November 18, 2025 became the point of no return: Unable to even log into their CloudFlare account, half the internet started thinking about finding an alternative solution to CloudFlare
No matter what your project goal was when you connected to CloudFlare: ensuring the security, performance, or reliability of websites/applications over the global network. But on that date, you simply suffered a fiasco for a while.
So what: we all ran to find an alternative to CloudFlare. Keep reading to discover all the info I’ve managed to find and provide it in a digestive and structured way.
Caches website content on a global network of servers to deliver it faster to users based on their geographic location.
Intelligently routes traffic through the fastest and most reliable network paths, reducing latency.
Distributes traffic across multiple servers to prevent bottlenecks and ensure high availability.
Provides fast and secure DNS services.
Automatically blocks distributed denial-of-service attacks to protect websites from being overwhelmed by malicious traffic.
Filters and monitors HTTP traffic between a web application and the Internet to block common web attacks, such as SQL injection.
Identifies and blocks malicious bots that could scrape data or steal information.
Provides encrypted connections to protect data in transit.
Allows running code at the “edge” of the network with Cloudflare Workers, improving performance and scalability.
Provides insights into traffic, security events, performance, and bandwidth usage.
Offers features like Brotli compression and automatic image optimization to improve website loading speed.
Allows users to create custom email addresses that forward to a personal inbox.
Major Cloudflare alternatives for network security include Akamai, Zscaler, Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, and Fortinet, which are known for comprehensive security services like web application firewalls (WAF) and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA). Other options include cloud-based services like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, as well as more specialized tools like Sucuri (for web security) and Netskope.
Akamai: A long-standing provider of content delivery network (CDN) and security services.
Zscaler: Focuses on cloud-native security, including a Zero Trust Exchange platform.
Cisco: Offers solutions like Cisco Secure Access, focusing on identity and access management.
Palo Alto Networks: Provides platforms like Prisma Access for security service edge (SSE).
Fortinet: Offers a broad security portfolio, including Universal ZTNA and SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) solutions.
Netskope: A cloud-native security platform with a strong focus on the security service edge.
Amazon Web Services (AWS): Offers services like Amazon CloudFront and AWS WAF.
Microsoft Azure: Provides the Azure CDN and other security services as part of its cloud platform.
Google Cloud: Includes Google Cloud CDN and other security features.
Sucuri: A web security company that provides a website firewall and malware cleanup services.
Fastly: Known for its CDN services that specialize in high-speed content delivery.
Imperva: Offers both application and data security solutions.
Stackpath: Provides a combination of CDN, security, and edge computing services.
CloudFlare replacement options are listed below, categorized by their primary strengths to help you choose the right fit for your specific needs
| Provider | Best For | Performance Strength | Reliability Focus | Pricing Model |
| Fastly | Developers & Real-time apps | Instant purging & config updates | High-speed edge computing | Usage-based |
| Akamai | Enterprise & Large Scale | Massive global network capacity | 100% availability SLA options | Enterprise Contracts |
| AWS CloudFront | AWS Users | Deep integration with AWS services | Backed by Amazon infrastructure | Pay-as-you-go (Free Tier) |
| Bunny net | Budget & Performance | Excellent speed-to-price ratio | Tier 1 network partners | Simple Pay-as-you-go |
| Imperva | Security-First Needs | DDoS & WAF focused latency | Enterprise-grade uptime | Custom/Quote-based |
| KeyCDN | Simplicity & Europe | High throughput, low TTFB | Stable, simple architecture | Pay-as-you-go |