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nginx VS Amazon CloudFront

Compare nginx VS Amazon CloudFront and see what are their differences

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nginx logo nginx

A high performance free open source web server powering busiest sites on the Internet.

Amazon CloudFront logo Amazon CloudFront

Amazon CloudFront is a content delivery web service.
  • nginx Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-28
  • Amazon CloudFront Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-28

nginx features and specs

  • High Performance
    Nginx is known for its ability to handle a large number of concurrent connections, which makes it an excellent choice for high-traffic websites.
  • Efficiency
    Nginx uses an event-driven architecture that can handle many connections in a single thread, making it resource-efficient.
  • Versatility
    Besides being a web server, Nginx can also function as a reverse proxy, load balancer, and HTTP cache, among other roles.
  • Security
    Nginx has robust security features including SSL/TLS support, which helps in protecting data transmitted between servers and clients.
  • Ease of Configuration
    Nginx's configuration syntax is considered straightforward and easier to understand compared to some alternatives like Apache.
  • Scalability
    Nginx can easily scale out by using multiple servers or CPUs, making it suitable for growing applications.
  • Low Memory Usage
    Its architecture allows for low-memory usage, which is beneficial for systems with limited resources.
  • Support for Multiple Protocols
    Nginx supports a variety of protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, POP3, and IMAP.

Possible disadvantages of nginx

  • Learning Curve
    The configuration syntax, while considered simple by many, can still present a steep learning curve for beginners.
  • Less Mature Ecosystem
    Compared to Apache, Nginx has fewer modules available, which can limit functionality for some specific use cases.
  • Less .htaccess Support
    Nginx does not support .htaccess files, which might be an inconvenience for users migrating from Apache who rely on this feature.
  • Error Logging
    Nginx's error logging is sometimes considered less user-friendly, making debugging and issue resolution more challenging.
  • Community Support
    While the community is growing, Nginx's user support community is still not as extensive as that of Apache.
  • Module Management
    Adding or removing modules in Nginx often requires recompiling the software, which can be inconvenient.

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.

nginx videos

+ Add

Nginx vs Apache Webservers: Main Differences

More videos:

  • Review - Nginx Web Hosting - 5 Best Nginx Reverse Proxy That Support Millions of Web Traffic!
  • Review - NGINX as a Reverse Proxy (listening on port 80)

Amazon CloudFront videos

+ Add

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to nginx and Amazon CloudFront)

nginx

Amazon CloudFront

Web And Application Servers
100 100%
Web And Application Servers
0% 0
CDN
0 0%
CDN
100% 100
Web Servers
100 100%
Web Servers
0% 0
Cloud Computing
0 0%
Cloud Computing
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

nginx Reviews

Top 5 Open Source Load Balancers in 2024
While NGINX is renowned for its prowess as a web server, its load balancing capabilities are equally commendable. NGINX, also known as "engine x," stands as a multifaceted powerhouse, excelling as an HTTP and reverse proxy server, mail proxy server, and a generic TCP/UDP proxy server. Originally crafted by Igor Sysoev, NGINX has a storied history, having long powered...
Source: www.techtimes.com
13 Best XAMPP Alternatives
Nginx is an open-source, high-performance web server used by tech companies, including Pinterest, Airbnb, Cloudflare, and Zendesk. It has been called the new Apache for its ability to scale more efficiently than other web servers, and many developers prefer it because it’s easy to deploy. Nginx also integrates with many programming languages via FastCGI.
Source: thetechtian.com
7 Best Containerization Software Solutions of 2022
If your enterprise is undergoing digital transformation, the NGINX application platform can help you modernize your legacy applications and deliver new microservices‑based applications – with performance, reliability, security, and scale.
Source: techgumb.com
Apache, IIS, NGINX, GWS : What’s Your Choice?
Utilizing a specific type of virtual or physical server determines the type of web server software you use. If you prefer Microsoft, then you will prefer to use IIS (Internet Information Services / Server) by Microsoft as your primary web server application solution. If you use Linux distribution, you have other alternatives like Apache, NGINX and LiteSpeed.
Source: www.milesweb.in
10 Awesome Open Source Load Balancers
Nginx is a battle-tested piece of software written in C and initially introduced in 2004. Since then, it has grown to be an all-in-one reverse proxy, load balancer, mail proxy, and HTTP cache. It offers L7 load balancing support for HTTP, HTTPS, FastCGI, uWSGI, SCGI, Memcached, and gRPC backends. Nginx’s process worker model is highly scalable and deployed at large scales in...
Source: www.containiq.com

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.
Source: www.theknowledgeacademy.com
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...
Source: www.techolac.com
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

Social recommendations and mentions

Amazon CloudFront might be a bit more popular than nginx. We know about 78 links to it since March 2021 and only 60 links to nginx. 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.

nginx mentions (60)

  • Deploying a Simple Flask API Using Gunicorn, Supervisor & Nginx
    Nginx: A reverse proxy to handle client requests and route them to Gunicorn. - Source: dev.to / 1 day ago
  • Setup K8s cluster on GCP VMs
    Welcome to nginx! If you see this page, the nginx web server is successfully installed and Working. Further configuration is required. For online documentation and support please refer to href="http://nginx.org/">nginx.org. Commercial support is available at href="http://nginx.com/">nginx.com. Thank you for using nginx. - Source: dev.to / 3 days ago
  • How to Set Up a Subdomain with Nginx and SSL on DigitalOcean
    I've always been passionate about contributing to the tech community, and this article is my way of sharing what I've learned. Before diving in, it's beneficial to have a basic understanding of deploying to a DigitalOcean droplet, whether through a CI/CD pipeline or manually uploading your JAR files and running the app on the server. In this guide, I’ll walk you through setting up Nginx, and Certbot, and securing... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Nginx vs Traefik: Which Reverse Proxy is Right for You?
    Before diving into the specifics of Nginx and Traefik, let’s quickly define what a reverse proxy is. A reverse proxy sits between the client (browser or other services) and your backend services (web servers or applications). It handles incoming requests, routes them to the appropriate backend service, and forwards the response to the client. Reverse proxies are typically used for:. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Dev.to on your own domain xyz.com.
    One of the most popular reverse proxies is nginx. Let's see how we can use it as I did in the video at the top. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
View more

Amazon CloudFront mentions (78)

  • 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 / 5 days 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 / 2 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 / 8 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 / 4 months ago
  • Why You Should TRUST Frameworks (And What It Takes to Build One From Scratch)
    AWS S3 and CloudFront host and deliver artifacts globally with low latency. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing nginx and Amazon CloudFront, you can also consider the following products

Apache Tomcat - An open source software implementation of the Java Servlet and JavaServer Pages technologies

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

Apache HTTP Server - Apache httpd has been the most popular web server on the Internet since April 1996

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.

Traefik - Load Balancer / Reverse Proxy

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

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