AWS CloudFront vs Cloudflare R2
A detailed comparison to help you choose between AWS CloudFront and Cloudflare R2.
Quick Verdict
3.5/5
AWS CloudFront
68 reviews
5.0/5
Cloudflare R2
203 reviews
Cloudflare R2 is rated higher (5.0 vs 3.5). CloudFront is AWS's global CDN with 450+ PoPs. Lambda@Edge and CloudFront Functions for programmable edge logic. Integrates deeply with S3, EC2, ELB, and API Gateway. First 1TB/month free. Cloudflare R2 is S3-compatible object storage with zero egress fees — ever. $0.015/GB/month storage, no data transfer costs. Tightly integrated with Cloudflare Workers and CDN.
 AWS CloudFront AWS CDN with Lambda@Edge for programmable delivery | Cloudflare R2 Zero egress S3 storage on Cloudflare's network | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.5 (68 reviews) | 5.0 (203 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | freemium | freemium |
| Starting price | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Best for | AWS-invested applications needing CDN deeply integrated with S3, API Gateway, and Lambda | Applications serving large amounts of user-generated content or assets where egress costs are a major expense |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | — | 0 vCPU |
| RAM | — | 0 GB |
| Storage | — | 0 GB |
| Bandwidth | — | 0 TB/mo |
| SLA uptime | — | 99.9% |
| Data-center count | — | 300 |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ✓ | |
| DDoS protection | ✓ | |
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ✓ | |
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | — | Global — Cloudflare network |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tierapi accesseu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenter | free tiers3 compatibleeu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenterapi access |
| Visit AWS CloudFront → | Visit Cloudflare R2 → | |
AWS CloudFront
Pros
- + Deep AWS ecosystem integration
- + Lambda@Edge for edge computing
- + 450+ PoPs globally
Cons
- - Complex pricing model
- - AWS expertise required for optimal configuration
Cloudflare R2
Pros
- + Zero egress fees — massive saving for high-traffic assets
- + S3-compatible API
- + 10GB free per month forever
Cons
- - Cloudflare ecosystem lock-in
- - Not ideal for pure backup storage without lifecycle policies
Stay in the loop
Get weekly updates on the best new AI tools, deals, and comparisons.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.