available | ||
| Best for | Developer-led & large sites | Everyone from hobbyists to enterprise |
| Instant purge | ||
| Edge compute (Compute@Edge) | ||
| VCL configuration | ||
| Real-time logs | ||
| Image optimizer | ||
| Global CDN cache | ||
| Free tier | ||
| WAF & DDoS protection | ||
| DNS | ||
| Workers (edge compute) | ||
| Visit | Visit |
Which should you choose?
Pick Cloudflare for a free, secure, all-in-one CDN
Pick Fastly for instant purge and edge programmability
Fastly
Pros
- Instant cache purging
- Powerful edge control
- Great real-time logs
Cons
- More technical
- Usage pricing needs monitoring
Cloudflare
Pros
- Excellent free tier
- Security built in
- Huge network + edge compute
Cons
- Advanced features gated to paid
- Enterprise pricing opaque
Frequently asked questions
Is Fastly better than Cloudflare?+
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, Fastly or Cloudflare?+
Fastly starts at Custom, while Cloudflare starts at Free.