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Fastly vs AWS CloudFront (2026): Which CDN Is Right for Your Business?

By ToolVS Research Team · Updated April 10, 2026 · Based on hands-on testing

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30-Second Answer

Pick Fastly for developer-first CDN with real-time purging in 150ms, VCL programmability, and strong edge computing. Pick AWS CloudFront if your infrastructure is on AWS and you need native integration with S3, Lambda@Edge, and AWS WAF/Shield. Fastly wins 6-4 on developer experience; CloudFront wins on AWS ecosystem integration.

Our Verdict

Best Developer CDN

Fastly

4.6/5
Pay-as-you-go / from $50/mo
  • Real-time purging in ~150ms globally
  • Powerful VCL config and Compute@Edge
  • Excellent observability and real-time analytics
  • No free tier
  • Smaller PoP network than CloudFront
  • VCL learning curve for new users
Try Fastly Free →
Best for AWS-Native Infrastructure

AWS CloudFront

4.4/5
Pay-as-you-go
  • Native S3, EC2, Lambda@Edge integration
  • 600+ PoPs worldwide
  • Integrated with AWS WAF and Shield
  • Cache invalidation takes up to 3 minutes
  • Complex pricing (many dimensions)
  • Configuration via console can be tedious
Try CloudFront Free Tier →

Side-by-Side Comparison

CategoryFastlyAWS CloudFrontWinner
Cache Purge Speed~150ms globallyUp to 3 minutes✔
Fastly
AWS IntegrationVia connectorNative S3, Lambda@Edge✔
CloudFront
PoP Count70+ PoPs600+ PoPs✔
CloudFront
Edge ComputingCompute@Edge (WASM)Lambda@Edge (Node.js)✔
Fastly
Real-Time AnalyticsBuilt-in real-time logsVia CloudWatch (delayed)✔
Fastly
Free TierNo1TB/mo free for 12 months✔
CloudFront
DDoS ProtectionGoodAWS Shield Standard (free)✔
CloudFront
ProgrammabilityVCL + Compute@EdgeLambda@Edge + Functions✔
Fastly

Which do you use?

Fastly
AWS CloudFront

Who Should Choose What?

Choose Fastly if:

You need real-time cache purging for dynamic content, want edge computing with WebAssembly via Compute@Edge, or prefer a developer-first CDN with excellent observability.

Choose AWS CloudFront if:

Your infrastructure is on AWS and you want native integration with S3, EC2, and Lambda@Edge. The 1TB free tier and existing AWS billing make it a natural choice for AWS-native companies.

Consider Cloudflare instead:

For most companies, Cloudflare's free plan with 300+ PoPs, DDoS protection, and Workers edge computing offers the best overall value before looking at Fastly or CloudFront.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fastly better than AWS CloudFront?
Fastly is better for real-time purging (150ms), edge computing with WASM, and developer-friendly VCL. CloudFront is better for AWS-native infrastructure with native S3/Lambda@Edge integration and 600+ PoPs.
How does Fastly pricing compare to CloudFront?
Both use pay-as-you-go pricing. Fastly charges $0.0075 per 10K HTTPS requests and $0.12/GB. CloudFront charges similarly but may be cheaper at very high volumes. CloudFront has 1TB free per month for 12 months via AWS Free Tier.

Editor's Take

I've used both Fastly and AWS Cloudfront extensively. Fastly feels more polished out of the box, but AWS Cloudfront surprised me with how much it's improved recently. If I had to pick one today, I'd look at what my team is already using — switching costs are real.

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Last updated: . Pricing verified weekly.