If one hosts a full-fledged website, there’s a high chance of getting viewers from around the globe, and to provide them with better services, tools like Cloudflare or CloudFront are used.
For a basic level of understanding, both tools help a website speed up its performance for global visitors by storing the host’s content on different servers.
And so, it also has a specific term – Content Delivery Network or CDN.
However, both Cloudflare and CloudFront have a similar target, but they choose to accomplish it differently from each other. They also have different features.
Key Takeaways
- Cloudflare and Cloudfront are both content delivery networks (CDNs) used to accelerate web content delivery.
- Cloudflare provides security features such as DDoS protection, while Cloudfront does not offer such security features.
- Cloudflare offers a free plan with limited features, while Cloudfront does not have a free plan and charges based on usage.
Cloudflare vs CloudFront
Cloudflare is primarily known as a web security and performance company, having a global network of over 200 data centres. CloudFront offers a range of caching and optimization features and integration with other AWS services such as Amazon S3, Amazon EC2, and Lambda@Edge.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Cloudflare | CloudFront |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Its setup is quite easy to navigate. | Its setup has two ways – Push & Pull. |
| Live Video | It does not support the live streaming videos feature. | It supports the feature of live-streaming videos. |
| Image Optimisation | Cloudflare can be used for image optimisation. | CloudFront does not support image optimisation. |
| Integrated Tools | Tools integrated with it are Buddy, Cloudcraft, and Mixmax. | Tools integrated with it are Google Analytics and Terraform. |
| Best Used For | Cloudflare is best at managing server loads and site speeds. | CloudFront is best used when a site seeks speed in static and dynamic web content. |
| SPDY Protocol | It supports the SPDY protocol. | It does not support SPDY Protocol. |
| Origin Push | It does not support Origin Push. The number of points of presence is 71. | It partially supports Origin Push. The number of points of presence is 41. |
What is Cloudflare?
It is a United States-based web infrastructure and security company that offers content delivery network services, domain name server services, Internet security, DDoS mitigation, etc.
Cloudflare believes in the idea of enhancing the reliability, performance and security of anything that is connected to the internet. The company’s services lie between a website’s visitor and its user’s hosting provider, behaving as a reverse proxy for websites.
Its DDoS mitigation services secure its customers from distributed denial of service attacks. Cloudflare also provides a Content Distribution Network service. The firm now claims to support more than 25 million websites.
On the list of its free core features are – SSL/TLS, Firewall, page rules, analytics, registrar, workers, CDN, DNS Hosting, etc. – but with certain limitations.
What is CloudFront?
CloudFront, which is popular as Amazon CloudFront as Amazon Web Services offers, provides the content delivery network to websites that speed up web content distribution like HTML, CSS, image files, etc.
Its servers are in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Japan, South America, and Africa. CloudFront competes with other larger CDNs like Akamai and Limelight Networks.
It works seamlessly with services like Elastic Load Balancing, Amazon EC2, and AWS Shield Standard for DDoS mitigation. An eye-catching feature of CloudFront is that it provides a live-streaming video facility.
CloudFront can easily get started with the Content Delivery Network in just a few minutes with tools like AWS Management Console, APIs, SDKs, and Command Line Interface.
Main Differences Between Cloudflare and CloudFront
- Cloudflare’s system setup is quite easy, and its interface is smooth. On the other hand, CloudFront follows a two-way type setup – Push and Pull.
- Cloudflare does not support the feature of live streaming or live video. Whereas CloudFront successfully supports the feature of live-streaming videos.
- Cloudflare can be used for image optimisation, resizing, mirage or polishing. Whereas CloudFront does not support image optimisation.
- Tools that are integrated with Cloudflare are – Buddy, Cloudcraft and Mixmax. On the other hand, tools that are integrated with CloudFront are – Google Analytics and Terraform.
- Cloudflare is best used for managing server loads and site speeds. CloudFront is best used when a site seeks speed in static and dynamic web content.
- Cloudflare supports the SPDY protocol. Whereas Amazon’s CloudFront does not support the SPDY protocol.
- Cloudflare does not support Origin Push, and its Number of points of presence is 71. On the other hand, CloudFront partially supports Origin Push, and its Number of points of presence is 41.
- https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3278532.3278552
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8888058/
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
This comparison should’ve included user reviews for a more holistic view.
Adding user reviews would have given a practical dimension to the write-up.
True, real-world experiences would add depth to the content.
The article could use a bit more humor, but the details are top-notch.
A little humor would have been a nice touch, indeed. Nevertheless, the content is of high quality.
Informative and well-presented. A helpful read for those interested in understanding the differences between Cloudflare and CloudFront.
The detailed comparison makes it easier to comprehend the distinguishing attributes of both options.
Absolutely, this will be beneficial for anyone seeking to make an informed decision about which service to use.
I appreciate how the article delves into the technical intricacies of both networks.
The technical details are explained brilliantly.
This article is so informative. It explains the difference between the two networks so well. Great work!
I completely agree. The detail is impressive.
Yes, very well written with in-depth details.
The article should have highlighted more use cases to demonstrate how each network specifically benefits different website types.
Agreed, practical examples would have been insightful.
True, the real-world applications would have clarified the scenarios best suited for each network.
The article provides a comprehensive understanding of the key differences between Cloudflare and CloudFront.
Agreed. It’s crucial information for those navigating between these options for their websites.
An extremely well-structured and informative article. The comparison is laid out brilliantly.
Precisely, a thorough and methodical analysis is presented.
I couldn’t agree more. The article is an exemplary piece of comparison writing.
The article is a bit biased towards Cloudflare. The comparison should have been more neutral.
I agree with you both. It seems like the article favors Cloudflare.
That’s true. A balanced view would have been better.
The article fails to consider the cost factor properly. It is a major aspect that should have been covered in the comparison.
Yes, the cost analysis is a significant omission from the writing.
Indeed. The article should have included more details about the pricing for both options.