Quick answer
Cloudflare - Cloudflare wins for most builders because its free tier is broader and easier to start with, while CloudFront is better only if you need AWS-native delivery with a clear path to heavier paid allowances.
How the free tiers compare
These two free tiers overlap on the basics, but they are built for different kinds of builders. CloudFront’s free plan is a capped starter package: 1M requests, 100GB transfer, DNS, DDoS protection, edge compute, and a small WAF allowance, with no overage charges. That makes it useful if you want predictable limits and expect to stay within them. Cloudflare’s free plan is more open-ended and security-heavy. It includes CDN, Universal SSL, DNS, analytics, WAF, bot protection, DDoS protection, and IP-based rate limiting with no explicit usage caps in the input. That makes it easier for personal sites, prototypes, and early apps to run without thinking about monthly quotas. After free, CloudFront jumps to larger fixed tiers at $15, $200, and $1,000 per month, while Cloudflare mostly adds low-cost modules starting at $5.
Amazon CloudFront vs Cloudflare free tier, side by side
| Amazon CloudFrontFTV 50 | CloudflareFTV 60 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free requests / monthCloudFront publishes a hard cap; Cloudflare’s free plan is described without a request quota in the provided input. | 1M | Not specified |
| Free data transfer / monthCloudFront includes transfer allowances; Cloudflare’s free plan does not list a transfer cap here. | 100GB | Not specified |
| WAF rules on free planCloudflare includes WAF protection, but the input does not give a rule limit. | 5 | Included, count not specified |
| DNS | Included | Included |
| DDoS protection | Always-on DDoS protection | DDoS protection against application-layer attacks of any size and kind |
| Serverless edge compute | Included | Not listed in free items |
| Universal SSL | Not listed | Included |
After you outgrow the free tier
CloudFront uses flat monthly tiers after free, starting at $15/month for Pro, then $200/month for Business and $1,000/month for Premium, with a custom contact-sales option above that. The free plan has no overage charges, so you either stay within the cap or move to a larger flat tier. Cloudflare’s paid path is more modular: several add-ons start at $5/month, and Advanced Certificate Manager starts at $10/month. For small builders, Cloudflare is usually cheaper to extend because you can buy one feature at a time instead of jumping to a much larger bundle.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Amazon CloudFront | Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|
| 1 small site, need CDN plus basic securityCloudflare’s free plan already includes the security bundle; CloudFront’s free tier includes its own capped allowances. | Free (within tier) | Free (within tier) |
| Need one extra feature beyond the free planCloudFront’s next step is the Pro bundle; Cloudflare lets you add some features individually. | ~$15/mo minimum | $5/mo minimum |
| Need video delivery with storage for 1,000 minutesCloudflare Stream is the only product here with a concrete media storage quota in the input. | No direct equivalent in provided pricing | $5/mo |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Amazon CloudFront when…
- You want an AWS-hosted edge layer and are already building around AWS services.
- You prefer a capped free plan with explicit monthly allowances and no overage charges.
- You need included serverless edge compute and a small number of WAF rules on the free tier.
- You expect to grow into a heavier CDN package with fixed monthly tiers and larger request and storage allowances.
Pick Cloudflare when…
- You are launching a personal website and want the broadest free CDN and security bundle.
- You need free Universal SSL, WAF, bot protection, DDoS protection, and IP-based rate limiting from day one.
- You want to start without worrying about explicit free-tier request or bandwidth caps.
- You may later add small paid features like Argo, Load Balancing, Stream, Access, or Rate Limiting starting at $5/month.
Bottom line
For the most common builder case, Cloudflare is the better free-tier pick. It gives you broader security and delivery features with no explicit usage cap in the provided plan data, and you can add paid modules cheaply when you need them. CloudFront makes more sense if you want an AWS-centric CDN with clear allowances and a tidy upgrade ladder, but its free tier is narrower and its first meaningful paid tier is a bigger jump.
Read the full listings: Amazon CloudFront and Cloudflare. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.