Algolia

Hosted search API with sub-10ms response times

Fastly

Real-time CDN and edge computing for high-performance apps

Algolia vs Fastly: Full Comparison (2026)

Pricing, features, scores, and a clear verdict on which one is right for you.

The bottom line

Algolia positions itself as "hosted search api with sub-10ms response times" while Fastly goes after "real-time cdn and edge computing for high-performance apps" — so the right pick depends on which problem you're actually solving. They take different commercial approaches — Algolia uses a freemium approach and Fastly a usage-based-based model, which affects how costs scale as your team grows. Algolia lets you start for free, which means you can validate the fit before committing budget. Fastly requires a paid commitment upfront, so make sure it matches your workflow before signing.

At a glance

	Algolia	Fastly
Our score	83/100	76/100
Starting price	Free	$50/mo
Free tier	Yes	No
Best for	Hosted search API with sub-10ms response times	Real-time CDN and edge computing for high-performance apps

Pricing comparison

Algolia

Free tier available

Build (Free)Free

Grow$null/mo

Premium/Enterprise$null/mo

Pricing verified 2026-04-16

Fastly

No free tier

Pay-as-you-go$50/mo

Enterprise$null/mo

Pricing verified 2026-04-16

Calculate your cost

How many developers?10

1500

AlgoliaUnknown

Contact sales

FastlyUnknown

Contact sales

Try Algolia free →Visit Fastly →

Feature comparison

core

Feature	Algolia	Fastly
Full-text search	Yes	No
Typo tolerance	Yes	No
Faceting/filtering	Yes	No
Geo search	Yes	No
Synonyms	Yes	No
CDN	No	Yes
DDoS protection	No	Yes
Instant cache purge	No	Yes
WAF	No	Yes
Real-time analytics	No	Yes

advanced

Feature	Algolia	Fastly
NeuralSearch (AI)	Yes	No
Personalization	Yes	No
A/B testing	Yes	No
Query rules	Yes	No
AI re-ranking	Yes	No
Compute@Edge (Wasm)	No	Yes
Image optimization	No	Yes
Origin shielding	No	Yes
Custom VCL	No	Yes
Bot management	No	Yes

integrations

Feature	Algolia	Fastly
Next.js	Yes	No
React	Yes	No
Shopify	Yes	No
WordPress	Yes	No
Contentful	Yes	No
Sanity	Yes	No
AWS	No	Yes
GCP	No	Yes
Terraform	No	Yes
Fastly CLI	No	Yes
GitHub Actions	No	Yes

Ratings breakdown

Algolia

Ease of use

9/10

Value for money

6/10

Features

9/10

Support

8/10

Fastly

Ease of use

6/10

Value for money

5/10

Features

9/10

Support

8/10

What the data tells us

Key capabilities you'd miss

Choosing Algolia means going without CDN, DDoS protection, Instant cache purge (which Fastly offers). Choosing Fastly means losing Full-text search, Typo tolerance, Faceting/filtering. These are the features that typically drive the final decision — check whether your workflow depends on any of them before committing.

Choose Algolia if...

You want a free tier to get started
You value an intuitive, easy-to-use interface
You need enterprise-grade capabilities

Try Algolia free →

Choose Fastly if...

You're ready to invest from $50/mo
You value powerful features over simplicity
You need enterprise-grade capabilities

Visit Fastly →

Frequently asked questions

Is Algolia or Fastly better?

Algolia scores 83/100 compared to Fastly's 76/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — Algolia excels at ease of use (9/10) while Fastly scores 6/10.

How much does Algolia cost compared to Fastly?

Algolia starts at free (free tier available). Fastly starts at $50/mo. Algolia is the more affordable option.

Does Algolia or Fastly have a free plan?

Algolia offers a free tier. Fastly does not — its cheapest plan starts at $50/mo.

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