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Head-to-head · Web Accelerator Software

KeyCDN vs Squid

  • Updated Sep 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score KeyCDN #5 in Web Accelerator Software 7.3/10 From $0.04 · 14-day trial ✓ 2 of 5 features Visit KeyCDN
Squid #6 in Web Accelerator Software 7.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit Squid

KeyCDN leads on 2 checks, Squid on 1, and 0 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreKeyCDN · 7.3/10
  • Free planonly Squid
  • Most featuresKeyCDN · 2 of 5

KeyCDN scores higher on our rubric for web accelerator software: 7.3 against 7.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #6.

Squid offers free plan; KeyCDN doesn't. KeyCDN offers image optimization; Squid doesn't publish it. KeyCDN offers origin shield; Squid doesn't publish it.

KeyCDN is the better fit for cost-conscious teams needing a full CDN. Squid is the better fit for free self-hosted caching and proxying.

  • KeyCDN fits best

    Cost-conscious teams needing a full CDN

  • Squid fits best

    Free self-hosted caching and proxying

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature KeyCDN 7.3/10 Visit ↗ Squid 7.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.3 7.1
Ranking #5 in Web Accelerator Software #6 in Web Accelerator Software
Best for Cost-conscious teams needing a full CDN Free self-hosted caching and proxying
Pricing model Paid Free
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Self-hosted
Platforms Web Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Docs · 24/7 Email, Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features KeyCDN 2/5 · Squid 0/5
Image optimization ✓ (best) Not published
Web application firewall Not published Not published
Bot management Not published Not published
Origin shield ✓ (best) Not published
Cache purge API Not published Not published
Specs
Included bandwidth Not published Not published
Our review
Pros
  • Pull and Push Zones support origin-based and uploaded content
  • Real-time image processing, HLS video delivery and cache purging
  • REST API, real-time logs, TLS and CMS integrations
  • Caches HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and gopher objects in memory or on disk
  • Supports reverse-proxy acceleration and cache-peer load balancing
  • Includes access controls, request logging, and cache restoration after restart
Cons
  • Traffic rates vary by region and volume
  • No free plan; access is through a paid service
  • Support channels listed are documentation
  • Self-hosting puts deployment and operations on your team
  • Primarily focused on proxy caching rather than turnkey global delivery
  • Requires configuration to manage cache peers, access controls, and SSL
Our verdict

KeyCDN is a content delivery network for website owners and application developers who need to cache and serve web content or video from edge servers. Pull Zones fetch content from an origin server, while Push Zones store uploaded content…

Read the review →

Squid is open-source proxy caching software for web clients and content delivery environments. It suits network operators, websites, and organizations that want to cache and reuse frequently requested web objects while managing the proxy…

Read the review →
  1. KeyCDNWeb Accelerator Software 7.3From $0.04 · 14-day trial
  2. SquidWeb Accelerator Software 7.1Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • KeyCDN — where it wins

    • Pull and Push Zones support origin-based and uploaded content
    • Real-time image processing, HLS video delivery and cache purging
    • REST API, real-time logs, TLS and CMS integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • Traffic rates vary by region and volume
    • No free plan; access is through a paid service
    • Support channels listed are documentation
  • Squid — where it wins

    • Caches HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and gopher objects in memory or on disk
    • Supports reverse-proxy acceleration and cache-peer load balancing
    • Includes access controls, request logging, and cache restoration after restart

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosting puts deployment and operations on your team
    • Primarily focused on proxy caching rather than turnkey global delivery
    • Requires configuration to manage cache peers, access controls, and SSL
  • KeyCDN7.3/10 · From $0.04 · 14-day trial

    A usage-priced CDN with caching, image processing, video delivery and API controls.

    Visit KeyCDNFull verdict →
  • Squid7.1/10 · Free plan

    Open-source caching and proxying for teams prepared to run it themselves.

    Visit SquidFull verdict →

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

Last updated · How we research and update