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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Akamai vs Vault

Akamai logo

Akamai

Cloud & Infrastructure

Leading content delivery and security platform

From
$1000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Vault logo

Vault

Cloud & Infrastructure

Manage Secrets and Protect Sensitive Data

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Vault 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; Vault vault 1.15.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1, not an OSI open source licence, with IBM Corporation as licensor
  • They diverge on capability: Akamai covers CDN, Vault covers Secrets management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Akamai and Vault actually diverge.

Attributes where Akamai and Vault differ
AttributeAkamaiVault
Starting price$1000/monthFree
Pricing modelquoteopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, ApiLinux, Windows, Mac, Cloud
Founded19982015

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).

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

  • CDN
  • DDoS Protection
  • Web Application Firewall
  • Bot Management
  • Image Optimization
  • Video Platform
  • API Gateway
  • Analytics

Only in Vault

  • Secrets management
  • Encryption
  • Authentication
  • Authorization
  • Audit logging
  • API access
  • High availability
  • Replication

Both cover

  • Cloud deployment

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 Vault
  • DDoS protection, bot management and API securitynot Vault
  • Running compute, Kubernetes and managed databases on Akamai's cloudnot Vault
  • Edge compute with EdgeWorkersnot Vault
  • Zero trust access for enterprise applicationsnot Vault

Vault

  • Centrally storing and rotating secrets, API keys and database credentialsnot Akamai
  • Issuing short-lived dynamic credentials to applications instead of static passwordsnot Akamai
  • Encryption as a service and PKI certificate issuancenot 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

Vault

  • Vault 1.15.0 and later is licensed under the Business Source License 1.1, not an OSI open source licence, with IBM Corporation as licensor
  • The Additional Use Grant forbids offering Vault to third parties on a hosted or embedded basis in a paid product that competes with IBM's paid versions of Vault
  • Each version only converts to MPL 2.0 four years after that version is published, and the Change Date is tracked per version
  • Replication, HSM support, namespaces, performance standby nodes, FIPS builds, control group authorisation, multi-factor authentication, secrets sync and lease count quotas all require a Vault Enterprise licence
  • A Vault Enterprise licence must be applied to the cluster before any Enterprise feature can be used

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

Vault

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Secrets management
    • Encryption as a service
    • Identity management
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced features
    • Premium support
    • Dedicated updates

Which should you pick?

Choose Akamai if

  • You need cdn.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want ddos protection.
Akamai review

Choose Vault if

  • You need secrets management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
  • You also want encryption.
Vault review

Questions people ask

Is Akamai or Vault better?
Neither clearly leads. Akamai starts at $1000/month and Vault at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Akamai or Vault?
Vault has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1000/month for Akamai and Free for Vault.
Does Akamai or Vault run on more platforms?
Akamai runs on Web, Api. Vault runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Cloud.
Can I use Vault for free?
Yes. Vault 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 Vault is typically brought in for.
What can Akamai do that Vault cannot?
Akamai covers CDN, DDoS Protection, Web Application Firewall, Bot Management. Vault covers Secrets management, Encryption, Authentication, Authorization. Both handle Cloud deployment.
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