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Software · head to head

Cloudflare vs CloudWatch

Cloudflare logo

Cloudflare

Software

The web performance and security company

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CloudWatch logo

CloudWatch

Software

AWS Monitoring and Observability

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cloudflare free tier limited to basic features (no advanced analytics or premium features); CloudWatch the free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB
  • They diverge on capability: Cloudflare covers Global CDN, CloudWatch covers Metrics collection.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cloudflare and CloudWatch actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloudflare and CloudWatch differ
AttributeCloudflareCloudWatch
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
PlatformsWebWeb, Api
Founded20092006

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 Cloudflare

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

Only in CloudWatch

  • Metrics collection
  • Log aggregation
  • Dashboards
  • Alarms and notifications
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Cloudflare

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

CloudWatch

  • Metrics and log collection for AWS workloadsnot Cloudflare
  • Alarming on thresholds across AWS servicesnot Cloudflare
  • Querying logs with Logs Insightsnot Cloudflare
  • Live tailing logs during an incidentnot Cloudflare
  • Distributed tracing alongside X-Raynot Cloudflare

Where each one falls short

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

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)

CloudWatch

  • The free tier covers 5 GB of log ingestion and 10 custom metrics a month, after which log ingestion is $0.50 per GB from 5 to 30 GB
  • Custom metrics are $0.30 each for the first 10,000, so instrumenting broadly gets expensive before volume discounts apply
  • Each custom dashboard beyond the free three is $3 a month
  • Alarms are billed at $0.10 per alarm metric a month, with high-resolution alarms costing more
  • Log storage beyond the free 5 GB is $0.03 per GB per month on top of the ingestion charge

Pricing, plan by plan

Cloudflare

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cloudflare review.

CloudWatch

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Metrics collection
    • Log aggregation
    • Dashboards

Which should you pick?

Choose Cloudflare if

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

Choose CloudWatch if

  • You need metrics collection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want log aggregation.
CloudWatch review

Questions people ask

Is Cloudflare or CloudWatch better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloudflare starts at Free and CloudWatch at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloudflare or CloudWatch?
Cloudflare starts at Free and CloudWatch at Free.
Does Cloudflare or CloudWatch run on more platforms?
Cloudflare runs on Web. CloudWatch runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Cloudflare for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cloudflare best used for?
Cloudflare is most often used for global content delivery network (cdn) with 330+ data centres worldwide, ddos protection and bot blocking, web application security and rate limiting, dns management and domain protection. Of those, global content delivery network (cdn) with 330+ data centres worldwide and ddos protection and bot blocking are not what CloudWatch is typically brought in for.
What can Cloudflare do that CloudWatch cannot?
Cloudflare covers Global CDN, DDoS Protection, WAF, DNS. CloudWatch covers Metrics collection, Log aggregation, Dashboards, Alarms and notifications. Both handle Web support, Api support.
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