Fastly
Build, secure, and deliver instantly with a programmable edge cloud platform for fast, scalable sites and apps.
Overview
Fastly is an advanced edge cloud platform that empowers businesses to deliver fast, secure, and scalable digital experiences. Unlike traditional CDNs, Fastly's platform is fully programmable, giving developers unprecedented control over how content is cached, delivered, and secured at the network edge. This programmability allows for highly customized logic and real-time adjustments, making it ideal for dynamic and complex applications. The platform combines a powerful Content Delivery Network (CDN) with robust security services, including Web Application and API Protection (WAAP), and edge computing capabilities. Its unique architecture, featuring fewer but more powerful Points of Presence (POPs), ensures that content is served quickly and efficiently, often resulting in significantly faster time to first byte (TTFB) compared to competitors. Fastly's Instant Purgeā¢ feature allows for cache invalidation in milliseconds, ensuring that users always receive the most up-to-date content. The focus on a software-defined network and comprehensive observability tools provides users with deep insights and control over their traffic and applications.
Pricing
Free Tier
- $50/mo worth of CDN traffic
- No request throttling, ever
- No advertised logos in front of your customers, ever
- No cap on redirects & page rules
- No cap on regular expressions
- Purge anything from global cache in 150ms
Usage
- Includes everything in Free tier
- Unrestricted bandwidth, just pay for usage
- Unrestricted requests, just pay for usage
- Unrestricted TLS certificates, 5 certificates included
- Mutual TLS
- SSO authentication
- Standard support for prompt, dedicated responses
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Highly programmable edge allows for custom logic and advanced control over content delivery.
- Exceptional performance with low latency and fast content delivery due to powerful POPs.
- Instant Purgeā¢ enables near real-time cache invalidation, crucial for dynamic content.
- Robust security features including Next-Gen WAF for comprehensive protection.
- Transparent and predictable pricing model helps avoid surprise overages.
- Strong focus on developer experience with extensive tools and APIs.
Cons
- May have a steeper learning curve for users unfamiliar with edge computing or VCL (Fastly's configuration language).
- Fewer Points of Presence (POPs) compared to some competitors, though Fastly emphasizes their power.
- Advanced features and programmability might be overkill for very simple, static websites.
- Pricing can become complex for very high-volume or highly customized deployments.
- Reliance on VCL for advanced configurations can be a barrier for some developers.
Use Cases
Reviews & Ratings
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Best For
- Accelerating e-commerce platforms for improved user experience and conversion rates.
- Delivering high-quality streaming video and audio content globally.
- Securing web applications and APIs against various cyber threats.
- Building and deploying serverless applications at the edge for reduced latency.
- Serving dynamic content with real-time updates and personalized experiences.
- Optimizing content delivery for publishing and media companies.
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