CloudFront vs Cloudflare: Price Comparison for 2025

In 2025, the demand for faster, more secure, and reliable web content delivery is greater than ever. Businesses and developers are turning to Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to reduce latency, enhance performance, and ensure scalability. Among the most popular options, Amazon CloudFront and Cloudflare stand out as industry leaders. But when it comes to costs, which CDN delivers more value for your money?

In this article, we’ll break down the CloudFront pricing model versus Cloudflare's, compare their core features and costs, and help you decide which one is more cost-effective for your needs in 2025.

What is a CDN and Why Does Pricing Matter?

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a distributed network of servers that caches and delivers web content to users based on their geographic location. CDNs improve website performance, reduce server load, and enhance security.

However, CDN pricing models can be complex. They often depend on traffic volume, geographic data transfers, request types, and additional services like DDoS protection or image optimization. Understanding these details is crucial to avoid unexpected bills and to optimize your cloud infrastructure costs.

Overview of Amazon CloudFront

Amazon CloudFront is AWS’s CDN offering, designed to work seamlessly with other AWS services like S3, EC2, and Lambda@Edge. It’s a powerful CDN with global infrastructure and flexible features tailored to developers and enterprises alike.

Key Features:

• Tight AWS integration

• Real-time logging and analytics

• Programmable edge with Lambda@Edge

• TLS/SSL encryption support

• Fine-grained cache control

Overview of Cloudflare

Cloudflare is a global cloud platform that offers CDN services along with security features like Web Application Firewall (WAF), DDoS protection, DNS, and Zero Trust networking. It’s widely used by startups and large enterprises due to its ease of use and generous free tier.

Key Features:

• 300+ global edge locations

• Built-in security (WAF, bot protection)

• DNS management and smart routing

• Free and paid plans

• Automatic image resizing and compression

CloudFront Pricing in 2025

As of 2025, CloudFront pricing continues to be pay-as-you-go, with fees varying by region, data transfer volume, and request types.

Key Pricing Elements:

1. Data Transfer Out to Internet

   • $0.085/GB for the first 10 TB/month (in the US)

   • Prices decrease with volume and differ by region

2. HTTP/HTTPS Requests

   • $0.0075 per 10,000 requests (HTTP)

   • $0.0090 per 10,000 requests (HTTPS)

3. Invalidation Requests

   • First 1,000 paths/month are free

   • $0.005 per additional path

4. Field-Level Encryption and Logging

   • Additional charges may apply

5. Lambda@Edge

   • Billed per invocation and compute time (usually adds 10–20% overhead)

6. Origin Fetches

   • No extra cost for fetching from AWS origins like S3

Example Use Case Estimate (Monthly):

• 1 TB data transfer: ~$85

• 5 million HTTPS requests: ~$4.5

• Total: ~$90–100/month

CloudFront is ideal for users already in the AWS ecosystem due to integrated billing and internal data transfer discounts.

Cloudflare Pricing in 2025

Cloudflare follows a tiered pricing model, including a generous free plan and enterprise options.

Pricing Tiers:

1. Free Plan

   • Global CDN with DDoS protection

   • Shared SSL, basic firewall

   • No cost, great for personal projects

2. Pro Plan – $20/month

   • Enhanced performance features

   • Image optimization (Polish)

   • Web Application Firewall

3. Business Plan – $200/month

   • 24/7 support, custom SSL

   • Advanced analytics

   • 100% uptime SLA

4. Enterprise Plan – Custom Pricing

   • Priority support, advanced bot management

   • Guaranteed performance and security SLAs

Key Advantages:

• Unmetered DDoS Protection: No additional charges

• No Bandwidth Charges: Unlike CloudFront, Cloudflare does not charge per GB for standard CDN usage

• Free Unlimited Invalidation: Cache purging is unlimited

• Free Edge Functions (Workers): Free tier includes 100,000 requests/day

Example Use Case Estimate (Monthly):

• Small business on Pro plan with ~1TB traffic: $20 flat

• Enterprise client with higher traffic: Custom pricing but can be more predictable

Head-to-Head Pricing Comparison: CloudFront vs Cloudflare FeatureCloudFront (AWS)CloudflareFree TierYes (limited)Yes (generous)Data Transfer Out (1TB)~$85$0 (included in plans)Requests (5 million HTTPS)~$4.5Included in Pro planCache Invalidation1,000 free paths/monthUnlimitedDDoS ProtectionAdd-on via AWS ShieldIncludedEdge ComputingLambda@Edge (charged)Workers (free tier included)SupportPaid tiersPaid tiers (Pro/Business/Enterprise)Best ForAWS users, complex infraSMEs, startups, eCommerce CloudFront Pricing Strengths

• Great for AWS-heavy stacks

  If your website or app is already on AWS, CloudFront provides tight integration, seamless routing, and lower costs for intra-cloud transfers.

• Granular Billing Options

  You only pay for what you use, with discounts for high-volume traffic. Developers can also fine-tune caching and edge logic with Lambda@Edge.

• Highly Customizable

  From field-level encryption to signed cookies and URL expiration, CloudFront gives more control over content delivery and access policies.

Cloudflare Pricing Strengths

• Simple and Predictable Pricing

  Cloudflare’s flat monthly rates (especially the Pro and Business plans) are ideal for businesses that want transparent, no-surprise billing.

• Security Built-In

  DDoS mitigation, bot protection, and WAF are built into all paid plans, helping you avoid stacking third-party costs.

• No Bandwidth-Based Charges

  You don’t pay more for higher traffic volumes, which is a massive benefit for viral campaigns or seasonal spikes.

• Developer-Friendly

  With tools like Cloudflare Workers, Pages, and R2, developers can deploy full apps without backend infrastructure — many for free.

Which One Is More Cost-Effective in 2025? Choose CloudFront if:

• You’re already using AWS services extensively.

• You need tight control over cache behavior and delivery settings.

• You prefer metered billing over flat monthly fees.

• You’re running large-scale infrastructure and want to consolidate within AWS.

Choose Cloudflare if:

• You want predictable pricing and flat monthly costs.

• You’re a small business, solo developer, or startup.

• You need built-in security features without extra cost.

• You don’t want to worry about data transfer bills.

FAQs: CloudFront vs Cloudflare Pricing

Q1: Is CloudFront cheaper than Cloudflare?

Not necessarily. CloudFront can be cheaper at low volumes or within the AWS ecosystem, but Cloudflare offers better predictability for growing websites.

Q2: Does Cloudflare charge for bandwidth?

No, Cloudflare does not charge for bandwidth on any plan, including the free tier.

Q3: Can I use both CloudFront and Cloudflare together?

Technically yes, but it’s not recommended due to overlapping functionality and potential for misconfiguration.

Q4: Is CloudFront pricing flexible?

Yes, CloudFront offers granular, usage-based pricing. However, it can be complex for new users unfamiliar with AWS billing.

Q5: Which CDN is better for startups?

Cloudflare is often the better choice for startups due to its free and affordable flat-rate plans with built-in security.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right CDN in 2025 comes down to your business model, infrastructure, and budget predictability. If you're scaling within the AWS environment and want deep control, CloudFront may be your best bet. But if you're looking for a secure, fast, and easy-to-manage CDN with transparent pricing, Cloudflare is hard to beat.

Whichever you choose, understanding the CloudFront pricing model versus Cloudflare's flat-rate approach will help you optimize performance without breaking the bank.

Akhtar is an SEO Expert. He has 15 years of experience in SEO and Digital Marketing.