Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Amazon CloudFront VS Google Cloud CDN

Compare Amazon CloudFront VS Google Cloud CDN and see what are their differences

Amazon CloudFront logo Amazon CloudFront

Amazon CloudFront is a content delivery web service.

Google Cloud CDN logo Google Cloud CDN

Google Cloud CDN leverages Google's globally distributed edge points to accelerate content delivery for websites and applications.
  • Amazon CloudFront Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-28
  • Google Cloud CDN Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-23

Amazon CloudFront features and specs

  • Global Distribution
    Amazon CloudFront has a global network of edge locations that help in delivering content with low latency and high transfer speeds to users around the world.
  • Scalability
    CloudFront can handle large spikes in traffic without any manual intervention, ensuring that your content is always available, even under high demand.
  • Integration with AWS Services
    CloudFront integrates seamlessly with other AWS services like S3, EC2, and Lambda, providing a more cohesive and efficient experience.
  • Security Features
    CloudFront offers multiple security measures including DDoS protection, AWS Shield Standard, and AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF) to keep your content secure.
  • Custom SSL Certificates
    CloudFront allows you to use your own SSL certificates, enabling secure connections for your end users.
  • Pay-as-you-Go Pricing
    CloudFront offers a flexible pricing model where you pay only for what you use, making it cost-effective for both small and large scale operations.

Possible disadvantages of Amazon CloudFront

  • Complexity
    The wide array of features and settings may be overwhelming for users who are not familiar with AWS services or content delivery networks.
  • Pricing Structure
    While pay-as-you-go pricing is flexible, it can be difficult to estimate costs upfront due to the various factors that influence the final bill.
  • Initial Setup
    Setting up CloudFront for the first time can be time-consuming and may require a learning curve, particularly for beginners.
  • Latency for Dynamic Content
    While CloudFront is optimized for static content delivery, delivering dynamic content can sometimes result in higher latencies depending on the configuration.
  • Region-Based Restrictions
    Content distribution and access may face region-based restrictions and regulations, which can limit its effectiveness in certain areas.

Google Cloud CDN features and specs

  • Global Reach
    Google Cloud CDN leverages Google's extensive global network to provide fast content delivery across the globe, ensuring low latency and high availability.
  • Performance Optimization
    Enhances the performance of web applications by reducing load times through caching content close to end-users, which leads to a better user experience.
  • Integrated Security
    Includes built-in DDoS protection and SSL/TLS encryption to secure data transmission and protect against malicious attacks.
  • Ease of Use
    Integrated with other Google Cloud services, making it easier for developers to set up and manage along with their existing Google Cloud infrastructure.
  • Customizability
    Offers customizable caching rules and configuration options to optimize the delivery of specific types of content.
  • Real-time Analytics
    Provides detailed logs and real-time analytics to monitor traffic, performance, and security, aiding in timely decision-making.
  • Scalability
    Automatically scales to handle increased traffic, making it suitable for applications with variable or high traffic volumes.

Possible disadvantages of Google Cloud CDN

  • Cost
    Potentially high costs for bandwidth usage and cache fill operations can be a concern for businesses with limited budgets.
  • Complexity for Beginners
    The initial setup and the range of configuration options may be overwhelming for users with limited experience in cloud services.
  • Dependency on Google Cloud Platform
    Full benefits are usually realized when used within the Google Cloud ecosystem, which may not be ideal for those using multiple cloud providers.
  • Cache Invalidation
    Managing cache invalidation efficiently can be complex and may lead to stale content being served if not handled properly.
  • Limited Edge Locations
    While Google's network is extensive, there may be fewer points of presence compared to some other CDN providers, potentially affecting performance in less populated regions.
  • Support
    Basic support options may not be sufficient for large enterprises, often requiring paid support plans for comprehensive assistance.

Analysis of Amazon CloudFront

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Amazon CloudFront is a highly effective CDN service known for its global reach and strong performance, making it a good choice for businesses of all sizes.

Why this product is good

  • Amazon CloudFront is a reliable content delivery network (CDN) service that is part of the AWS ecosystem. It offers low latency and high transfer speeds, making it suitable for delivering your web content efficiently. It integrates seamlessly with other AWS services, supports a wide range of content types, and provides robust security features, including DDoS protection and SSL/TLS encryption.

Recommended for

  • Businesses looking for a scalable CDN solution integrated with AWS services
  • Organizations requiring secure content delivery with compliance and advanced security features
  • Developers needing low-latency content delivery optimized for both static and dynamic content
  • Users seeking a CDN with a wide range of geographic locations to ensure fast content delivery to a global audience

Analysis of Google Cloud CDN

Overall verdict

  • Google Cloud CDN is generally considered a strong option for organizations looking for reliable and efficient content delivery capabilities. Its integration with Google Cloud Platform provides a convenient setup for existing Google Cloud users, and its global reach and scalability make it suitable for businesses of all sizes.

Why this product is good

  • Google Cloud CDN is designed to enhance the performance and speed of web content delivery through the use of Google's globally distributed edge servers. It reduces latency by caching content closer to end users and integrates seamlessly with other Google Cloud services, making it a convenient choice for those already using Google Cloud. Additionally, it offers advanced features like SSL/TLS support, custom SSL certificates, and detailed analytics for optimizing content delivery.

Recommended for

  • Businesses already using Google Cloud services.
  • Organizations needing a global CDN with reliable uptime and performance.
  • Companies that require robust security features and custom SSL options.
  • Developers who want seamless integration with existing Google Cloud infrastructure.

Amazon CloudFront videos

JioSaavn Uses Amazon CloudFront to Stream Music and Video to Millions of Subscribers Daily

Google Cloud CDN videos

No Google Cloud CDN videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Amazon CloudFront and Google Cloud CDN)
CDN
79 79%
21% 21
Cloud Computing
77 77%
23% 23
Content Distribution
75 75%
25% 25
Cloud Hosting
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Amazon CloudFront and Google Cloud CDN

Amazon CloudFront Reviews

8 Best Cloudflare Alternatives (Free + Premium)
Operated by Amazon Web Services, Amazon Cloudfront had a beta launch in 2008. AWS then decided to make Cloudfront part of their free tier offerings in 2014. As of current writing, Cloudfront boasts of more than 310 POPs scattered throughout the globe.
Source: hostscore.net
The 7 Best Content-Delivery-Network Providers
Being one of the major internet companies that operates almost worldwide, it goes without saying that Amazon also offers a CDN with Amazon Cloudfront. The focus is on the Amazon Backbone network and developer friendliness. As a result, there are many possibilities for individual programmability and linking other AWS services. As a cherry on top, Amazon CloudFront also takes...
Source: omr.com
Top 15 Cloudflare Alternatives: A Complete Guide
Amazon CloudFront is a CDN service that is part of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform. CloudFront integrates with other AWS services, such as S3, EC2, Lambda, and Media Services, to deliver web content and applications with low latency and high transfer speeds.
Introduction to Cloudflare Alternatives In 2021
CloudFront is the sound known CDN that deals with the “pay as you go” design. CloudFront has big competition with Akamai and Limelight Networks upon Content Delivery Services. Released in the year 2008, having more than 138 gain access to points across 29 countries offered web fixed and dynamic material, website velocity, material download, and video streaming. CloudFront...
10 Top Cloudflare Alternatives for Your Website
While Amazon CloudFront is widely regarded as one of the best and most reliable CDN service providers there is, there are a few issues that users need to keep in mind. First off, some of the settings are a bit over-simplified, so as a sysadmin, you’ll need to artificially trigger Stackoverflow just to figure out simple details like how long objects linger before being...
Source: beebom.com

Google Cloud CDN Reviews

Top 15 Cloudflare Alternatives: A Complete Guide
Google Cloud CDN also provides security features, such as SSL, DDoS protection, and WAF, to protect your web content and applications. Google Cloud CDN uses Google’s global network of servers, which has over 200 edge locations in 90 countries. Let's explore its pros and cons:
2021 Fastest CDN for WordPress | 9 Cloudflare Alternatives
Google Cloud CDN is another powerful and appealing offering from the omnipresent Google cloud. It provides an inexpensive but really high quality, high performance, high throughput, and low latency CDN service using Google’s core technologies, infrastructure and global network. Undoubtedly in the CDNPerf’s global CDN providers comparison, it stands as the fastest CDN for...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Amazon CloudFront should be more popular than Google Cloud CDN. It has been mentiond 79 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Amazon CloudFront mentions (79)

  • Building Scalable Applications with Node.js
    Offload static files (images, CSS, JS) to a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare or AWS CloudFront. - Source: dev.to / 25 days ago
  • Understanding AWS Regions and Availability Zones: A Guide for Beginners
    AWS CloudFront is the star of the show here. It caches static content (like media, scripts, and images) to ensure fast, reliable delivery. Other AWS services that run at the edge include Route 53 for DNS routing, Shield and WAF for security, and even Lambda via Lambda@Edge — giving you the ability to run serverless logic closer to the user. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • 🚀 Supercharge Your Website Speed with Code Splitting & CDN Optimization — A Complete Guide!
    AWS CloudFront — Scalable, pay-as-you-go, and widely trusted. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Cheating Lambda scalability
    CloudFront is my primary option for server-side caching. Caching at the edge reduces latency and is cost-effective because it decreases the number of calls to the service. CloudFront only caches responses to GET, HEAD, and OPTIONS requests. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • The Impact of Cloud Computing in DevOps
    Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): Services like CloudFront and Azure CDN distribute content globally, ensuring fast access for users. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
View more

Google Cloud CDN mentions (14)

  • 🚀 Supercharge Your Website Speed with Code Splitting & CDN Optimization — A Complete Guide!
    Google Cloud CDN — Seamless integration with GCP and powerful analytics. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Cloudflare Is Blocking Pale Moon and other non-mainstream browsers
    You can use any of the major cloud provider's cdn offering[0][1][2]. [0] https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/products/cdn/ [1] https://cloud.google.com/cdn?hl=en [2] https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudFront/latest/DeveloperGuide/Introduction.html. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Finally found a solution to clear the CDN cache using GitHub Actions!
    You can also find more information about GCP's CDN API on the Google Cloud documentation website: https://cloud.google.com/cdn. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • 11 Ways to Optimize Your Website
    Of course, there is no need for you to create this system on your own, there are plenty of CDN providers such as CloudFlare, Amazon CloudFront, Google Cloud CDN, Akamai, and so on. The process of setting up a CDN differs based on the provider you choose, you should check their specific documentations for details. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • IT Finance (Kick & Twitch)
    AWS IVS is a great product for video steaming. However, the other two big Cloud Service Providers Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Azure have their own streaming solutions. It'd be funny if Kick said, "we are doing an upgrade" and they do a lift and shift from AWS to these services. If I was Kick, I'd be in talks with GCP and Azure and do a product comparison internal study. Do a Request for Information (RFI) to... Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Amazon CloudFront and Google Cloud CDN, you can also consider the following products

CloudFlare - Cloudflare is a global network designed to make everything you connect to the Internet secure, private, fast, and reliable.

KeyCDN - KeyCDN is a high-performance Content Delivery Network (CDN). Lowest price globally at $0.04/GB with HTTP/2 Support and free Origin Shield.

CDN77 - Content Delivery Network - website speed acceleration with CDN77. 28+ PoPs, Pay-as-you-go prices, no commitments.

Fastly - Real-time CDN

Microsoft Azure CDN - Azure CDN is a content delivery network for audio, video, applications, images and other high-bandwidth files.

Akamai - Akamai is the leading content delivery network (CDN) services provider for media and software delivery, and cloud security solutions.