Cloudflare vs AWS CloudFront (2026): Which CDN Should You Choose?
Quick Answer
Cloudflare wins for the vast majority of use cases — free DDoS protection and WAF, 300+ global PoPs, simple DNS-based setup, and generous free tier make it the default choice for websites and APIs. AWS CloudFront makes sense when you are already using AWS and need deep integrations with S3 origins, Lambda@Edge, and other AWS services. For standalone CDN needs, Cloudflare is faster to set up and cheaper to run.
Cloudflare
9.2/10
Best standalone CDN & security
AWS CloudFront
8.6/10
Best for AWS-native workloads
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Cloudflare | AWS CloudFront |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | Generous free plan — CDN, DDoS, WAF | 12-month AWS Free Tier only, then pay-per-use |
| Pricing | Free; Pro $20/mo; Business $200/mo | $0.0085/GB (US) + $0.01/10K requests |
| Global PoPs | 300+ locations worldwide | 450+ edge locations |
| DDoS Protection | Free — unlimited unmetered DDoS | AWS Shield Standard (free); Shield Advanced $3K/mo |
| WAF | Basic WAF free; advanced on Pro+ | AWS WAF — pay-per-use ($5/mo + $1/rule) |
| Edge Functions | Cloudflare Workers (free 100K req/day) | Lambda@Edge ($0.60/million requests) |
| Setup Complexity | Easy — DNS nameserver change | Complex — AWS Console configuration |
| Best For | Any website, SaaS, API protection | S3 static sites, AWS-native applications |
Which do you use?
Who Should Choose What?
Choose Cloudflare if:
You want the best CDN value with zero upfront cost. Cloudflare's free plan includes enterprise-grade DDoS protection that would cost thousands per month elsewhere. Setup takes 5 minutes by changing your DNS nameservers, and the network's performance is consistently top-tier in independent benchmarks.
Choose AWS CloudFront if:
Your content originates from AWS services like S3, EC2, or API Gateway, and you want zero-latency origin connections within the AWS network. CloudFront's Lambda@Edge enables powerful edge computing with full Node.js capabilities and direct access to the AWS SDK.
FAQ
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