Introduction
Are you trying to decide between Akamai and AWS CloudFront for your content delivery needs? Here’s a comprehensive comparison to help you make the right choice.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Akamai | AWS CloudFront |
|---|---|---|
| Number of PoPs | Over 1,700 servers in more than 130 countries | More than 225 PoPs globally |
| Ease of Use | Complex setup, limited public documentation | Easier setup, extensive public documentation and community support |
| Stability | High availability (99.77%) | High availability (99.74%) |
| Speed | Generally faster, especially for live streaming (14% faster than CloudFront) | Fast, but slightly slower than Akamai |
| Security | Advanced security features, including DDoS and WAF protection | Good security features, including SSL/TLS and access control, but slightly less comprehensive |
| Pricing | Customized, based on bandwidth, region, and contract length | Pay-as-you-go, with public pricing and a free trial |
| Customer Support | Strong support via community, email, and phone | Good support via email, phone, and extensive community resources |
| Client Reviews | Favored by enterprises for its robust features and performance | Preferred by small to mid-sized businesses, especially those using AWS services |
Detailed Comparison
Ease of Use
When it comes to setting up your CDN, AWS CloudFront is generally easier to get started with. It has extensive public documentation, numerous videos, and a large community to help you through any issues you might encounter. In contrast, Akamai has a more complex setup process with limited public documentation, making it more challenging for users with basic knowledge of CDNs.
Stability
Both Akamai and AWS CloudFront offer high availability, with Akamai at 99.77% and AWS CloudFront at 99.74%. This means you can rely on both services to keep your content available to users with minimal downtime.
Speed
Akamai outperforms AWS CloudFront in terms of speed, especially for live streaming. Akamai’s larger global network and strategic server placement result in a 14% to 20% speed advantage over CloudFront. This is crucial for reducing buffering issues and improving the overall user experience.
Security
Akamai is a leader in security, offering advanced features such as DDoS protection, Web Application Firewall (WAF), and bot protection. These features are managed by experienced professionals, requiring minimal setup and interaction from users. While AWS CloudFront also provides good security features, including SSL/TLS and access control, its security offerings are not as comprehensive as Akamai’s.
Pricing and Cost
AWS CloudFront operates on a pay-as-you-go model with public pricing and a free trial for 12 months. This makes it easier to estimate and manage costs. Akamai, on the other hand, has a customized pricing model based on factors like bandwidth, geographic region, and contract length. Akamai’s pricing is not transparent and requires negotiation with a sales representative.
Customer Support Service
Both services offer good customer support, but in different ways. Akamai provides strong support via community, email, and phone, which is particularly helpful for enterprise customers. AWS CloudFront benefits from extensive community resources, public documentation, and support via email and phone, making it more accessible to a wider range of users.
Client Reviews
Akamai is often favored by large enterprises due to its robust features, high performance, and advanced security. Clients like Adobe, Audi, and IBM rely on Akamai for their content delivery needs. AWS CloudFront, however, is preferred by small to mid-sized businesses, especially those already using other AWS services. Clients such as Allergan, Canon, and Intuit find CloudFront’s integration with AWS ecosystem highly beneficial.
Pros and Cons
Akamai
Pros:
- Larger global network with over 1,700 servers
- Advanced security features, including DDoS and WAF protection
- Excellent performance, especially for live streaming
- Strong support for enterprise customers
Cons:
- Complex setup process
- Customized and often higher pricing
- Limited public documentation
AWS CloudFront
Pros:
- Easier setup with extensive public documentation
- Pay-as-you-go pricing model with a free trial
- Good integration with other AWS services
- Preferred by small to mid-sized businesses
Cons:
- Smaller global network compared to Akamai
- Security features are not as comprehensive as Akamai’s
- Additional charges for certain services
FAQs
1. Which CDN is better for live video streaming?
Akamai is generally better for live video streaming due to its larger global network, higher throughput rate, and advanced performance features, which result in fewer buffering issues and better overall performance.
2. How do the pricing models of Akamai and AWS CloudFront differ?
Akamai has a customized pricing model based on factors like bandwidth, geographic region, and contract length, while AWS CloudFront operates on a pay-as-you-go model with public pricing and a free trial.
3. Which CDN offers better security features?
Akamai offers more comprehensive security features, including DDoS protection, WAF, and bot protection, managed by experienced professionals. AWS CloudFront also provides good security features but they are not as extensive as Akamai’s.
4. How easy is it to set up Akamai versus AWS CloudFront?
AWS CloudFront is generally easier to set up due to its extensive public documentation and large community support. Akamai has a more complex setup process with limited public documentation.
5. Which CDN is more suitable for small to mid-sized businesses?
AWS CloudFront is more suitable for small to mid-sized businesses, especially those already using other AWS services, due to its easier setup, pay-as-you-go pricing, and good integration with the AWS ecosystem.
