Cloudflare CDN vs Alibaba Cloud CDN

Cloudflare CDN9.4Visit Alibaba Cloud CDN9.0Visit

Higher score Cloudflare CDN #1 in CDN Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Cloudflare

vs

Alibaba Cloud CDN #4 in CDN Software 9.0/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Alibaba Cloud

• Cloudflare CDN fits best

  Broad CDN needs with a generous free plan

• Alibaba Cloud CDN fits best

  Large-scale global delivery

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Side by side

Feature	Cloudflare CDN 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Alibaba Cloud CDN 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.0
Ranking	#1 in CDN Software	#4 in CDN Software
Best for	Broad CDN needs with a generous free plan	Large-scale global delivery
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$20/mo	—
Free plan	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web
Compliance	PCI DSS, SSO/SAML	PCI DSS
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Cloudflare CDN 1/4 · Alibaba Cloud CDN 1/4
Web application firewall	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
DDoS protection	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Image optimization	✓	✓
Origin shield	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Edge locations	348 locations	Not checked yet
Edge compute	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free plan includes CDN and unmetered DDoS protection Supports caching, image optimization, video delivery, and edge compute Includes origin protection, cache controls, and instant traffic logs	More than 3,200 worldwide nodes for caching and delivery Supports video, image processing, HTTP/3, QUIC, and EdgeScript Integrates with OSS, Function Compute, Simple Log Service, and Terraform
Cons	Video delivery depends on the separate Cloudflare Stream service Smart Shield and Instant Logs have plan-dependent availability Advanced capabilities can require higher-tier or custom plans	No free plan for evaluating the service Pay-as-you-go traffic is charged hourly Rates vary by acceleration region
Our verdict	Cloudflare CDN is a reverse-proxy content delivery service for websites, applications, and APIs. It caches static and dynamic content at globally distributed edge locations, serves assets closer to visitors, and supports anonymous API GET… Read the review →	Alibaba Cloud CDN is a paid cloud content delivery network for organizations serving websites, downloads, large files, on-demand video, or live video across distributed audiences. It caches origin resources at points of presence and routes… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Cloudflare CDN — where it wins

  • Free plan includes CDN and unmetered DDoS protection
  • Supports caching, image optimization, video delivery, and edge compute
  • Includes origin protection, cache controls, and instant traffic logs

  Where it doesn't

  • Video delivery depends on the separate Cloudflare Stream service
  • Smart Shield and Instant Logs have plan-dependent availability
  • Advanced capabilities can require higher-tier or custom plans

• Alibaba Cloud CDN — where it wins

  • More than 3,200 worldwide nodes for caching and delivery
  • Supports video, image processing, HTTP/3, QUIC, and EdgeScript
  • Integrates with OSS, Function Compute, Simple Log Service, and Terraform

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan for evaluating the service
  • Pay-as-you-go traffic is charged hourly
  • Rates vary by acceleration region

• Cloudflare CDN9.4/10 · Free plan

  A broad CDN with a generous free plan and edge delivery features.

  Visit CloudflareFull verdict →
• Alibaba Cloud CDN9.0/10 · Paid

  A broad CDN for global delivery, media workflows, image processing, and edge logic.

  Visit Alibaba CloudFull verdict →