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Content delivery network

Amazon CloudFront

AWS's global content delivery product for distributions, origins, cache behaviors, and optional edge functions.

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Editorial verdict

Choose CloudFront when AWS-origin and operating integration matter more than provider-neutral CDN simplicity.1467

Best for

  • S3, load-balancer, API, and other AWS origins
  • Teams operating IAM and AWS policy centrally
  • Applications needing configurable distributions and cache behaviors
1467

Not ideal for

  • Teams avoiding AWS coupling
  • Simple sites preferring a narrower regional bandwidth model
  • Teams wanting an integrated non-AWS reverse proxy
1467
Main trade-off

Deep AWS integration trades against AWS-specific distribution policy, edge-function, and multi-meter billing complexity.1467

Product boundary

Whether AWS origin, IAM, and operations integration justify CloudFront's distribution and billing complexity.

CloudFront delivers and caches content. CloudFront Functions, Lambda@Edge, WAF, Route 53, origins, and logs keep separate behavior and pricing boundaries.45

For: AWS-centered teams serving content from S3, load balancers, APIs, or other AWS and custom origins

  • Origins and application operations are not AWS-centered.
  • Flat-plan allowances do not fit the workload.
  • Edge logic, invalidation, logs, WAF, or transfer materially change cost.

Why teams consider Amazon CloudFront

  • AWS origin integrationCloudFront is designed to front AWS and custom origins through distributions.4
  • Configurable cache behaviorPolicies and behaviors control caching and viewer-to-origin handling.4
  • Edge execution choicesCloudFront Functions and Lambda@Edge cover different request-stage workloads.5

Pricing

CloudFront offers pay-as-you-go transfer/request pricing and current flat-rate distribution plans, with origins, functions, logs, security, and support accounted separately.6

Flat-rate distribution

Free $0, Pro $15, Business $200, or Premium $1,000 per month

Verified 2026-07-25; each plan has specific allowances and bundled adjacent services.6

Variable traffic

Pay as you go

Model region, transfer, request type, invalidation, origin, edge functions, logs, and adjacent services.6

Two commercial routes
Flat-rate distribution plans or pay as you go6
Separate cost boundary
Origins, edge functions, WAF, logs, support, and other AWS services6
Pricing checked View official pricing

Amazon CloudFront vs alternatives

Cloudflare CDN

Choose when
Choose it for an integrated reverse-proxy and zone operating surface.
Compared with Amazon CloudFront
Broader platform integration with Cloudflare-specific controls.13

Fastly CDN

Choose when
Choose it when programmable delivery behavior dominates AWS-native operations.
Compared with Amazon CloudFront
More delivery control with more operating complexity.79

Bunny CDN

Choose when
Choose it for a simpler pull-CDN and regional bandwidth model.
Compared with Amazon CloudFront
Narrower platform with less AWS integration.1012

Resources and sources

Official product, policy, and pricing

  • Amazon CloudFront introduction
    Open
  • Choose CloudFront Functions or Lambda@Edge
    Open
  • Amazon CloudFront pricing
    Open
  1. 1
    Cloudflare Cache documentation

    Cloudflare · Accessed Official

  2. 2
    Cloudflare Cache plan differences

    Cloudflare · Accessed Official

  3. 3
    Cloudflare plans

    Cloudflare · Accessed Official

  4. 4
    Amazon CloudFront introduction

    Amazon Web Services · Accessed Official

  5. 5
    Choose CloudFront Functions or Lambda@Edge

    Amazon Web Services · Accessed Official

  6. 6
    Amazon CloudFront pricing

    Amazon Web Services · Accessed Official

  7. 7
    Fastly cache documentation

    Fastly · Accessed Official

  8. 8
    Fastly cache purging

    Fastly · Accessed Official

  9. 9
    Fastly pricing

    Fastly · Accessed Official

  10. 10
    Bunny CDN documentation

    Bunny · Accessed Official

  11. 11
    Bunny CDN Smart Cache

    Bunny · Accessed Official

  12. 12
    Bunny pricing

    Bunny · Accessed Official