We compared Akamai and Cloudflare based on our user's reviews in several parameters.
In summary, the key differences between Akamai and Cloudflare are highlighted in user feedback regarding their valuable features, customer service, implementation duration, pricing, return on investment, and areas for improvement. While Akamai is praised for exceptional performance, speed, and personalized solutions, Cloudflare stands out for its robust security measures, user-friendly interface, and efficient caching capabilities. Akamai receives positive feedback for its responsive customer service, competitive pricing, and positive ROI, while Cloudflare is commended for its real-time threat detection, flexible scalability, and reasonable cost. Areas for enhancement on Akamai include improving performance and speed, customer support, and analytics features, while Cloudflare could benefit from enhancements in network performance, user interface, documentation, customization options, pricing transparency, and integration with other services.
Features: Akamai's valuable features include exceptional performance, reliable content delivery, advanced security, efficient caching, and comprehensive analytics. On the other hand, Cloudflare offers robust security, reliable content delivery, efficient caching, user-friendly interface, enhanced website performance, protection against DDoS attacks, SSL support, easy DNS management, extensive analytics, real-time threat detection, and flexible scalability.
Pricing and ROI: When comparing the setup cost between Akamai and Cloudflare, both products are considered to have minimal and straightforward setup costs. Akamai offers flexible and customizable licensing options, accommodating different business needs. Cloudflare's licensing experience is smooth and satisfactory, with no expressed concerns or issues., Akamai users reported positive ROI with improved website performance and security, scalable and reliable platform. Cloudflare users also experienced positive ROI including improved website performance, increased security, and user-friendly interface.
Room for Improvement: Akamai could improve its performance and speed, user interface and navigation, customer support and responsiveness, occasional latency issues, and reporting and analytics features. Cloudflare could benefit from enhancements in network performance, user interface, documentation and support, customization options, pricing transparency, and integration with other services.
Deployment and customer support: Based on user feedback, both Akamai and Cloudflare have varying durations for establishing a new tech solution. However, Cloudflare emphasizes the importance of evaluating the context in which these terms are used, suggesting possible differences in deployment and setup phases., Akamai's customer service is highly praised for their responsive and efficient assistance, personalized solutions, and commitment to customer satisfaction. Cloudflare is commended for their exceptional assistance, quick and knowledgeable responses, and reliable and efficient support.
The summary above is based on 29 interviews we conducted recently with Akamai and Cloudflare users. To access the review's full transcripts, download our report.
"Akamai provides low-latency throughput."
"Akamai is leveraged by many top-level businesses, ensuring reliability and support in case of outages or issues."
"It's a scalable and reliable solution."
"Akamai has a very established network of PoPs globally."
"The solution is very sustainable and flexible."
"The solution's technical support is very good...The installation phase of Akamai was easy."
"The most valuable feature of Akamai is its ease of use and simple integration. Additionally, the solution has new aspects added to it regularly."
"The solution's technical support is very prompt and good."
"The most valuable feature is the web application firewall."
"From what I've seen so far, there are no negatives to report as of yet"
"I rate its stability a ten out of ten."
"Easier http to https redirect using page rules"
"The solution is very good at mitigating threats."
"Cloudflare has many features."
"Centralized, full-featured DNS."
"The technical support is good."
"Local connectivity would be great linked to our own telecom/Cablevision CDN."
"The fact that it is an expensive product is its only shortcoming."
"It would be better if we could be notified about specific attacks."
"The product's scalability can be improved since certain shortcomings regarding the security part of the solution currently exist."
"I'd like to see improvements in log files and data visualizations within the interface."
"Sometimes a little hard to navigate around the user console."
"Akamai should improve its integrations."
"Their support is very slow. If you file a support ticket, it takes a long time before it gets resolved."
"If they improve on the placement of their data centers, it would be better. I'm living in a remote area. I would like to connect to them without any kind of lag."
"Cloudflare's console should be made more user-friendly."
"Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to buy Cloudflare in my country."
"I would like Cloudflare to offer a dedicated account manager for large enterprise clients like us."
"Although I think it's quite good, it doesn't provide me with all the features I would expect to have if I were using Imperva."
"They lack a good way to manage DNS as a company, since everything is relegated to single account logins until you get to the higher levels. They have come out with a paid feature to remedy this, but I have not had a chance to fully review it yet to know if it fixes the access problem."
"One area of improvement is in the Access Rules. Hypothetically, if we wanted to block or challenge traffic outside of the United States, the only way to currently do that (as far as I know) is to enter every single country outside of the United States. That could be a labor intensive job. A solution could be to enable users to create a rule where traffic is only allowed within a certain country."
"The timing aspect can lead to it being considered overpriced. This is a particular concern we have with Cloudflare, as they may struggle with accurately detecting the client."
Akamai is ranked 3rd in CDN with 18 reviews while Cloudflare is ranked 1st in CDN with 56 reviews. Akamai is rated 9.0, while Cloudflare is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Akamai writes "An easy to setup product offering multiple useful functionalities under a single package". On the other hand, the top reviewer of Cloudflare writes "It's easy to set up because you point the DNS to it, and it's working in under 15 minutes". Akamai is most compared with Azure Front Door, Imperva DDoS, Amazon CloudFront, Fastly and AWS Global Accelerator, whereas Cloudflare is most compared with Azure Front Door, Imperva DDoS, AWS Shield, Microsoft Azure Application Gateway and Arbor DDoS. See our Akamai vs. Cloudflare report.
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