11 Cloudflare Alternatives to Boost Your Website Performance and Security

Cloudflare offers a range of services to improve the performance and security of your website/web application.

You can protect your networks, secure websites, APIs, applications, or deploy code that runs on the network edge using Cloudflare. Overall, you get access to a Content Delivery Network (CDN), and a Web Application Firewall (WAF) as a part of its offering.

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Cloudflare offers a free tier with many essential features, making it one of the most popular choices for webmasters and developers.

So, why do you need to look for Cloudflare alternatives?

While it could be an impressive option for free, it may not be the best option for every requirement.

If you're deciding to pay for a CDN, why not seek other options before upgrading the subscription? Furthermore, relying on a single CDN for all your websites may not be a good idea.

Similarly, it is worth exploring options for WAF with various features, and security benefits that could be a finer option for your use case.

Here, I plan to highlight the best Cloudflare alternatives that you can try for your website or web app.

Top Cloudflare Alternatives That You Need to Know

For the list, I have selected various CDNs, WAFs, and services that let you run code on the network edge that provide all that Cloudflare has to offer for enterprise and individual use.

1. Fastly

Key Highlights:

• CDN.
• Real-time insights.
• Website speed optimization.
• Deploy code on the network edge.

Fastly is an impressive solution for online businesses that require higher availability with a big chunk of traffic.

It offers all the essentials that include image optimizer, securing domains with TLS certificates, and viewing real-time traffic. The edge network utilized by Fastly should be more than enough for small businesses and enterprises as well.

Additionally, you can also protect your apps and APIs using its WAF (separate offering) if you need enhanced security. It should be a good Cloudflare alternative.

2. Akamai

Key Highlights:

• Image and Video Manager.
• Adaptive Media Delivery.
• API Acceleration.
• Traffic management.
• Optimize file-based content.
• Real-time performance monitoring.
• Deploy code on the network edge.

Akamai powers some of the biggest companies on the internet.

Unlike other options, Akamai is not suitable for websites that require standard CDN and WAF service. In other words, it is fit for sites, web apps, services with massive traffic on their network.

As an individual developer or a webmaster, it may not be an exciting choice. But, if you need to handle an overwhelming number of requests and want fine-grained services to manage every aspect of your CDN, WAF, and edge compute instances, Akamai can be the perfect solution.

3. ArvanCloud

Key Highlights:

• CDN
• Cloud server (compute instances)
• WAF
• DDoS protection

ArvanCloud may not be as popular as others in the list, but it offers a Content Delivery Network, container service, cloud server, WAF, and more.

If you are looking for a cloudflare alternative with most of the similar product features, this can be a relevant option to take a look at.

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4. Amazon CloudFront

Key Highlights:

• DDoS protection.
• CDN.
• One of the biggest edge networks for using compute instances.
• Pay-as-you-go pricing.

If you are looking to get your hands dirty with custom configuration, and want access to one of the biggest networks at a pay-as-you-go pricing model, Amazon CloudFront is a great pick.

Unlike some other options, you may find a learning curve to know about how it all works, with its official documentation, if it is your first time setting up a CDN, a serverless computer instance, and more. Also, if you are signing up for a free tier account, you will be getting free 1 TB of data transfer out.

You can use it for countless use-cases. However, you need to explore the pricing calculator to estimate your requirements.

5. StackPath

Key Highlights:

• DDoS protection.
• Origin Shield.
• Edge compute.
• Real-time analytics.
• CDN.

StackPath is a powerful alternative to Cloudflare utilized by the likes of Valve (Steam). You already get DDoS protection with its CDN service without needing to separately opt for its WAF service. Along with edge computing, it also provides edge solutions for gaming and media/entertainment.

It is suitable for all kinds of use-cases; however, it is best-suitable for businesses.

6. G-Core Labs

Key Highlights:

• Free plan.
• Basic WAF protection.
• Cloud computing.
• DDoS protection

G-Core Labs is an interesting solution that offers a free plan like Cloudflare for its CDN. It includes basic WAF protection for free and also provides you options for cloud computing instances and cloud storage. While it may not be a popular option, it offers a range of good features.

So, if you are looking for a better Cloudflare alternative without needing to take a premium subscription to get started, this can be an option.

Unlike some other providers, G-Core Labs provides all the essential features across all the pricing plans (even with the free plan). It is definitely worth taking a look.

7. Google Cloud CDN

Key Highlights:

• Easy integration with Google Cloud
• Robust infrastructure.

Google always manages to provide top-tier performances with its cloud offerings.

If you are looking for something to easily integrate with your Google Cloud deployments, Google Cloud CDN should be an ideal choice.

It is recommended that you have some experience with Google Cloud services before trying to use it for your application or website.

8. KeyCDN

Key Highlights:

• Instant purge.
• Zone management.
• Custom domain support.
• Real-time reports.
• Optimize images (including WebP support).
• Pay-as-you-go pricing.

KeyCDN is a Switzerland-based affordable Cloudflare alternative for webmasters who need access to a few advanced features but do not find Cloudflare’s premium options useful for the CDN. It is also considered as one of the fastest CDNs available.

KeyCDN offers a pay as you go pricing model, which can be cheaper than what Cloudflare provides for some users.

Furthermore, you can integrate it with your web application (or CMS) effortlessly. You can choose to make advanced configurations or set up your custom domain for the CDN if required.

9. Sucuri CDN/WAF

Key Highlights:

• DDoS protection.
• Block threats and patch vulnerabilities.
• Website speed optimization.

Sucuri is a popular WAF service. With its WAF offering, it also lets you activate website protection using its integrated CDN service.

If you are looking for an improved security, DDoS protection, and some boost in website performance, Sucuri WAF is a good candidate. Given that it does not offer the biggest CDN network, you may want to check its available data centers before you want to utilize its service.

Cloudflare can be a better option if you are not looking for enhanced security features.

10. Bunny CDN

Key Highlights:

• Let's Encrypt SSL integration.
• Real-time monitoring.
• Real-time log forwarding.
• Edge rule setup.
• Instant purging.
• Pay-as-you-go pricing.

One of the most interesting Cloudflare alternatives.

Similar to KeyCDN, Bunny.net is also known for its pay-as-you-go pricing model with its CDN service.

It focuses on providing speed optimization and availability. Some features like SmartEdge routing and Perma-Cache lets you make the most out of the CDN's performance with sufficient data centers across the globe.

You also get some security features to protect your content from attacks, enable geo-restrictions, and more options.

11. Imperva (Security-focused)

Key Highlights:

• Optimize content.
• DDoS protection.
• Load balancing.
• Easy rule management.

Imperva is yet another security product for web applications with an integrated Content Delivery Network. If you do not prefer Sucuri as one of the Cloudflare alternatives, Imperva is a good candidate.

If you are looking for something to provide WAF protection and also an edge delivery network to ensure your content is available worldwide, Imperva is a good choice.

Wrapping Up

With the choices mentioned above, it is clear that there are excellent alternatives to Cloudflare available for various scales of online presence.

You need to evaluate them based on the fastest content optimization, security features, edge computing options, and pricing plans. As per your priorities, you should find a suitable option that could end up as a better option than Cloudflare.