The closest alternatives to Fastly on Lister are Cloudflare, Akamai and BunnyCDN, the companies that share the most rankings with it. Each is compared below on its stated best fit, starting price and Lister Score.
How to choose an alternative to Fastly
Start from what you need it for. Where each fits best, as Lister records it:
- Cloudflare: Overall performance and security
- Akamai: Large global enterprises requiring maximum security and scale
- BunnyCDN: Startups and blogs looking for extreme value and speed
- Google Cloud CDN: Applications hosted on Google Cloud Platform
- Microsoft Azure CDN: Enterprises using Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure
- Amazon CloudFront: Users already hosting infrastructure on Amazon Web Services
- Cloudinary: Enterprise media management and manipulation
- KeyCDN: Budget-conscious developers and small to medium websites
- StackPath: Businesses needing integrated edge computing and security
- Imperva (Incapsula): Enterprises prioritising security and compliance alongside content delivery, particularly under regulatory scrutiny
Closest to Fastly by the rankings they share: Cloudflare (2 rankings), Akamai (2 rankings) and BunnyCDN (2 rankings).
Free to start, by their stated pricing: Cloudflare and Cloudinary.
Stated starting prices: BunnyCDN ($1 per month) and KeyCDN ($4 per month minimum).
Custom or quote-based pricing: Akamai, StackPath and Imperva (Incapsula).
Each Lister Score is the alternative's score on the ranking named in its row, so compare scores within one ranking rather than across rankings. How the score is made.
Each alternative in brief
01
Performance and security at scale
#1 in Top 10 CDN Services: Cloudflare operates one of the world's largest global networks, combining CDN, DDoS protection, WAF, and DNS services in a single integrated platform. Known for developer-friendly APIs and competitive pricing.
PROS- Generous free tier with robust DDoS protection
- Extremely fast global DNS propagation times
CONS- Advanced security features require expensive enterprise plans
95.0
02
Powering and protecting life online
#2 in Top 10 CDN Services: Akamai is the world's oldest and largest CDN provider, serving fortune 500 companies and handling roughly 30% of web traffic. Offers best-in-class edge computing, image optimisation, and video streaming.
PROS- Massive global network capacity
- Enterprise-grade security and mitigation tools
CONS- Prohibitive pricing for smaller businesses
- Complex enterprise contracts
92.7
03
Lightning fast content delivery made simple
#6 in Top 10 Content Delivery Networks: An ultra-fast, highly affordable content delivery network focused on simplicity and performance.
PROS- Extremely low pricing
- Very fast setup and configuration
CONS- Smaller global network footprint compared to Akamai or Cloudflare
83.3
04
Fast, reliable web and video delivery
#6 in Top 10 CDN Services: Google Cloud CDN is the content delivery layer of Google Cloud Platform, integrating with Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, and Load Balancing. Leverages Google's global network and machine learning.
PROS- Utilizes Google's private global fiber network
- Deep integration with Google Cloud Platform services
CONS- Best utilized only if already inside the Google ecosystem
83.3
05
Fast, reliable, global content delivery
#7 in Top 10 CDN Services: Azure CDN from Microsoft provides content acceleration through the Azure global network. Integrates with Azure Blob Storage and App Service. Offered through Standard and Premium tiers.
PROS- Seamless integration with Azure storage and services
- Flexible partnerships with multiple underlying networks
CONS- Can be complex to navigate for non-Azure users
81.0
06
Fast, highly secure, and programmable content delivery
#2 in Top 10 Content Delivery Networks: A fast content delivery network service that securely delivers data, videos, applications, and APIs to customers globally.
PROS- Deep integration with Amazon Web Services ecosystem
- Highly scalable and customizable with Lambda at Edge
CONS- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Complex pricing structure
92.7
07
#5 in Top 10 CDN Services: Cloudinary is a purpose-built platform for image and video optimisation, transformation, and delivery. Excels at dynamic resizing, format conversion, and responsive image serving.
PROS- Robust enterprise-grade infrastructure
- Extensive suite of AI transformation tools
CONS- Can be overly complex and costly for small businesses
85.7
08
High performance content delivery
#5 in Top 10 Content Delivery Networks: A high-performance and developer-friendly content delivery network with a pay-as-you-go pricing model.
PROS- Affordable pay-as-you-go pricing
- Simple and intuitive user interface
CONS- Fewer advanced security features than competitors
85.7
09
The edge computing platform
#7 in Top 10 Content Delivery Networks: A secure edge computing platform providing content delivery and application security.
PROS- Strong focus on developer tooling
- Integrated web application firewall
CONS- Recent pivot away from self-service signups
81.0
10
CDN with integrated security and DDoS protection for application safety
#9 in Top 10 CDN Services: Imperva provides a unified platform combining CDN, DDoS protection, WAF, and API security. Formerly known as Incapsula, it serves enterprise clients requiring security alongside performance.
PROS- Integrated security (DDoS, WAF, API protection) eliminates multi-product complexity
- Strong focus on compliance and enterprise security requirements
CONS- Custom pricing makes budget forecasting difficult for small teams
76.3