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Software · head to head

Fastly vs Linode

Fastly logo

Fastly

Software

High performance edge computing platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Linode logo

Linode

Software

Affordable cloud hosting and infrastructure

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fastly bandwidth is priced per region, and delivery to India, Africa and South Korea is $0.28 per GB against $0.12 in North America and Europe; 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: Fastly covers Edge Compute, Linode covers Compute instances.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fastly and Linode actually diverge.

Attributes where Fastly and Linode differ
AttributeFastlyLinode
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Api, Cli
Founded20112003

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), 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 Fastly

  • Edge Compute
  • CDN
  • DDoS Protection
  • Real-time Analytics
  • Image Optimization
  • Video Streaming
  • API
  • Instant Purge

Only in Linode

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

Both cover

  • Terraform
  • DDoS protection
  • SSL/TLS
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Fastly

  • Serving static and dynamic content through a global CDNnot Linode
  • Running edge logic and caching in front of an origin applicationnot Linode

Linode

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

Where each one falls short

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

Fastly

  • Bandwidth is priced per region, and delivery to India, Africa and South Korea is $0.28 per GB against $0.12 in North America and Europe
  • The same traffic therefore costs more than twice as much depending on where the audience is, which is invisible until the bill arrives
  • The free allowance is 100 GB of bandwidth and 1M requests a month
  • Requests are billed separately from bandwidth, at $0.01 per 10,000 above the first million
  • High volume rates past 50 TB are not published and require contacting sales

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

Fastly

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • CDN
    • DDoS protection
    • Real-time analytics
  • Pay-As-You-GoFree
    • Usage-based pricing
    • Advanced features
    • Priority support

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 Fastly if

  • You need edge compute.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want cdn.
Fastly 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 Fastly or Linode better?
Neither clearly leads. Fastly 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, Fastly or Linode?
Fastly starts at Free and Linode at Free.
Does Fastly or Linode run on more platforms?
Fastly runs on Web, Api. Linode runs on Web, Api, Cli.
Can I use Fastly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Fastly best used for?
Fastly is most often used for serving static and dynamic content through a global cdn, running edge logic and caching in front of an origin application. Of those, serving static and dynamic content through a global cdn and running edge logic and caching in front of an origin application are not what Linode is typically brought in for.
What can Fastly do that Linode cannot?
Fastly covers Edge Compute, CDN, DDoS Protection, Real-time Analytics. Linode covers Compute instances, Object storage, Block storage, Kubernetes. Both handle Terraform, DDoS protection, SSL/TLS, Cloud deployment.
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