Cloudflare CDN vs Google Cloud CDN
Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
Cloudflare CDN
Global CDN and reverse proxy with DDoS protection, DNS and SSL, including a free plan.
Google Cloud CDN
Google Cloud's content delivery network that caches content on Google's global edge network.
The short answer
Cloudflare CDN suits site owners who want to put almost any website behind a CDN quickly, with a free plan that includes DNS, SSL and unmetered DDoS protection. Google Cloud CDN suits teams already running on Google Cloud, where it is switched on behind an external Application Load Balancer and billed purely on usage. The biggest difference is setup and billing: flat plans after a DNS change versus metered cloud infrastructure.
Cloudflare CDN or Google Cloud CDN: our take
The two work in different ways. Cloudflare sits in front of a site as a reverse proxy: you point your domain's nameservers to Cloudflare, and its network in 335+ cities caches content, handles TLS certificates and absorbs attack traffic. Google Cloud CDN is not a standalone service; it is enabled on backends behind Google Cloud's external Application Load Balancer, which can point at Compute Engine VMs, Cloud Storage buckets, GKE, Cloud Run or origins outside Google Cloud. It supports HTTP/3, QUIC, signed URLs and cache key and TTL controls, and pairs with Cloud Armor for WAF and DDoS protection.
Pricing follows the same split. Cloudflare's free plan is $0/month and includes the CDN, DNS, universal SSL and unmetered DDoS protection, with no bandwidth-based billing on standard plans. Pro starts at $20/month billed annually and adds image optimisation and more WAF rules, while Business and enterprise contracts add SLAs, better support and features such as Cache Reserve. Google Cloud CDN has no monthly plan: cache egress starts from $0.08 per GiB for the first 10 TiB, lookup requests cost $0.0075 per 10,000, and cache fill between regions is billed too, with volume discounts at higher tiers. New Google Cloud customers get $300 in credits, but there is no ongoing free plan.
Beyond caching, a Cloudflare account opens up Workers for edge code, R2 storage and Zero Trust tools. The trade-offs are that your DNS and traffic run through one company, advanced cache and WAF features sit in higher tiers, and support on free and Pro plans is limited. Google Cloud CDN keeps everything inside an existing Google Cloud project, but needs the load balancer set up first, and large-scale video streaming calls for the separate Media CDN product.
For a blog, marketing site or small app that needs a CDN and DDoS protection in minutes, Cloudflare is the simpler and cheaper start. For teams whose apps and buckets already live on Google Cloud and who prefer usage-based billing on one cloud invoice, Google Cloud CDN fits more naturally.
Which should you pick?
Choose Cloudflare CDN if…
- Site owners who want a free or low-cost CDN with DDoS protection and SSL in minutes
- You want a free option (Google Cloud CDN is paid only)
- Free plan includes CDN, DNS, SSL and unmetered DDoS protection
- No bandwidth-based billing on standard plans
Choose Google Cloud CDN if…
- Teams running on Google Cloud who want caching in front of their load-balanced apps and buckets
- Runs on the same global network Google uses for its own services
- Integrates with Cloud Armor for WAF and DDoS protection
About each app
What is Cloudflare CDN?
Cloudflare's CDN sits in front of a website as a reverse proxy: you point your domain's nameservers to Cloudflare, and its network caches static and dynamic content in data centres in more than 330 cities, absorbs attack traffic and handles TLS certificates. It is the default choice for many small sites because the free plan includes the CDN, DNS, universal SSL and unmetered DDoS protection with no bandwidth charges. Paid Pro and Business plans add image optimisation, a web application firewall with more rules, better support and SLAs, and enterprise contracts unlock features such as Cache Reserve and dedicated support. The same account gives access to Cloudflare's wider platform, including Workers for edge code, R2 storage, Zero Trust security and analytics. The trade-off is that your traffic and DNS run through one company, some advanced caching controls are reserved for higher tiers, and support on lower plans is limited.
What is Google Cloud CDN?
Google Cloud CDN caches web content on Google's global edge network so that pages, images and downloads are served from a location near each visitor. It is not a standalone service in the way some CDNs are: it is switched on for backends behind Google Cloud's external Application Load Balancer, which can point at Compute Engine VMs, Cloud Storage buckets, GKE services, Cloud Run, or origins outside Google Cloud. It supports modern protocols such as HTTP/3 and QUIC, signed URLs for private content, cache key and TTL controls, and works with Cloud Armor for web application firewall and DDoS protection. Google sells a separate product, Media CDN, for large-scale video streaming and big file downloads. Cloud CDN has no monthly plan; it is billed purely on usage, mainly cache egress by volume, cache fill between regions, and lookup requests, with volume discounts at higher tiers. New Google Cloud customers get trial credits. It suits teams already running workloads on Google Cloud more than people looking for a quick drop-in CDN for any site.
Side by side
| Attribute | Cloudflare CDN | Google Cloud CDN |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Paid |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Best for | Site owners who want a free or low-cost CDN with DDoS protection and SSL in minutes | Teams running on Google Cloud who want caching in front of their load-balanced apps and buckets |
| Status | Active | Active |
Cloudflare CDN vs Google Cloud CDN pricing
Cloudflare CDN: free plan + paid
- Free plan: Yes, $0 a month source
- Starting price: $20 a month, billed annually (Pro) source
- Business plan: $200 a month, billed annually source
Google Cloud CDN: paid
- Cache egress price: From $0.08 per GiB (first 10 TiB) source
- Free credits: $300 for new customers source
Platforms
| Platform | Cloudflare CDN | Google Cloud CDN |
|---|---|---|
| Web |
Cloudflare CDN facts
5 of 5 verified- Free plan
- Yes, $0 a month
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloudflare.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “personal or hobby projects that aren't business-critical. $0 /month”
- Starting price
- $20 a month, billed annually (Pro)
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloudflare.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “$20 /mo billed annually, or $25/mo billed monthly”
- DDoS protection
- Unmetered on all plans
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloudflare.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Unmetered DDoS Protection Free Pro Business Contract”
- Network
- 335+ cities
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloudflare.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “data centers in over 335+ cities worldwide”
- Business plan
- $200 a month, billed annually
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloudflare.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “$200 /mo billed annually, or $250/mo billed monthly”
Google Cloud CDN facts
4 of 4 verified- Cache egress price
- From $0.08 per GiB (first 10 TiB)
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Cache egress <10 TiB Starting at $0.08 GiB”
- Lookup requests
- $0.0075 per 10,000
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “cache lookup requests $0.0075 per 10,000 requests”
- Free credits
- $300 for new customers
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “New customers get $300 in free credits to try Cloud CDN and other Google Cloud products.”
- Requirement
- External Application Load Balancer
- Checked Nov 8, 2026cloud.google.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Cloud CDN works with the global external Application Load Balancer or the classic Application Load Balancer to deliver content to your users.”
Pros and cons of Cloudflare CDN
- Free plan includes CDN, DNS, SSL and unmetered DDoS protection
- No bandwidth-based billing on standard plans
- Same account unlocks Workers, R2 storage and Zero Trust tools
- Requires moving DNS to Cloudflare for full-site setup on most plans
- Advanced cache and WAF features are reserved for higher tiers
- Support on free and Pro plans is limited
Pros and cons of Google Cloud CDN
- Runs on the same global network Google uses for its own services
- Integrates with Cloud Armor for WAF and DDoS protection
- Supports HTTP/3, QUIC and signed URLs
- Can front origins outside Google Cloud as well
- Requires setting up a Google Cloud external Application Load Balancer
- Usage-only billing with no free plan beyond trial credits
- Video streaming at scale needs the separate Media CDN product
Other apps to consider
FastlyInstead of Cloudflare CDN
Faster cache purging and more programmable edge behaviour for engineering-led teams.
Bunny.netInstead of Cloudflare CDN
Pay-as-you-go CDN without moving your DNS, with very low per-GB rates.
AkamaiInstead of Cloudflare CDN
Enterprise contracts and support for very large media and commerce workloads.
NetlifyInstead of Google Cloud CDN
Static sites and frontends get CDN delivery built in with git-based deploys.
SucuriInstead of Google Cloud CDN
Website firewall plus CDN for smaller sites that mostly want security and simple setup.
Cloudflare WorkersInstead of Google Cloud CDN
Edge compute and caching in one place, with a free tier and no cloud lock-in.
Cloudflare CDN vs Google Cloud CDN: common questions
Is Cloudflare CDN better than Google Cloud CDN?
Cloudflare CDN suits site owners who want to put almost any website behind a CDN quickly, with a free plan that includes DNS, SSL and unmetered DDoS protection. Google Cloud CDN suits teams already running on Google Cloud, where it is switched on behind an external Application Load Balancer and billed purely on usage. The biggest difference is setup and billing: flat plans after a DNS change versus metered cloud infrastructure.
Is Cloudflare CDN free?
Cloudflare CDN has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Google Cloud CDN free?
No. Google Cloud CDN is paid, though it may offer a trial.
Is Cloudflare CDN or Google Cloud CDN open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do Cloudflare CDN and Google Cloud CDN support?
Cloudflare CDN: Web. Google Cloud CDN: Web.