Software Alternatives & Startups

Fastly VS CloudLinux

Compare Fastly VS CloudLinux and see what are their differences

Fastly

Real-time CDN

Rating
0 reviews
CloudLinux

Making Linux secure, stable, and profitable for thousands of hosting providers and data centers worldwide.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Fastly seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 14 times since March 2021.

social mentions
14 vs 0
CDN popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Fastly
CloudLinux
Website fastly.com cloudlinux.com
Pricing
Open source
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Fastly 6 features
CloudLinux 5 features
  • High Performance
    Fastly is known for its high-speed content delivery capabilities due to its advanced edge cloud platform, which can significantly enhance the user experience by reducing latency and improving load times.
  • Real-Time Analytics
    Fastly provides real-time analytics that allow businesses to monitor traffic and performance instantaneously, enabling quick decision-making and enhanced operational efficiency.
  • Edge Computing
    Fastly offers edge computing services that allow processing to be done closer to the end user, which can reduce latency, save bandwidth, and facilitate better performance for dynamic content.
  • Scalability
    Fastly's infrastructure is designed to handle large amounts of traffic and can easily scale up to meet the demands of businesses of all sizes, making it suitable for enterprises with fluctuating traffic levels.
  • Security Features
    Fastly includes robust security features such as DDoS protection, TLS encryption, and a Web Application Firewall (WAF), which help protect websites and applications from various cyber threats.
  • API and Developer Friendly
    Fastly provides a rich set of APIs and extensive documentation that allows developers to customize and integrate its services easily.

Possible disadvantages

  • Cost
    Fastly can be more expensive compared to other CDN providers, especially for smaller businesses or startups with limited budgets.
  • Complexity
    The advanced features and functionalities of Fastly may come with a steep learning curve for new users who are not familiar with CDNs and edge computing.
  • Support Limitations
    While Fastly does offer customer support, some users have reported that the quality of customer service can be inconsistent, which may pose challenges during critical issues.
  • Limited Presence in Some Regions
    Fastly's network, although extensive, may not have the same level of presence or performance in certain regions compared to other global CDN providers, potentially affecting service in those areas.
  • Dependency on Internet Connectivity
    As with any cloud-based service, Fastly’s performance is dependent on the quality of internet connectivity. Poor internet connections can lead to suboptimal performance.
  • Enhanced Server Stability
    CloudLinux uses its lightweight virtualization technology (LVE) to isolate each tenant on a shared hosting server, preventing any single user from consuming excessive resources and crashing the server for everyone else. This ensures consistent uptime and performance.
  • Improved Security with HardenedPHP and KernelCare
    CloudLinux offers HardenedPHP, which patches old and unsupported PHP versions against known vulnerabilities, and KernelCare, which provides live kernel patching without requiring server reboots. These features significantly enhance server security posture.
  • Resource Limit Management
    Administrators can set granular resource limits (CPU, memory, I/O, number of processes, etc.) per user account using LVE Manager. This makes it easy to manage shared hosting environments and ensure fair resource distribution among tenants.
  • CageFS File System Virtualization
    CageFS creates a virtualized file system for each user, preventing them from seeing other users on the server, viewing sensitive configuration files, or exploiting server vulnerabilities. This adds an important layer of isolation and security.
  • Wide Compatibility with Hosting Panels
    CloudLinux integrates seamlessly with popular hosting control panels such as cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin, making it straightforward for hosting providers to adopt without overhauling their existing infrastructure or workflows.

Possible disadvantages

  • Additional Licensing Cost
    CloudLinux requires a paid monthly or annual license on top of the base server cost. For smaller hosting providers or individual server owners, this additional expense can add up and may not always be justifiable compared to free alternatives.
  • Limited to CentOS/RHEL-Based Systems
    CloudLinux is built on top of RHEL/CentOS and does not support other Linux distributions like Ubuntu or Debian. This limits its adoption for hosting providers who prefer or already run non-RHEL-based environments.
  • Learning Curve for Configuration
    While CloudLinux provides powerful resource management tools, properly configuring LVE limits, CageFS, PHP Selector, and other features requires a solid understanding of the platform. Misconfiguration can lead to users being unnecessarily restricted or resources being poorly allocated.
  • Potential Performance Overhead
    The additional layers of virtualization, resource monitoring, and file system isolation introduced by CloudLinux can impose a slight performance overhead on the server compared to running a bare, unmodified Linux distribution without these controls.
  • Dependency on CloudLinux Ecosystem
    Adopting CloudLinux means relying on their ecosystem for kernel updates, PHP patches, and security fixes. If the company experiences delays in releasing patches or changes its pricing/licensing model, hosting providers may find themselves locked into a dependency that is difficult to migrate away from.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Fastly
CloudLinux

Overall verdict

  • Fastly is generally considered good for businesses that require a reliable and fast CDN with advanced features for security and real-time analytics. Its edge computing capabilities make it an excellent choice for companies looking to optimize the delivery of dynamic and personalized content. However, like any service, whether it is best suited for your particular needs will depend on specific business requirements and budget.

Why this product is good

  • Fastly is a popular content delivery network (CDN) and cloud services provider known for its speed, scalability, and powerful edge computing capabilities. It offers real-time visibility and control, which can be particularly beneficial for businesses that need to deliver dynamic content and applications quickly. Fastly's platform is designed for high performance and efficiency, allowing for rapid scaling to handle large volumes of traffic. Additionally, Fastly is praised for its robust security features, which include DDoS protection, TLS/SSL encryption, and Web Application Firewall (WAF) capabilities.

Recommended for

  • E-commerce platforms that need to provide fast and reliable shopping experiences.
  • Media and entertainment companies requiring efficient delivery of video and audio streams.
  • Tech companies that need to leverage edge computing for real-time data processing and application delivery.
  • Businesses of all sizes seeking robust security measures for their web applications and services.

Overall verdict

  • CloudLinux is a well-regarded, mature Linux OS distribution and toolset specifically designed for shared hosting and multi-tenant server environments, offering strong isolation, resource management, and security features that make it a solid choice for hosting providers.

Why this product is good

  • Provides LVE (Lightweight Virtual Environment) technology for per-tenant resource isolation, preventing 'bad neighbor' effects on shared servers
  • Enhances server stability and security by isolating users so that one account's issues (crashes, resource spikes) don't affect others
  • Offers extended lifecycle support (longer than standard CentOS/RHEL support windows), which is valuable for legacy systems
  • Includes tools like CloudLinux OS Shield, Imunify360 integration, and hardened kernel options for improved security
  • Compatible with popular control panels like cPanel and Plesk, making it easy to integrate into existing hosting stacks
  • Backed by an established company with a long track record in the hosting industry and responsive support
  • Offers granular control over CPU, memory, I/O, and other resources per user account
  • Provides PHP Selector and multiple PHP version support, useful for hosting providers serving diverse client needs

Recommended for

  • Web hosting companies running shared or reseller hosting environments
  • Hosting providers needing to isolate customer accounts on the same physical server
  • Businesses requiring extended OS support lifecycles beyond standard RHEL/CentOS EOL dates
  • Enterprises using cPanel or Plesk that want tighter security and resource control
  • Hosting companies looking to reduce support tickets caused by noisy-neighbor resource contention
  • IT teams managing multi-tenant infrastructure who need governance and monitoring tools built into the OS layer

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Fastly 3 videos + Add
CloudLinux 3 videos + Add

FASTLY STOCK, TOP GROWTH STOCK? FSLY

More videos

  • - Fastly CEO Artur Bergman on cloud computing
  • - Why Fastly

When To Use Cloudlinux On Your Virtual Private Server (VPS)

More videos

  • - CloudLinux OS+ in a minute: Explore Features
  • - How CloudLinux Plans to Keep CentOS 6 Alive

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Fastly
CloudLinux
100% 100%
CDN
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Fastly and CloudLinux. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Fastly no reviews yet
CloudLinux no reviews yet

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We have no reviews of CloudLinux yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Fastly 14 mentions
CloudLinux 0 mentions
  • The Rise of the Monolith
    Well worth a mention, Fermyon[0] and Cosmonic[1], and Fastly[2] are all standards-based and mature wasm edge/cloud providers worth checking out! 0: https://fermyon.com 1: https://cosmonic.com 2: https://fastly.com. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Need help about netstat results
    Go to fastly.com if you want to know what fastly is. Source: over 3 years ago
  • HSTS issue
    "Websites prove their identity via certificates. Firefox does not trust this site because it uses a certificate that is not valid for i.redd.it. The certificate is only valid for the following names: default.ssl.fastly.net, fastly.com,... Source: over 3 years ago

View more

Tracking CloudLinux since Mar 2021.

Alternatives to Fastly and CloudLinux

When comparing Fastly and CloudLinux, you can also consider the following products.