
- Cloud Computing Basics
- Cloud Computing - Home
- Cloud Computing - Overview
- Cloud Computing - Evolution
- Cloud Computing - Characteristics
- Cloud Computing - Advantages
- Cloud Computing - Planning
- Cloud Computing - Technologies
- Cloud Computing - Architecture
- Cloud Computing - Infrastructure
- Cloud Deployment Models
- Public Cloud Model
- Private Cloud Model
- Hybrid Cloud Model
- Community Cloud Model
- Cloud Service Models
- Infrastructure Service
- Platform Service
- Software ervice
- Identity Service
- Network Service
- IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS
- Cloud Virtualization
- Cloud Computing Virtualization
- Server Virtualization
- Data Virtualization
- Software Virtualization
- Storage Virtualization
- Network Virtualization
- Linux Virtualization
- Cloud Advanced Concepts
- Cloud Computing - Management
- Cloud Computing - Data Storage
- Cloud Computing - Security
- Cloud Computing - Operation
- Cloud Computing - Applications
- Cloud Computing - Providers
- Cloud Computing - Challenges
- Cloud Computing - Mobile
- Google Cloud Platform
- Cloud Computing - Multitenancy
- Hypervisor Security
- Cloud Computing - Principles
- Security Architecture
- Fault Tolerance
- Cloud Computing - Resiliency
- Service Level Agreements
- Cloud Networking
- Server Consolidation
- Cloud Computing - Scaling
- Autoscaling vs Load Balancer
- Scalability and Elasticity
- Cloud Bursting vs Cloud Scaling
- Resource Pooling
- Load Balancing
- Security Threats in Implementation SaaS
- Cloud Computing - Data Center
- Cloud Computing - Aneka
- Cloud Computing - Rapid Elasticity
- Cloud Computing - Xaas
- Cloud Computing - DaaS
- Cloud Computing - CaaS
- Cloud Computing - Roots
- Cloud Hosting vs Web Hosting
- Colocation vs Cloud
- iCloud Drive vs Dropbox
- SAP vs Oracle Cloud
- Cloud Computing vs Data Science
- Cloud Integration Platform
- Onedrive and iCloud
- Private Cloud and On-premise
- What is Cloudcraft
- Bitbucket Cloud API
- Akamai vs Cloudflare
- AWS CloudWatch vs Datadog
- Cloud Burst
- Cloudflare vs CloudFront
- Elastic Cloud on Azure
- Cloud Useful Resources
- Cloud Computing - Quick Guide
- Cloud Computing - Useful Resources
- Cloud Computing - Discussion
Cloudflare Vs CloudFront
Cloudflare and CloudFront have been rivals in the area of rapid website content delivery and protection. Both are CDNs, meaning they cache content upon a request to enhance web performance. Yet, they cater to different functions, provide different sets of unique features, and serve different types of users.
What Is Cloudflare?
Cloudflare optimizes performance, cyber protection, and domain name services-DNS-of websites. It is the most popular CDN and security provider. As it reverse-proxy, it acts between the user and the web server, filtering requests and delivering cached content whenever possible.
What is CloudFront
CloudFront is a CDN service offered by AWS (Amazon Web Services). It speeds up the distribution of content through caching in multiple locations across the world. It has a very deep integration with AWS services such as S3 (Simple Storage Service), EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud), and Lambda Edge for more advanced functionality.
Performance Comparison

1. Speed and Latency
Both Cloudflare and CloudFront have global edge servers that can reduce latency. However, Cloudflare has an Anycast network that automatically directs traffic to its nearest server; CloudFront here requires you to configure different distribution settings.
2.Caching Mechanism
It is automatic Caching of static content from Cloudflare. It even makes optimizations to images and scripts so they load faster.
For CloudFront, users are required to manually configure caching policies and behaviours.
3.Integration & Compatibility
Cloudflare is platform-independent and because by default works on virtually any site, be it shared hosting, VPS, or cloud-hosted.
Deeply integrated into AWS, CloudFront is the best scenario for those users who already consume AWS infrastructures.
Security Features

Security by Cloudflare
- Inbuilt DDoS protection securing against flood of traffic.
- WAF is also present in a free plan.
- Bot protection is provided for automated attacks.
- Secure communications employing SSL/TLS encryption.
CloudFront Security
- It comes by default with basic DDoS protections.
- To avail advanced DDoS protections, AWS Shield comes with additional costs.
- The AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall) requires a separate configuration.
- Field-level encryption for better security of data
Tools Used
Below is a comparison based on the tools used −
For Cloudflare
- Cloudflare DNS
- Cloudflare WAF
- Cloudflare Page Rules
- Cloudflare Cache Purge API
For CloudFront
- AWS Management Console
- AWS CloudFront API
- Terraform for infrastructure as code
- AWS CLI for command-line management
When to Choose What?

When to Use Cloudflare?
- If you want an easy-to-use CDN with good security.
- If you want DDoS support and WAF included in the free plan.
- If you are running a WordPress or generic website that requires speed improvement.
- If you want automated optimizations while still being relatively low on the technical knowledge.
When to Use CloudFront?
- When you are into AWS S3, EC2, or Lambda this much.
- When you need custom caching, granting you the power to configure everything.
- When your prime requirement is to serve video streams or dynamic content.
- When you prefer getting charged per use versus fixed plans.
Difference Between Cloudflare and CloudFront
Below table highlights the major differences between Cloudflare and CloudFront −
Feature | Cloudflare | CloudFront |
---|---|---|
Type | CDN with security & performance | CDN deeply integrated with AWS |
Ease of Use | Simple setup, automated caching | Requires manual configuration |
Speed & Latency | Anycast network for automatic routing | Requires configuring distributions |
Caching | Automatic caching & optimizations | Custom caching configuration needed |
Security | Free DDoS protection, WAF, bot protection | Basic DDoS protection; AWS WAF costs extra |
Integration | Works with any platform | Best for AWS users (S3, EC2, Lambda) |
Best For | Websites needing security, performance | AWS users needing fine-grained control |
Pricing | Fixed plans (free tier available) | Pay-as-you-go pricing |
Example Code relating to CloudFront and Cloudflare
Below, we have shown the example codes relating to CloudFront and Cloudflare. Have a look at them −
CloudFront Distribution with Terraform
The below code is simple code snippet used in cloudfront distribution with terraform −
resource "aws_cloudfront_distribution" "cdn" { origin { domain_name = "example.s3.amazonaws.com" origin_id = "S3-example" } enabled = true default_cache_behavior { viewer_protocol_policy = "redirect-to-https" allowed_methods = ["GET", "HEAD"] cached_methods = ["GET", "HEAD"]; } }
Cloudflare API to Purge Cache
Below is a code snippet that used Cloudflare API to purge cache −
curl -X POST "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/zones/YOUR_ZONE_ID/purge_cache" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ --data '{"purge_everything":true}'
How to Configure Cloudflare and CloudFront
Below are setting steps to configure Cloudflare and CloudFront −
Cloudflare Settings
- Register on the Cloudflare website for an account.
- Add your domain name under your website.
- Caching and security settings.
- Encrypt SSL/TLS for secure connections.
Settings for CloudFront
- Sign in to AWS Console.
- In CloudFront, Click on Create Distribution.
- Pick your origin domain, eg: S3 bucket or even Website URL.
- Configure cache behaviour and security settings.
- Deploy distribution and change DNS settings.