Cloudflare is a firm that specializes in online security and offers a content delivery network (CDN), as well as DDoS protection and mitigation services. Three people started the firm in San Francisco: Matthew Prince, Michelle Zatlyn and Lee Holloway.
The organization is a worldwide network that aims to make all of your internet connections safe, private, quick, and dependable. It offers protection for your website, applications and APIs.
General Overview of Cloudflare
Cloudflare employs “edge computing” and claims that its network processes around 650 million online inquiries every day for cybersecurity purposes.
By 2021, the company had more than 100,000 DNS clients under its supervision. In 2021, the company’s total sales climbed by 52%, reaching $656.4 million.
In September 2019, the firm raised $525 million in an initial public offering (IPO). So far, the Cloudflare network is spread out over 250 cities located in more than 100 different countries.
Over 25 million online sites are shielded against bots, DDoS assaults, and other network threats by the Web Application Firewall offered by this company.
On top of that, the collaboration between Cloudflare and CrowdStrike was extended in March of 2022 so that Cloudflare could deliver zero-trust protection to devices, applications, and networks.
On the other hand, Cloudflare has intense competition from Fastly, Microsoft, Amazon CloudFront, Google, and Zscaler in the cloud delivery market.
A comprehensive review of Cloudflare’s top 10 competitors and alternatives is as follows:
1. Fastly
Fastly Content Delivery Network is a cloud-based CDN that has been in operation since 2011. Companies like Shopify and Slack utilize this platform for various purposes, including cloud security and streaming services. Around 1000 people worked at Fastly in 2021, and the company made $354 million in sales.
Fastly offering completely programmable solutions is the primary reason why it is more competitive than Cloudflare. If you need a customized API or CI/CD toolchain integration, Deliver@Edge’s solutions are versatile enough to accommodate your needs.
An API-first concept and scalable choices are trademarks of Fastly and Cloudflare’s respective CDN offerings. On the other hand, Fastly offers a wide range of TLS and WAF options. Fastly’s solutions may be scaled depending on bandwidth requirements and geographical coverage.
2. Microsoft Azure CDN
The Microsoft Azure cloud computing platform was first launched in 1975 and is now managed by the software giant Microsoft. The software competes with Cloudflare by offering cybersecurity and a content delivery network (CDN).
Microsoft employed more than 180,000 workers and earned nearly $170 billion in sales in 2021. Azure is a complete set of cloud tools that work together to build and manage applications and services.
In early 2022, the firm introduced the content delivery network feature. This updated model features growing global delivery and effective security protection to compete with Cloudflare.
3. Amazon CloudFront
Amazon CloudFront was introduced in 1994 by Amazon Web Services that offers a content delivery network (aka CDN). The CDN aims to distribute proxy server networks across the globe in order to reinforce speed download and content delivery.
Amazon CloudFront with its reverse-proxy design enables users to configure apps and websites for nameserver leveraging. In addition, they can copy data using extraordinary URLs for distribution.
4. Google Public DNS
Google Public DNS stands for domain name system. It was published in 1998 with the goal of providing users with a domain name system (aka DNS). The protocol allows users to connect to websites in the process of linking readable domain names to individual address servers.
In addition, both Cloudflare and Google are the only two leading companies that provide the domain name system. On top of that, only Google produces a more genuine and simpler user experience than Cloudflare. Yet both of them have delivered advanced data networks with superior performances.
Google acquired more than 110,000 employees from diverse backgrounds and made a revenue of over $160 billion in 2021.
5. Alibaba Cloud
Alibaba Cloud is also one of the Cloudflare’s competitors that offers cloud programming solutions. The Alibaba Group is a parent company of Alibaba Cloud that was founded in 1999. Since then, the firm has become widely recognized and regarded as the world’s biggest corporate, being valued at more than $650 billion.
Since Alibaba Cloud is the competitor, the company tries to work on cybersecurity solutions that can help its clients well. Moreover, Alibaba Cloud features unique product and service offerings, including superior database storage, advanced computing, reliable data analytics, and e-commerce.
6. Zscaler
Zscaler, launched in 2007, is a cloud-based security application known for its “Zero Trust Exchange” methodology. The company has garnered over 450 organisations on the Forbes Global 2000 list. After verifying the digital credentials, the system considers everybody a danger and creates authentication among users.
Both Zscaler and Cloudflare adopt a zero-trust method for their business. But, while Zscaler solely includes network technologies, Cloudflare provides DNS, CDN, edge network infrastructure, and device, app, and cybersecurity.
The platform has a P/S ratio of roughly 60, but Cloudflare retails for more than 100 times sales. As a result, Zscaler is less expensive than Cloudflare.
Zscaler had 4,000 workers in 2021, and sales had increased to $673 million.
7. Lumen Technologies, Inc.
Lumen is a digital corporation that provides advanced technologies for edge cloud, cybersecurity, information sharing, and connectivity.
The firm has over 450,000 route fibre miles and clients in over 60 countries. It provides the most reliable, secure, and quick system for running data and applications. As a result, numerous businesses and governments rely on its products to provide consistent experiences throughout their organisations. Lumen is a viable rival to Cloudflare.
Its innovations, which began in 1968, streamline how millions of people live. Lumen projected $19.687 billion in sales and $2.033 billion in net earnings in 2021.
8. KeyCDN
Since 2012, KeyCDN has supplied a steadfast Content Delivery Network (CDN) solution with tailored services for both newbies and experts. The service has a user-friendly interface and facilitates online interaction with WordPress and other programs.
While KeyCDN is a convenient CDN that is excellent for amateur clients, its powerful features, such as Origin Shield and Block Referrer, are available to professional clients.
KeyCDN’s appealing aspect is its low-cost proposition. For instance, its network rates begin at $0.04/GB, which is less than half the price of Cloudflare.
KeyCDN has a distribution system of 34 servers in 2021, with 9 in North America, 14 in Europe, and 11 worldwide distributed.
9. Imperva
Imperva is a security software solutions firm that imparts ground-breaking technologies to organisations to help them safeguard their applications in the cloud.
Its internet security technology has been in operation since 2002 and upholds all digital touchpoints, from APIs to core functionality, oriented services, and the database layer.
Imperva released Imperva API Security with continuous API discovery in March 2022. Businesses can use this offering to give data visibility and encryption across legacy and cloud-native apps.
Imperva earned approximately $321 million in sales in 2021.
10. Sucuri
Sucuri, which was created in 2010, is an exclusive web application security system that assists various businesses in mitigating cybercrimes and threats. This cloud-based Web Application Firewall (WAF) can assist firms in detecting and filtering out advanced bots.
The platform includes a content delivery network (CDN), threat detection, DNS tracking, brute-force attack prevention, file-change identification, and hacking restoration.
Final Verdict
Cloudflare is the world’s tech company that is dominant in web hosting because there are a lot of people and corporates using its service. With its CDN special offerings, businesses solely rely on the services to solve their problems.
