Cloudflare vs Fastly: Full Comparison (2026)
Pricing, features, scores, and a clear verdict on which one is right for you.
The bottom line
Cloudflare and Fastly diverge into different niches despite both being CDN and edge computing platforms. Cloudflare is the default: unmetered CDN bandwidth on the free tier, DDoS protection, free SSL, and Workers (edge computing) at zero cost to start. Free tier commercial use allowed. Fastly carries a $50/month minimum, per-GB billing, and specific technical advantages that only matter for certain workloads. Fastly's instant cache purge (sub-150ms globally via API, propagated in real time) versus Cloudflare's cache invalidation (seconds-level, less precise for bulk purge) is the defining difference. A news site correcting an article needs global purge in seconds; an e-commerce site needs to invalidate a price change the moment it goes live. Fastly was built for these use cases. Fastly's Compute@Edge uses WebAssembly for zero-cold-start edge functions with stronger security isolation than JavaScript-based Workers. Fastly's real-time streaming logs (1-second granularity) are ahead of Cloudflare's analytics latency. For everyone else: Cloudflare's value equation is extraordinary at every tier. Workers + R2 + D1 at Cloudflare pricing makes it a nearly complete edge computing platform at costs Fastly can't approach. Enterprise comparison: Cloudflare Enterprise typically $30K-100K/year; Fastly $40K-120K/year. The 20-40% Fastly premium needs technical justification: instant purge, WebAssembly edge functions, or real-time streaming logs at 1-second granularity. Without those specific requirements, Cloudflare wins on cost and developer experience at every scale.
At a glance
| Cloudflare | Fastly | |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 91/100 | 76/100 |
| Starting price | Free | $50/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Best for | CDN, DDoS protection, and edge computing platform | Real-time CDN and edge computing for high-performance apps |
Pricing comparison
Calculate your cost
Feature comparison
core
| Feature | Cloudflare | Fastly |
|---|---|---|
| CDN | Yes | Yes |
| DDoS protection | Yes | Yes |
| DNS | Yes | No |
| SSL/TLS | Yes | No |
| WAF | Pro+ | Yes |
| Instant cache purge | No | Yes |
| Real-time analytics | No | Yes |
advanced
| Feature | Cloudflare | Fastly |
|---|---|---|
| Workers (edge functions) | Yes | No |
| R2 (object storage) | Yes | No |
| D1 (SQL at edge) | Yes | No |
| Pages (static hosting) | Yes | No |
| Zero Trust (ZTNA) | 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 | Cloudflare | Fastly |
|---|---|---|
| AWS | Yes | Yes |
| GCP | Yes | Yes |
| Azure | Yes | No |
| GitHub | Yes | No |
| Terraform | Yes | Yes |
| Pulumi | Yes | No |
| Fastly CLI | No | Yes |
| GitHub Actions | No | Yes |
Ratings breakdown
What the data tells us
Key capabilities you'd miss
Choosing Cloudflare means going without Instant cache purge, Real-time analytics, Compute@Edge (Wasm) (which Fastly offers). Choosing Fastly means losing DNS, SSL/TLS, Workers (edge functions). These are the features that typically drive the final decision — check whether your workflow depends on any of them before committing.
What company size tells you
Fastly (501-1,000 employees) has the engineering bench to ship features across many fronts but may iterate slower on individual requests. Cloudflare (3,000+ employees) typically ships faster on its core product but may lag on peripheral features. Consider which matters more for your roadmap.
Choose Cloudflare if...
- You want a free tier to get started
- You value an intuitive, easy-to-use interface
- Getting strong value for money is a priority
Choose Fastly if...
- You're ready to invest from $50/mo
- You value powerful features over simplicity
- You need enterprise-grade capabilities
Frequently asked questions
Is Cloudflare or Fastly better?
Cloudflare scores 91/100 compared to Fastly's 76/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — Cloudflare excels at ease of use (8/10) while Fastly scores 6/10.
How much does Cloudflare cost compared to Fastly?
Cloudflare starts at free (free tier available). Fastly starts at $50/mo. Cloudflare is the more affordable option.
Does Cloudflare or Fastly have a free plan?
Cloudflare offers a free tier. Fastly does not — its cheapest plan starts at $50/mo.
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