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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

Vultr vs Akamai

Vultr logo

Vultr

Cloud & Infrastructure

High performance cloud compute

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Akamai logo

Akamai

Cloud & Infrastructure

Leading content delivery and security platform

From
$1000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Vultr has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Vultr vultr Cloud Compute pricing as captured 31 December 2022 started at $5/month (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB transfer), scaling to $10/month and $20/month with more vCPU/RAM/storage; bandwidth overage billed at $0.01 to $0.05 per GB depending on plan; Akamai only the cloud computing services carry published rates; security and content delivery products require contacting sales for a price
  • They diverge on capability: Vultr covers Cloud servers, Akamai covers CDN.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Vultr and Akamai actually diverge.

Attributes where Vultr and Akamai differ
AttributeVultrAkamai
Starting priceFree$1000/month
Pricing modelusage-basedquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Api, CliWeb, Api
Founded20141998

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).

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 Vultr

  • Cloud servers
  • Bare metal servers
  • Block storage
  • Object storage
  • Load balancers
  • Kubernetes
  • Firewalls
  • Private networks

Only in Akamai

  • CDN
  • DDoS Protection
  • Web Application Firewall
  • Bot Management
  • Image Optimization
  • Video Platform
  • API Gateway
  • Analytics

Both cover

  • DDoS protection
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Api support

What people use each for

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

Vultr

  • High performance computingnot Akamai
  • Game serversnot Akamai
  • Streamingnot Akamai
  • Database hostingnot Akamai
  • Application serversnot Akamai

Akamai

  • Content delivery and web performance through Ion and adaptive media deliverynot Vultr
  • DDoS protection, bot management and API securitynot Vultr
  • Running compute, Kubernetes and managed databases on Akamai's cloudnot Vultr
  • Edge compute with EdgeWorkersnot Vultr
  • Zero trust access for enterprise applicationsnot Vultr

Where each one falls short

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

Vultr

  • Vultr Cloud Compute pricing as captured 31 December 2022 started at $5/month (1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB transfer), scaling to $10/month and $20/month with more vCPU/RAM/storage; bandwidth overage billed at $0.01 to $0.05 per GB depending on plan

Akamai

  • Only the cloud computing services carry published rates; security and content delivery products require contacting sales for a price
  • Cloud pricing varies by region across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific rather than being a single rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Vultr

Free
  • Cloud Compute$2.5/month
    • 512MB RAM
    • 10GB SSD
    • 500GB bandwidth
  • Bare Metal$32/month
    • Dedicated hardware
    • High performance
    • Full root access

Akamai

$1000/month
  • CDN$1000/month
    • Content delivery
    • Global edge network
    • Real-time analytics
  • Security Suite$2000/month
    • DDoS protection
    • WAF
    • Bot management

Which should you pick?

Choose Vultr if

  • You need cloud servers.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Cli.
  • You also want bare metal servers.
Vultr review

Choose Akamai if

  • You need cdn.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want ddos protection.
Akamai review

Questions people ask

Is Vultr or Akamai better?
Neither clearly leads. Vultr starts at Free and Akamai at $1000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Vultr or Akamai?
Vultr has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Vultr and $1000/month for Akamai.
Does Vultr or Akamai run on more platforms?
Vultr runs on Web, Api, Cli. Akamai runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Vultr for free?
Yes. Vultr has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Akamai starts at $1000/month.
What is Vultr best used for?
Vultr is most often used for high performance computing, game servers, streaming, database hosting. Of those, high performance computing and game servers are not what Akamai is typically brought in for.
What can Vultr do that Akamai cannot?
Vultr covers Cloud servers, Bare metal servers, Block storage, Object storage. Akamai covers CDN, DDoS Protection, Web Application Firewall, Bot Management. Both handle DDoS protection, Cloud deployment, Web support, Api support.
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