Fastly

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

Fastly vs Terraform / HCP Terraform: Full Comparison (2026)

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

The bottom line

Fastly positions itself as "real-time cdn and edge computing for high-performance apps" while Terraform / HCP Terraform goes after "infrastructure as code with hcl" — so the right pick depends on which problem you're actually solving. They take different commercial approaches — Fastly uses a usage-based-based model and Terraform / HCP Terraform a freemium approach, which affects how costs scale as your team grows. Terraform / HCP Terraform 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

	Fastly	Terraform / HCP Terraform
Our score	76/100	84/100
Starting price	$50/mo	Free
Free tier	No	Yes
Best for	Real-time CDN and edge computing for high-performance apps	Infrastructure as code with HCL

Pricing comparison

Fastly

No free tier

Pay-as-you-go$50/mo

Enterprise$null/mo

Pricing verified 2026-04-16

Terraform / HCP Terraform

Free tier available

Open Source (CLI)Free

HCP Terraform FreeFree

HCP Terraform Plus$null/mo

Pricing verified 2026-04-16

Calculate your cost

How many developers?10

1500

FastlyUnknown

Contact sales

Terraform / HCP TerraformUnknown

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Visit Fastly →Try Terraform / HCP Terraform free →

Feature comparison

core

Feature	Fastly	Terraform / HCP Terraform
CDN	Yes	No
DDoS protection	Yes	No
Instant cache purge	Yes	No
WAF	Yes	No
Real-time analytics	Yes	No
HCL configuration	No	Yes
State management	No	Yes
Plan/apply workflow	No	Yes
Modules	No	Yes
Provider ecosystem	No	Yes

advanced

Feature	Fastly	Terraform / HCP Terraform
Compute@Edge (Wasm)	Yes	No
Image optimization	Yes	No
Origin shielding	Yes	No
Custom VCL	Yes	No
Bot management	Yes	No
Remote execution	No	HCP+
Policy as code (Sentinel)	No	HCP Plus+
Drift detection	No	HCP Plus+
Cost estimation	No	HCP Plus+
Self-hosted agents	No	HCP Plus+

integrations

Feature	Fastly	Terraform / HCP Terraform
AWS	Yes	Yes
GCP	Yes	Yes
Terraform	Yes	No
Fastly CLI	Yes	No
GitHub Actions	Yes	No
Azure	No	Yes
Kubernetes	No	Yes
GitHub	No	Yes
GitLab	No	Yes

Ratings breakdown

Fastly

Ease of use

6/10

Value for money

5/10

Features

9/10

Support

8/10

Terraform / HCP Terraform

Ease of use

6/10

Value for money

8/10

Features

9/10

Support

7/10

What the data tells us

Key capabilities you'd miss

Choosing Fastly means going without HCL configuration, State management, Plan/apply workflow (which Terraform / HCP Terraform offers). Choosing Terraform / HCP Terraform means losing CDN, DDoS protection, Instant cache purge. 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. Terraform / HCP Terraform (1,000+ employees) typically ships faster on its core product but may lag on peripheral features. Consider which matters more for your roadmap.

Choose Fastly if...

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

Visit Fastly →

Choose Terraform / HCP Terraform if...

You want a free tier to get started
You value powerful features over simplicity
Getting strong value for money is a priority

Try Terraform / HCP Terraform free →

Frequently asked questions

Is Fastly or Terraform / HCP Terraform better?

Terraform / HCP Terraform scores 84/100 compared to Fastly's 76/100 on VendorVS. However, the best choice depends on your needs — Fastly excels at ease of use (6/10) while Terraform / HCP Terraform scores 6/10.

How much does Fastly cost compared to Terraform / HCP Terraform?

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

Does Fastly or Terraform / HCP Terraform have a free plan?

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

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