How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Akamai itself runs contract-only pricing with no public per-GB list, at roughly $0.02 to $0.05 per GB in published references, with low cents per GB at petabyte commits.
- Cloudflare is the best all-round alternative, with a free plan, unmetered bandwidth on self-serve plans for eligible traffic, and Pro at $20 per month.
- Fastly suits low-latency API and edge compute workloads, with Compute at Edge and sub-200 millisecond global purge for complex invalidation.
- Amazon CloudFront suits AWS-native stacks, with tiered list pricing from $0.085 per GB for the first 10 TB down to $0.020 per GB at high volume.
- Bunny.net and KeyCDN suit budget static delivery, with Bunny.net from about $0.01 per GB and KeyCDN flat at $0.04 per GB.
- Cost per TB decides the contract once speed clears a minimum threshold, and negotiated rates at volume commonly land near $0.01 to $0.04 per GB.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Cloudflare | All-round CDN plus security | Free | Yes |
 Fastly | Low-latency edge compute | See website | No |
 Amazon CloudFront | AWS-native stacks | $0.085/GB | Yes |
 Google Cloud CDN | GCP-native stacks | $0.02-0.08/GB | No |
 Bunny.net | Budget static delivery | $0.01/GB | No |
 KeyCDN | Simple flat-rate delivery | $0.04/GB | No |
 Gcore | Fintech and CIS markets | $0.02/GB | No |
 Edgio | Jamstack and streaming | $0.04/GB | No |
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The best Akamai alternatives
#1Cloudflare
Best for: All-round CDN plus security4.5/5 on
G2 (803 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit cloudflare.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Cloudflare is the best all-round Akamai alternative, combining CDN, security, and edge compute in one platform. The free plan covers basic CDN with unmetered bandwidth for eligible cached traffic, while Pro costs $20 per month and Business $200 per month in published references. Workers provide edge compute, and the security stack covers DDoS protection, WAF, and bot management without a separate vendor.
The catch is performance parity: without Argo, Cloudflare routes through its standard anycast mesh, which performs well for latency-insensitive workloads but can add 30 to 80 milliseconds on intercontinental paths compared with smart-routed alternatives, and Argo costs $0.10 per GB. Enterprise contracts bundle many features, with a published floor near $5,000 per month and annual commits between $60,000 and $180,000. SaaS, SMB, and ecommerce teams that want CDN plus security in one bill should choose Cloudflare.
What we like- Free plan with unmetered bandwidth for eligible traffic
- Pro $20 and Business $200 per month
- Workers edge compute
- Strong security stack
Watch out for- Argo costs $0.10 per GB for performance parity
- Enterprise floor near $5,000 per month
- Standard routing can add latency on intercontinental paths
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Fastly suits low-latency API and edge compute workloads, with Compute at Edge for programmable edge logic and sub-200 millisecond global purge for complex cache invalidation. That purge speed matters for publishers and streaming services that update content constantly and need invalidation to propagate worldwide in under a second. Developer ergonomics are strong, with fast configuration deploys and real-time logging.
Pricing runs near $0.12 per GB at the entry tier in published references, dropping to $0.08 and $0.06 per GB at higher tiers, with packages and commits common and negotiated mid-market rates near $0.01 to $0.04 per GB. Regional multipliers in Asia-Pacific and South America are the steepest among major CDNs, which matters for publishers with large audiences outside North America and Europe. API and streaming teams that need edge compute should test Fastly.
What we like- Compute at Edge
- Sub-200 millisecond global purge
- Low-latency API delivery
- Strong for streaming and publishing
- Developer ergonomics
Watch out for- Usage list near $0.12 per GB entry tier
- Packages and commits common
- Regional multipliers steep in Asia-Pacific and South America
- Trial credit only
Starting price$0.085/GB
Free planYes
Amazon CloudFront suits AWS-native stacks that need tight integration with S3, Lambda, and other AWS services. It offers Lambda at Edge for compute, origin shield that dramatically reduces origin load, and tiered list pricing from $0.085 per GB for the first 10 TB, $0.080 for the next 40 TB, $0.060 for the next 100 TB, and $0.040 for the next 350 TB, with lower rates beyond 500 TB. A 1 TB monthly free allowance covers the first 12 months for new accounts.
List costs add up: 100 TB per month costs about $7,050 on list, 500 TB about $24,050, and 2 PB about $64,000, though negotiated rates at 500 TB often land near $0.015 to $0.020 per GB. Origin shield adds $0.0060 per GB, and request fees run about $0.75 per million HTTPS requests. AWS teams that want ecosystem integration and predictable scaling should choose CloudFront.
What we like- Tight AWS integration
- Lambda at Edge
- Origin shield
- Predictable tiered pricing
- 1 TB free for 12 months
Watch out for- Steep entry price
- 100 TB per month costs about $7,050 on list
- Origin shield adds $0.0060 per GB
- Request fees extra
Starting price$0.02-0.08/GB
Free planNo
Google Cloud CDN, including Media CDN for video, suits GCP-native stacks that need backbone peering and integration with Google Cloud services. It works well for Kubernetes and ML workloads, with Cloud Functions at Edge for compute and Media CDN as runner-up for broadcast-tier live sports where P95 tail latency and capacity matter. IAP integration suits teams already using Google identity.
Pricing runs near $0.02 to $0.08 per GB in published references, with $0.040 per GB at 50 TB and about $0.020 at 500 TB in one comparison, though a GCP commit is needed for the best rates. There is no free tier, and the edge network is smaller than Cloudflare. GCP teams that want backbone peering and Media CDN for live events should choose Google Cloud CDN.
What we like- GCP backbone peering
- Good for Kubernetes and ML workloads
- Media CDN for broadcast-tier live sports
- IAP integration
Watch out for- Pricing near $0.08 per GB and above at entry
- GCP commit needed for best rates
- No free tier
- Smaller edge network than Cloudflare
Starting price$0.01/GB
Free planNo
Bunny.net suits budget static delivery and indie apps that want low per-GB costs without enterprise contracts. Pricing starts near $0.01 per GB in published references, with fixed low-cost regional pricing up to $0.06 per GB depending on region, and a 14-day free trial with a $1 minimum. Bunny Stream covers video delivery, which suits ecommerce and indie video apps.
There is no free tier beyond the trial, and the network is smaller than Cloudflare or Akamai, with support thinner than enterprise vendors. For static asset delivery under 10 TB per month, Bunny.net is simple and effective, and at 10 to 50 TB per month it costs about $0.01 per GB versus $0.06 to $0.085 for CloudFront. Budget teams should test Bunny.net first.
What we like- Low cost from about $0.01 per GB
- Bunny Stream for video
- Fixed low-cost regional pricing
- 14-day free trial
- $1 minimum
Watch out for- No free tier beyond trial
- Uptime near 99.999 percent but not published as achieved
- Smaller network than incumbents
- Support thinner
Starting price$0.04/GB
Free planNo
KeyCDN suits teams that want simple flat-rate delivery without commit or tier math. Pricing is flat at $0.04 per GB in published comparisons, with no commit required and no minimum monthly fee. That simplicity appeals to small sites and budget static delivery under 10 TB per month, where predictable billing matters more than volume discounts.
The flat rate means no discount at 500 TB, where negotiated rates elsewhere drop to $0.01 to $0.04 per GB, and the feature set is smaller than Cloudflare or Fastly, with no deep edge compute. Teams that value simplicity and predictable billing over scale discounts should choose KeyCDN.
What we like- Flat $0.04 per GB at all volumes
- Simple pricing
- No commit required
- Good for budget static assets under 10 TB
Watch out for- No free tier
- Flat rate means no volume discount
- Smaller feature set than Cloudflare or Fastly
- No edge compute depth
Starting price$0.02/GB
Free planNo
Gcore suits fintech and CIS market teams that want low-cost delivery with edge compute. Pricing starts near $0.02 per GB in published references, with Functions for edge logic and streaming support that covers video and live events. That combination suits fintech apps needing low latency in Eastern Europe and Central Asia plus global delivery.
The global footprint is smaller than Cloudflare or Akamai, and pricing varies by region, so North American teams should compare regional rates before committing. Teams with CIS audiences or fintech workloads should test Gcore, while North American enterprises should prefer Cloudflare or Fastly.
What we like- Low cost from $0.02 per GB
- Functions edge compute
- Strong in fintech and CIS markets
- Good for streaming
Watch out for- Smaller global footprint than incumbents
- Uptime near but not published as 99.999 percent
- Pricing varies by region
- Less known in North America
Starting price$0.04/GB
Free planNo
Edgio suits Jamstack and streaming teams that want edge JavaScript and reliable delivery for modern web apps. It offers EdgeJS for running logic at the edge, streaming support, and published 99.999 percent uptime achieved, which matches Akamai and Fastly on reliability. That profile suits Jamstack sites and streaming services that need consistent performance.
Pricing runs near $0.04 per GB in published references, with enterprise focus on higher tiers and a smaller network than Cloudflare or Akamai. Teams building Jamstack apps or streaming services should test Edgio, while general CDN buyers should prefer Cloudflare for breadth or Bunny.net for cost.
What we like- EdgeJS for Jamstack
- Good for streaming
- 99.999 percent uptime published as achieved
- Strong for modern web apps
Watch out for- Pricing near $0.04 per GB
- Smaller network than incumbents
- Enterprise focus on higher tiers
- Less known than Cloudflare
How we chose
We compared Akamai alternatives on per-GB cost at 50 TB and 500 TB, edge compute, purge speed, uptime, network footprint, and ecosystem integration. Akamai itself is contract-only with no public per-GB list, at roughly $0.049 per GB for the first 10 TB and $0.045 and $0.040 at higher tiers in one reference, with low cents per GB at petabyte commits, so we weighted transparent pricing and cost per TB at scale heavily. We flagged figures that vary across sources, such as Cloudflare Argo and Fastly regional multipliers, rather than presenting one figure as certain. Prices come from published CDN comparisons from 2026, and negotiated enterprise rates will be lower than list, so confirm the current rate before purchase.
How to choose the right Akamai alternative
Start with workload shape, since choosing by brand alone is a mistake. High-volume video and OTT over 100 TB should test Bunny.net or specialist volume CDNs for lowest per-GB cost, low-latency API and edge compute should test Fastly or Cloudflare Workers, AWS-native stacks should test CloudFront, GCP-native stacks should test Google Media CDN, broadcast-tier live sports should test Akamai itself or Google Media CDN, and budget static assets under 10 TB should test KeyCDN or Cloudflare Free.
Next, measure effective cost per cache-hit rather than sticker price, since cache ratios differ drastically per vendor, and ask vendors for 95th percentile latency data rather than averages. Finally, consider multi-CDN for cost-weighted routing, since a transparent per-TB provider alongside an incumbent lets teams route traffic by cost without ballooning spend, and a single control plane remains a correlated failure domain after late-2025 global incidents.
Frequently asked questions
What is Akamai?
Akamai is an enterprise CDN and security provider with a large ISP footprint, EdgeWorkers for compute, and contract-only pricing. It suits broadcast-tier live sports and multi-cloud enterprises at petabyte scale.
What is the cheapest Akamai alternative?
Bunny.net starts near $0.01 per GB, and Cloudflare Free offers unmetered bandwidth for eligible cached traffic. KeyCDN offers flat $0.04 per GB with no commit, which suits small sites that want predictable billing.
Is Cloudflare better than Akamai?
Cloudflare offers a free plan, unmetered bandwidth on self-serve plans, and a strong security stack, which suits SaaS, SMB, and ecommerce teams. Akamai offers a larger ISP footprint and broadcast-tier capacity, which suits live sports and petabyte-scale enterprises.
Which CDN is fastest for APIs?
Fastly suits low-latency API delivery with Compute at Edge and sub-200 millisecond global purge. Cloudflare Workers is the runner-up for edge compute-heavy workloads such as A/B testing and auth at the edge.
Does CloudFront offer a free tier?
Yes, CloudFront includes a 1 TB monthly free allowance for the first 12 months for new accounts. List pricing starts at $0.085 per GB for the first 10 TB, with tiered discounts at higher volumes.
Can I use multiple CDNs together?
Yes, multi-CDN with cost-weighted routing lets teams route traffic by cost and resilience, using a transparent per-TB provider alongside an incumbent. That avoids single control plane failure and optimizes spend.
Sources we checked (0)
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.