Akamai vs Gcore
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Akamai and Gcore.
Quick Verdict
4.1/5
Akamai
0 reviews
3.8/5
Gcore
0 reviews
Akamai is rated higher (4.1 vs 3.8). Akamai invented the CDN industry in 1998. 340,000+ servers in 130+ countries. Enterprise CDN, edge security, and media delivery at massive scale. Acquired Linode for cloud compute. Gcore is a Luxembourg-based CDN and cloud provider with 210+ PoPs and strong coverage in CIS, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa.
 Akamai The original CDN — 4,400+ edge PoPs across 130+ countries | Gcore Global CDN with 210+ PoPs, strong CIS and emerging-market coverage | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 4.1 (0 reviews)✓ | 3.8 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | paid | pay-as-you-go |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Best for | Global media and streaming platforms, gaming backends, and attack-prone enterprises that need the largest edge footprint and top-tier DDoS scrubbing under enterprise contracts | Applications whose audience spans CIS, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, and EU buyers wanting a Luxembourg legal base with predictable per-GB CDN pricing and a real free tier. |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ✓ | |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | ddos protectioneu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenter | free tierddos protectioneu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenterapi access |
| Visit Akamai → | Visit Gcore → | |
Akamai
Pros
- + Unmatched edge reach: 4,400+ PoPs across 130+ countries and 1,200+ networks
- + Prolexic DDoS scrubbing is the industry reference: 20+ Tbps dedicated capacity, zero-second mitigation, 100% platform availability SLA
- + Two decades-plus of delivery track record at the largest media and event scale
- + Aggressive egress pricing on the Akamai Cloud compute side, inherited from the Linode acquisition
- + Edge compute (EdgeWorkers, Functions) plus core and distributed compute regions under one network
Cons
- - No public pricing — quote-based enterprise procurement with real sales-cycle overhead
- - Not an option for individuals, small businesses, or anyone who wants self-serve onboarding
- - Dense, modular product catalog that is easy to over-buy or misconfigure
- - Volume commitments can make traffic overruns expensive
- - Compute breadth is thin compared with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud
Gcore
Pros
- + First 1 TB of CDN traffic free every month on the full 210+ PoP network, no card required
- + Published progressive per-GB pricing; overage rates cut ~66% versus the old Free tier
- + Strong CIS, Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa coverage where US rivals are thinner
- + Free SSL and basic L3/L4 DDoS included in every plan, not sold as add-ons
- + Cash-flow-positive company with reported ~$140M revenue — less pricing-risk than burn-rate challengers
Cons
- - Smaller ecosystem and fewer third-party integrations than Cloudflare
- - WAF is a separate product with a basic self-serve tier; bot and API security are Enterprise
- - Stale pricing pages and inconsistent SLA figures (99% vs 99.9%) across channels
- - Brand less known in Western markets; more support-ticket-driven buying
Stay in the loop
Get weekly updates on the best new hosting and infrastructure providers, deals, and comparisons.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.