CDN, edge compute & global acceleration · AWS vs Google Cloud
Amazon CloudFront vs Cloud CDN / Media CDN
Amazon CloudFront maps to Cloud CDN, which caches content served through the external Application Load Balancer, and Media CDN for video streaming and large downloads.
Side-by-side comparison
| Aspect | Amazon Web Services | Google Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Amazon CloudFront | Cloud CDN Media CDN |
| Lifecycle | Generally available | Generally available Generally available |
| What it is | Global CDN for static and dynamic content, APIs, and video, with edge caching, origin shield, TLS, WAF and Shield integration, and pay-as-you-go or flat-rate pricing plans. | Caching at Google's edge for content served through the external Application Load Balancer. Edge delivery for high-throughput workloads such as video streaming and large downloads. |
| Pricing model | Pay-as-you-go per GB out to the internet and per 10,000 requests, by region (with a free tier), or a flat monthly plan. | Billed for cache lookups, cache data transfer out, and cache fill. |
| Docs | Amazon CloudFront docs | Cloud CDN docs Media CDN docs |
| Pricing page | Amazon CloudFront pricing | Cloud CDN pricing |
Key differences
- Cloud CDN is enabled on load balancer backends rather than created as a distribution.
Pricing summary
Pricing models only. No prices are quoted because they change by region and over time.
- AWS
- Pay-as-you-go per GB out to the internet and per 10,000 requests, by region (with a free tier), or a flat monthly plan. Amazon CloudFront pricing →
- GCP
- Billed for cache lookups, cache data transfer out, and cache fill. Cloud CDN pricing →
And on Azure?
Direct match Azure's equivalent is Azure Front Door (Standard and Premium). AWS vs Azure comparison →
FAQ
What is the Google Cloud equivalent of Amazon CloudFront?
Amazon CloudFront maps to Cloud CDN, which caches content served through the external Application Load Balancer, and Media CDN for video streaming and large downloads.
How does pricing compare between Amazon CloudFront and Cloud CDN and Media CDN?
AWS: Pay-as-you-go per GB out to the internet and per 10,000 requests, by region (with a free tier), or a flat monthly plan. Google Cloud: Billed for cache lookups, cache data transfer out, and cache fill. Check the official pricing pages for current rates.
What is the Azure equivalent?
Azure Front Door (Standard and Premium) (direct match). Amazon CloudFront maps to Azure Front Door (Standard or Premium), which combines CDN caching with global layer 7 load balancing and WAF.