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AWS (Amazon Web Services) vs Cloudflare

AWS (Amazon Web Services) logo

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Software

The leading cloud computing platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cloudflare logo

Cloudflare

Software

The web performance and security company

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AWS (Amazon Web Services) data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills; Cloudflare free tier limited to basic features (no advanced analytics or premium features)
  • They diverge on capability: AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, Cloudflare covers Global CDN.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Cloudflare actually diverge.

Attributes where AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Cloudflare differ
AttributeAWS (Amazon Web Services)Cloudflare
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Api, Cli, MobileWeb
Founded20062009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • EC2 - Virtual Servers
  • S3 - Object Storage
  • RDS - Managed Database
  • Lambda - Serverless Computing
  • CloudFront - CDN
  • VPC - Virtual Network
  • IAM - Access Management
  • CloudWatch - Monitoring

Only in Cloudflare

  • Global CDN
  • DDoS Protection
  • WAF
  • DNS
  • SSL/TLS
  • Load Balancing
  • Bot Management
  • Workers (Serverless)

Both cover

  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • GDPR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Web hostingnot Cloudflare
  • Data storagenot Cloudflare
  • Machine learningnot Cloudflare
  • Big data analyticsnot Cloudflare
  • Application developmentnot Cloudflare

Cloudflare

  • Global content delivery network (CDN) with 330+ data centres worldwidenot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • DDoS protection and bot blockingnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Web application security and rate limitingnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • DNS management and domain protectionnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Static and dynamic content cachingnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Serverless computing via Cloudflare Workersnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Database and storage services (D1, R2)not AWS (Amazon Web Services)
  • Performance optimisation for Core Web Vitalsnot AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

  • Data transfer in is free and data transfer out is charged, which is the standard source of unexpected bills
  • Discounts require one or three year Savings Plan commitments rather than being automatic
  • Every service is priced separately, so a working architecture has no single published cost
  • The free tier is a promotional allowance rather than an ongoing free plan

Cloudflare

  • Free tier limited to basic features (no advanced analytics or premium features)
  • Pro tier ($20-25/month) caps at professional websites (higher tiers needed for enterprise scale)
  • Caches only anonymous API GET responses (authenticated requests and non-GET methods not cached)
  • Geographic coverage limited to announced 330+ cities (may not cover all regions globally)

Pricing, plan by plan

AWS (Amazon Web Services)

Free
  • AWS Free TierFree
    • EC2 750 hours/month
    • 5GB S3 storage
    • 20GB data transfer
  • Pay-As-You-GoFree
    • No upfront payment
    • No long-term commitments
    • Pay only for what you use

Cloudflare

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cloudflare review.

Which should you pick?

Choose AWS (Amazon Web Services) if

  • You need ec2 - virtual servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile.
  • You also want s3 - object storage.
AWS (Amazon Web Services) review

Choose Cloudflare if

  • You need global cdn.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want ddos protection.
Cloudflare review

Questions people ask

Is AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Cloudflare better?
Neither clearly leads. AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and Cloudflare at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Cloudflare?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) starts at Free and Cloudflare at Free.
Does AWS (Amazon Web Services) or Cloudflare run on more platforms?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) runs on Web, Api, Cli, Mobile. Cloudflare runs on Web.
Can I use AWS (Amazon Web Services) for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is AWS (Amazon Web Services) best used for?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) is most often used for web hosting, data storage, machine learning, big data analytics. Of those, web hosting and data storage are not what Cloudflare is typically brought in for.
What can AWS (Amazon Web Services) do that Cloudflare cannot?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) covers EC2 - Virtual Servers, S3 - Object Storage, RDS - Managed Database, Lambda - Serverless Computing. Cloudflare covers Global CDN, DDoS Protection, WAF, DNS. Both handle SOC2, ISO27001, GDPR.
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