Fastly CDN's Pricing Structure: Bandwidth and Requests

Flickering lights in a vast cityscape at night: that's how the internet functions, with content seamlessly shifting from one server to another, ensuring your favorite cat video or that important email reaches you without a hitch. But the magic behind this smooth and speedy delivery often remains hidden. One of the pivotal players behind this digital ballet is Fastly's Content Delivery Network (CDN). And if you're wondering about the costs of such a service, you're not alone.

In this expanded guide, we’ll dive deeply into the intricacies of Fastly’s pricing, explore its competitive positioning, and provide actionable strategies to optimize your CDN costs. By the end, you’ll have a clear picture of whether Fastly—or its alternatives—fits your business needs.

Fastly CDN: The Cost Behind the Magic

Diving into Fastly's CDN pricing structure reveals a nuanced approach that balances performance with cost-efficiency. The primary factors influencing the pricing are bandwidth and HTTP request calls. These two parameters form the backbone of how Fastly calculates its charges.

Understanding Bandwidth Costs

Bandwidth is essentially the volume of data transferred from Fastly's servers to your end users. Fastly’s regional pricing makes it adaptable for businesses targeting global audiences. Here’s how the costs stack up across regions for the first 10 TB of usage:

• North America & Europe: $0.12 per GB
• Asia, South America, Australia/New Zealand: $0.19 per GB
• South Korea, India, Africa: $0.28 per GB

For businesses transferring data beyond the first 10 TB, Fastly offers discounts:

• Next 10 TB: $0.08 per GB (North America & Europe) and $0.14 per GB (Asia, South America, Australia/New Zealand).
• South Korea, India, Africa: $0.24 per GB.

The model ensures that businesses with large-scale needs benefit from cost efficiencies, especially in North America and Europe.

Breaking Down HTTP Request Costs

HTTP requests are the queries made to the CDN for loading resources like images, CSS files, JavaScript, and HTML documents. Fastly charges for these requests in increments of 10,000, with costs varying slightly by region:

• North America & Europe: $0.0075 per 10,000 requests.
• Asia, South America, Australia/New Zealand: $0.0090 per 10,000 requests.
• South Korea, India, Africa: $0.0160 per 10,000 requests.

By understanding these intricacies, businesses can effectively estimate their monthly costs based on their bandwidth and request patterns.

Optional Add-Ons: TLS/SSL and Security Features

Beyond bandwidth and requests, businesses can leverage additional services like TLS/SSL secure connections and enhanced security features:

1. TLS/SSL Secure Connections:
   • Two domains included for free. Additional domains cost $20 each.
   • Premium managed TLS subscriptions reach $275 per domain.
2. Advanced Security Features:
   • Fastly offers Starter Security Plans at $3,000/month, which include basic OWASP Top 10 protection.
   • More advanced plans for businesses requiring robust security (e.g., API protection) are available upon request.

These features allow businesses to customize their CDN experience while maintaining high security standards.

The Competitive Landscape: Comparing Fastly with Other CDNs

While Fastly stands out for its real-time analytics and customizability, it’s essential to assess its value against competitors:

• Cloudflare: Renowned for its free basic plans, Cloudflare’s paid plans start at $20/month with bandwidth pricing as low as $0.05 per GB. However, its configurability is less granular compared to Fastly.
• BlazingCDN: A budget-friendly option with pricing as low as $0.003 per GB, BlazingCDN delivers robust performance for startups and medium-sized businesses.
• Amazon CloudFront: Ranges from $0.085 to $0.02 per GB, depending on usage levels and regions. CloudFront integrates seamlessly with AWS but may become costly for large-scale deployments.
• Akamai: Known for its expansive network and tailored pricing, Akamai caters to enterprise-level clients and often costs more than other providers.

Fastly’s competitive pricing, paired with its ability to handle high-demand scenarios, positions it as a strong choice for businesses focused on performance and flexibility.

Optimizing Costs with Fastly

Cost management is critical for businesses of all sizes. With a proper strategy, you can maximize the efficiency of your Fastly deployment. Here are some actionable tips:

1. Caching Strategy:

   • Use Fastly’s powerful caching capabilities to reduce redundant requests.
   • Store frequently accessed content closer to end-users, minimizing bandwidth usage.

2. Compression Techniques:

   • Compress resources with tools like Gzip or Brotli to reduce file sizes, cutting down on transfer costs.

3. Load Balancing:

   • Implement efficient load balancing to prevent overloading specific servers, improving resource allocation.

By leveraging these techniques, businesses can optimize costs and performance simultaneously.

Scalability and Flexibility: Why It Matters

Fastly’s CDN is designed to grow with your business. Whether you’re scaling up during a holiday shopping season or managing global SaaS deployments, Fastly’s tiered pricing and add-on options allow you to adapt without financial surprises. This flexibility is particularly important for fast-paced industries like e-commerce, media, and SaaS.

For example, during the 2016 election, The New York Times relied on Fastly to manage record-breaking traffic spikes. By leveraging real-time analytics and on-the-fly configurations, they maintained uninterrupted service throughout the event.

Similarly, Fastly supports Spotify in delivering high-speed music streaming by optimizing delivery routes based on user location. This ensures minimal latency and consistent performance for millions of users globally.

Considering Alternatives: BlazingCDN and More

While Fastly offers an excellent suite of tools, its pricing may not suit every budget. For businesses seeking an affordable yet reliable alternative, BlazingCDN is a strong contender. With costs as low as $0.003 per GB and advanced features like real-time analytics and automated content optimization, BlazingCDN delivers high-quality performance without breaking the bank.

Fastly’s Pricing Demystified

Fastly CDN’s pricing structure reflects a transparent, scalable model that serves businesses of all sizes. By understanding bandwidth and request costs and utilizing strategies to optimize these expenses, companies can maximize their ROI.

However, no single CDN fits every business. Evaluate your needs carefully, considering both cost and performance. Whether it’s Fastly, Cloudflare, or BlazingCDN, the right CDN can make a world of difference in delivering exceptional online experiences.

What are your thoughts on Fastly and its pricing model? Share your experience or connect with us to learn how CDNs can transform your business.