Cloudflare offers broader DDoS protection, more affordable pricing starting at $20/month, and integrated security features, while Fastly excels in edge computing performance with superior real-time log streaming and custom VCL programming capabilities for complex use cases.
Cloudflare vs Fastly — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Global CDN and DNS provider specializing in security, DDoS protection, and performance optimization.
High-performance edge computing platform optimized for real-time log streaming and VCL-based traffic customization.
Starting Monthly Price. DDoS Protection Included. Edge Computing Language. Real-Time Log Streaming Latency. Global Edge Locations. WAF Rules Management. API Rate Limiting
Choose Cloudflare if you prioritize affordability, integrated security features, broad DDoS protection, and ease of use for small to mid-market applications—it's the more accessible all-in-one platform. Choose Fastly if you need advanced edge computing with real-time log streaming, VCL customization for complex traffic logic, and are willing to pay premium pricing for maximum performance flexibility.
Cloudflare: Developer-focused | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Cloudflare DNS primary | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: DDoS, threat intelligence, WARP, Magic | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Community & documentation | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: $10.20 (at-cost) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Excellent for enterprise | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 4.5 stars | Fastly: 4.8 stars
Cloudflare: 476 reviews | Fastly: 543 reviews
Cloudflare: Industry standard | Fastly: 5.0/5.0
Cloudflare: Highly accessible with strong freemium | Fastly: Premium-focused with higher entry cost
Cloudflare: 74% planning to expand | Fastly: Not specifically documented
Cloudflare: Comprehensive and standardized | Fastly: Advanced and highly specialized
Cloudflare: Superior and broader distribution | Fastly: Strong but more selective
Cloudflare: 265,000+ | Fastly: Not publicly disclosed
Cloudflare: 31% (Q3 2025: $562M) | Fastly: Data not available for 2025
Cloudflare: Growing (not disclosed) | Fastly: $19.7 million (first full year)
Cloudflare: Workers Bindings, multimodal models, AI agents | Fastly: Compute@Edge customization, specialized tools
Cloudflare: 230+ billion threats blocked | Fastly: Not publicly disclosed
Cloudflare: Free tier + affordable paid plans | Fastly: Enterprise-focused, premium pricing
Cloudflare: Not specified | Fastly: $50-60 million (expected)
Cloudflare: Per-domain flat-rate plans | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Limited; requires manual configuration | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 100+ countries | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 230 billion threats (2026) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Yes, included in plans | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Cloudflare Workers (lightweight functions) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Limited, requires manual configuration | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Simple DNS-based setup | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Predictable, no hidden charges | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Unlimited on all plans | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Free tier available | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Included on all plans | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 24/7 community + paid support | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: No (requires external provider) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Not applicable | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 3.8M requests/month | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 3.2 Tbps (free tier) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: No native VMs; Workers $5-200/month | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: $20/month Pro plan | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 23ms (fastest DNS globally) | Fastly: N/A
Supported Programming Languages (Workers/Serverless)
Cloudflare: JavaScript/TypeScript, Rust, C, C++ (WebAssembly) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 15 minutes (Enterprise) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 300+ across 100+ countries | Fastly: N/A
DNS Query Response Time (Global Average)
Cloudflare: Yes - full CDN, DNS, DDoS protection | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Cloudflare Workers - included | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Yes - full-featured | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Advanced (free tier + enterprise) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Free Universal SSL all plans | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Unlimited (CDN-based) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Partial (requires Access addon) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 5-10 (DNS propagation) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Cloudflare Workers (full serverless) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 25+ core services | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: $20 (Pro plan) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Yes, all plans | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 5 minutes (DNS change) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 1 (Cloudflare D1 beta) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: ~30ms (median global) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 150 Tbps (Pro plan) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Yes ($20/month plan) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Native REST + GraphQL APIs | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Workers AI (beta), limited models | Fastly: N/A
Serverless Function Cost (1M executions/month)
Cloudflare: $1.50 (Workers) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Not offered (Kubernetes at edge via Workers) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Yes (with core features) | Fastly: N/A
Global Website Speed Improvement (Average)
Cloudflare: L3/L4 included | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: N/A (not a registrar) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Yes (Pro plan+) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 15-20 core services | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Full DDoS protection included | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Fixed plans from $20/month | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 5 minutes via DNS change | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 21% of top 10K websites (not IaaS competitor) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Basic content filtering | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Secondary feature | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 56ms global average | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Limited support | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: $20 fixed (Pro plan) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 275+ data centers | Fastly: 60+ PoPs
Cloudflare: Included (all plans) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: $200 (Pro plan) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 300+ edge cities | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: <50ms (99% of internet users) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Generous free tier ($0; includes basic CDN, DDoS, SSL/TLS) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Limited; Workers AI in beta with emerging model support | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 5-15 minutes (DNS change + proxy setup) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: $34.2 billion (as of March 2025) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 10+ languages via Workers (JavaScript, Rust, Python, Go, etc.) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 3/10 (DNS change only) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Limited (Cloudflare Workers, separate cost) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Up to 30 seconds | Fastly: Sub-second (<1 second)
Cloudflare: Included in all plans | Fastly: Paid add-on
Cloudflare: JavaScript/WebAssembly (Workers) | Fastly: VCL (Varnish Configuration Language)
Cloudflare: Eventual consistency (varies) | Fastly: Instant (<100ms globally)
Cloudflare: Automated daily updates | Fastly: Manual VCL configuration
Cloudflare: Automatic adaptive limiting | Fastly: VCL-based custom logic
Cheapest Domain Registration Price (annual)
Cloudflare: $12.99 (via partner registrar) | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: 200+ data centers | Fastly: N/A
Cloudflare: Included (free tier) | Fastly: N/A
Pro Plan Monthly Cost (entry-level paid)
Cloudflare: $20/month (Pro plan) | Fastly: N/A
How to choose between Cloudflare and Fastly
Cloudflare vs Fastly — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Cloudflare vs Fastly. Contains 150 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Cloudflare vs Fastly — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Cloudflare vs Fastly.
Cloudflare provides stronger DDoS protection as a standard feature on all pricing tiers, with automated mitigation and 275+ edge locations providing geographic redundancy. Fastly requires a separate DDoS add-on, making it more expensive for comprehensive protection. Cloudflare's approach is better for businesses without specialized DDoS expertise.
Which has better edge computing capabilities?
Fastly offers more granular control through VCL (Varnish Configuration Language), allowing developers to write custom traffic logic with millisecond-level precision. Cloudflare Workers uses JavaScript/WebAssembly, which is easier to learn but less powerful for complex routing scenarios. For advanced traffic manipulation, Fastly wins; for simplicity, Cloudflare wins.
Cloudflare is significantly cheaper, starting at $20/month with DDoS protection included. Fastly's base tier starts at $50/month with DDoS as an optional paid add-on. For a typical mid-market business, Cloudflare costs 40-60% less while still providing comprehensive CDN and security features.
Fastly delivers near real-time log streaming with sub-second latency, enabling immediate incident response and security alerts. Cloudflare's logs have up to 30 seconds of delay, which is acceptable for most use cases but insufficient for high-frequency trading, live video delivery, or critical security monitoring. Fastly is superior for real-time observability.
Which is better for video streaming and media delivery?
Fastly is purpose-built for high-bandwidth content like video and large-file delivery, with optimized edge algorithms and instant purge capabilities. Cloudflare handles video adequately but is more general-purpose. For media companies with strict latency and quality requirements, Fastly is the better choice despite higher costs.
How to Choose Between Cloudflare and Fastly
Starting Monthly Price: Cloudflare has $20/month, while Fastly has $50/month.
DDoS Protection Included: Cloudflare has Yes, all plans, while Fastly has Optional add-on.
Edge Computing Language: Cloudflare has Cloudflare Workers (JavaScript/WebAssembly), while Fastly has Fastly VCL (Varnish Configuration Language).
Consider: Real-Time Log Streaming Latency
Real-Time Log Streaming Latency: Cloudflare has Up to 30 seconds delay, while Fastly has Near real-time (sub-second).
Global Edge Locations: Cloudflare has 275+ data centers, while Fastly has 60+ PoPs (Points of Presence).
WAF Rules Management: Cloudflare has Managed rules included, while Fastly has VCL-based custom rules.
API Rate Limiting: Cloudflare has Automatic, included, while Fastly has VCL-configured.