Software · head to head
Akamai vs Alibaba Cloud
The short version
- Only Alibaba Cloud has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Akamai only the cloud computing services carry published rates; security and content delivery products require contacting sales for a price; Alibaba Cloud technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
- They diverge on capability: Akamai covers DDoS Protection, Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Akamai and Alibaba Cloud actually diverge.
| Attribute | Akamai | Alibaba Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1000/month | Free |
| Pricing model | quote | usage-based |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, Api | Linux, Windows, Api, Cli |
| Founded | 1998 | 2009 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Akamai
- DDoS Protection
- Web Application Firewall
- Bot Management
- Image Optimization
- Video Platform
- Analytics
- AWS
- Microsoft Azure
Only in Alibaba Cloud
- Elastic Compute Service
- Object Storage Service
- RDS Database
- MaxCompute
- Function Compute
- Load Balancer
- Terraform
- Ansible
Both cover
- CDN
- API Gateway
- Cloud deployment
- Api support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Akamai
- Content delivery and web performance through Ion and adaptive media deliverynot Alibaba Cloud
- DDoS protection, bot management and API securitynot Alibaba Cloud
- Running compute, Kubernetes and managed databases on Akamai's cloudnot Alibaba Cloud
- Edge compute with EdgeWorkersnot Alibaba Cloud
- Zero trust access for enterprise applicationsnot Alibaba Cloud
Alibaba Cloud
- Cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in China and Asia Pacificnot Akamai
- Pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitmentnot Akamai
- Committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloadsnot Akamai
- CDN and data transfer packages for content deliverynot Akamai
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Akamai
- Only the cloud computing services carry published rates; security and content delivery products require contacting sales for a price
- Cloud pricing varies by region across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific rather than being a single rate
Alibaba Cloud
- Technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
- Service prices are not shown as a rate card and route through a calculator or sales
- Committed discounts require savings plans, reserved instances or capacity packages rather than being automatic
Pricing, plan by plan
Akamai
$1000/month- CDN$1000/month
- Content delivery
- Global edge network
- Real-time analytics
- Security Suite$2000/month
- DDoS protection
- WAF
- Bot management
Alibaba Cloud
Free- Free TrialFree
- Free tier credits
- ECS instances
- Cloud storage
- Pay-as-You-GoFree
- Flexible billing
- No commitments
- Global reach
Which should you pick?
Choose Akamai if
- You need ddos protection.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want web application firewall.
Choose Alibaba Cloud if
- You need elastic compute service.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- You also want object storage service.
Questions people ask
- Is Akamai or Alibaba Cloud better?
- Neither clearly leads. Akamai starts at $1000/month and Alibaba Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Akamai or Alibaba Cloud?
- Alibaba Cloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1000/month for Akamai and Free for Alibaba Cloud.
- Does Akamai or Alibaba Cloud run on more platforms?
- Akamai runs on Web, Api. Alibaba Cloud runs on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
- Can I use Alibaba Cloud for free?
- Yes. Alibaba Cloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Akamai starts at $1000/month.
- What is Akamai best used for?
- Akamai is most often used for content delivery and web performance through ion and adaptive media delivery, ddos protection, bot management and api security, running compute, kubernetes and managed databases on akamai's cloud, edge compute with edgeworkers. Of those, content delivery and web performance through ion and adaptive media delivery and ddos protection, bot management and api security are not what Alibaba Cloud is typically brought in for.
- What can Akamai do that Alibaba Cloud cannot?
- Akamai covers DDoS Protection, Web Application Firewall, Bot Management, Image Optimization. Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Object Storage Service, RDS Database, MaxCompute. Both handle CDN, API Gateway, Cloud deployment, Api support.
Related pages
More on Alibaba Cloud
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