Softwr

Network & Connectivity · head to head

Cloudflare vs Linode

Cloudflare logo

Cloudflare

Network & Connectivity

The web performance and security company

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Linode logo

Linode

Cloud & Infrastructure

Affordable cloud hosting and infrastructure

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); Linode linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud
  • They diverge on capability: Cloudflare covers Global CDN, Linode covers Compute instances.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cloudflare and Linode actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloudflare and Linode differ
AttributeCloudflareLinode
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
PlatformsWebWeb, Api, Cli
CategoryNetwork & ConnectivityCloud & Infrastructure
Founded20092003

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • Load Balancing
  • Bot Management
  • Workers (Serverless)
  • GitHub

Only in Linode

  • Compute instances
  • Object storage
  • Block storage
  • Kubernetes
  • Managed database
  • Load balancers
  • Firewalls
  • Private networks

Both cover

  • SSL/TLS
  • Cloud deployment
  • 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 Linode
  • DDoS protection and bot blockingnot Linode
  • Web application security and rate limitingnot Linode
  • DNS management and domain protectionnot Linode
  • Static and dynamic content cachingnot Linode
  • Serverless computing via Cloudflare Workersnot Linode
  • Database and storage services (D1, R2)not Linode
  • Performance optimisation for Core Web Vitalsnot Linode

Linode

  • Running Linux virtual machines on hourly billed shared or dedicated CPU plansnot Cloudflare
  • Managed Kubernetes, block storage and object storage on a single cloud accountnot Cloudflare
  • Hosting workloads in a specific one of the listed global regionsnot 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)

Linode

  • linode.com/pricing returns a 301 redirect to akamai.com/cloud/pricing; the service is now sold as Akamai Cloud
  • Charges accrue for any service on the account even when it is powered off, because RAM and network capacity stay reserved; only deleting the service stops billing
  • Network transfer beyond the monthly allotment is billed from $0.005 per GB and the rate varies by region
  • The Akamai Cloud pricing landing page shows no rates and directs visitors to regional pricing pages or sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Cloudflare

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cloudflare review.

Linode

Free
  • Nanode 1GB$5/month
    • 1GB RAM
    • 1 vCPU
    • 25GB SSD
  • Linode 4GB$20/month
    • 4GB RAM
    • 2 vCPU
    • 80GB SSD

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 Linode if

  • You need compute instances.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want object storage.
Linode review

Questions people ask

Is Cloudflare or Linode better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloudflare starts at Free and Linode at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloudflare or Linode?
Cloudflare starts at Free and Linode at Free.
Does Cloudflare or Linode run on more platforms?
Cloudflare runs on Web. Linode runs on Web, Api, Cli.
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 Linode is typically brought in for.
What can Cloudflare do that Linode cannot?
Cloudflare covers Global CDN, DDoS Protection, WAF, DNS. Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Kubernetes. Both handle SSL/TLS, Cloud deployment, Web support, Api support.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Cloudflare

More on Linode

Keep looking

Other head to heads