Softwr

Network & Connectivity · head to head

Cloudflare vs New Relic

Cloudflare logo

Cloudflare

Network & Connectivity

The web performance and security company

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
New Relic logo

New Relic

Log Management

Observability made simple

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); New Relic data ingest costs can be high for large-scale deployments with high logging volume, making budgeting difficult
  • They diverge on capability: Cloudflare covers Global CDN, New Relic covers APM.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cloudflare and New Relic actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloudflare and New Relic differ
AttributeCloudflareNew Relic
PlatformsWebWeb, Api, Mobile
CategoryNetwork & ConnectivityLog Management
Founded20092008

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), 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
  • SSL/TLS
  • Load Balancing
  • Bot Management
  • Workers (Serverless)

Only in New Relic

  • APM
  • Infrastructure Monitoring
  • Log Management
  • Browser Monitoring
  • Synthetic Monitoring
  • Mobile Monitoring
  • Kubernetes Monitoring
  • AI Ops

Both cover

  • GitHub
  • ISO27001
  • SOC2
  • Cloud deployment

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

New Relic

  • Application monitoringnot Cloudflare
  • Infrastructure monitoringnot Cloudflare
  • Error trackingnot Cloudflare
  • Performance optimizationnot 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)

New Relic

  • Data ingest costs can be high for large-scale deployments with high logging volume, making budgeting difficult
  • Core user licensing model adds complexity to pricing with distinction between full platform users and basic users
  • Default logs obfuscation may miss some sensitive patterns requiring custom configuration
  • Retention limits even on paid tiers require additional storage for long-term compliance requirements

Pricing, plan by plan

Cloudflare

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cloudflare review.

New Relic

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the New Relic review.

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 New Relic if

  • You need apm.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Mobile.
  • You also want infrastructure monitoring.
New Relic review

Questions people ask

Is Cloudflare or New Relic better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloudflare starts at Free and New Relic at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloudflare or New Relic?
Cloudflare starts at Free and New Relic at Free.
Does Cloudflare or New Relic run on more platforms?
Cloudflare runs on Web. New Relic runs on Web, Api, Mobile.
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 New Relic is typically brought in for.
What can Cloudflare do that New Relic cannot?
Cloudflare covers Global CDN, DDoS Protection, WAF, DNS. New Relic covers APM, Infrastructure Monitoring, Log Management, Browser Monitoring. Both handle GitHub, ISO27001, SOC2, Cloud deployment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

New Relic: Does New Relic offer a free tier?

Yes, New Relic's free tier is perpetual with no credit card required. It includes 100 GB of free data ingest monthly, one Full Platform User with access to all 50+ capabilities, and unlimited Basic Users for querying and dashboard creation.

Source
New Relic: How much does New Relic cost for paid plans?

Paid plans start at $49 per month per core user. New Relic uses consumption-based pricing where you pay only for what you use. Annual commitment options are available with volume discounts for larger teams.

Source
New Relic: What data retention is included in New Relic's free tier?

The free tier includes a minimum of 8 days data retention for troubleshooting. Paid plans offer extended retention periods and customizable data retention policies.

Source
New Relic: How many integrations does New Relic support?

New Relic provides access to 780+ integrations and unlimited hosts at no additional cost. These include monitoring integrations for various cloud services, databases, and applications.

Source
New Relic: Can I use New Relic to monitor multiple cloud providers?

Yes, New Relic is cloud-agnostic and supports monitoring across AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and on-premises infrastructure in a single platform.

Source
New Relic: What is New Relic's ownership structure today?

New Relic was acquired by TPG and Francisco Partners on July 31, 2023, for $6.5 billion and transitioned from a publicly traded company to a private company in November 2023.

Source
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Related pages

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