StackPath vs Cloudflare CDN Comparison: Which One Wins the Battle for Blazing-Fast Websites? In (July 2025)
When it comes to content delivery networks (CDNs), businesses and website owners have a variety of options to choose from. Two well-known players in the CDN market are StackPath and Cloudflare. Both StackPath and Cloudflare offer robust CDN solutions that aim to boost website performance, improve user experience and mitigate security risks. In this article, we will conduct a thorough comparison between StackPath and Cloudflare CDNs and evaluate their key features, performance characteristics, security measures, and pricing models.
StackPath vs Cloudflare: By exploring the similarities and differences between these two popular CDNs, readers will gain valuable insights to make an informed decision about which CDN provider best fits their specific needs and requirements.
Table of Contents
| Comparison | StackPath ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Cloudflare ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $10 | $10 |
| Ease of Use | Log files available Only for larger volume plans | Log files available for Enterprise customers only. |
| Value For Money | StackPath costs a minimum of 10 per month. Launched in 2016, StackPath promises global, high-performance content delivery and world-class security | CloudFlare has no minimum monthly cost. Cloudflare offers a global CDN with unique performance capabilities and a strong focus on security. |
| Customer Support | 24/7 phone and email support is included in all plans. Higher volume plans get their own technical account manager | Email support for all. Phone for Enterprise customers only |
In this article, we will cover the comparison of StackPath and Cloudflare to determine which content delivery network is the best. So let’s get started.
You’ve heard the age-old phrase, “All that glitters is not gold.” Well, that’s true on the Internet, too. Your website might be slow, or your videos might take forever to load.
With the right CDN, your content will be delivered faster. Faster loading means a better user experience, which means happier customers.
With StackPath and Cloudflare, you can avoid this situation altogether and ensure that your content is delivered quickly and efficiently.
StackPath Pros & Cons
- Video on demand
- Web application firewall
- There is a minimum contract period
Cloudflare Pros & Cons
- Video on demand
- Cloud Web Application Firewall
- CloudFlare fails to deliver large files
StackPath Features
Cloudflare Features
What is CDN ?
CDN stands for Content Delivery Networks and is responsible for delivering content across the Internet, including articles on news sites and videos on the Internet. This network can easily reduce latency, which is generally a delay that occurs from the moment you click to load the page to the moment the content appears on your page.
The delay is also caused by a number of factors, few of which are specific to the page itself. In any case, latency is affected by the actual physical distance between the server hosting the site and the user’s location.
A CDN shortens the distance by storing cached versions of the website content on servers in different geographic locations at the same time, so users can access it faster.
For example, when someone accesses a website hosted in the U.S., it is done through the local Italian PoP.
StackPath and Cloudflare are among the top five CDN service providers in the world. These are the top two service providers that target small customers with their services, yet are able to handle large websites.
About Cloudflare
Cloudflare was founded in 2009 by Lee Holloway, Matthew Prince and Michelle Zatlyn. Basically, it is a US-based content delivery service. Since the day it was founded, it has grown exponentially and become known for its security features.
In 2014, it was able to fend off a DDoS attack with a peak speed of 400 Gbps, setting the largest record in history at the time. In November of the same year, the company reported another major attack that also peaked at 500 Gbit/second.
The company offered DDoS protection, web application firewall, authoritative DNS, public DNS resolver and reverse proxy services. All these services were offered alongside the content delivery service.
About StackPath
StackPath is known for its high-speed content delivery services. StackPatch purchased MaxCDN in 2015.
At that time, StackPath continued to offer MaxCDN as a separate service, as both used the same in-house technologies and hardware. The company had announced plans to integrate StackPath into its own service so that these two services could be merged into one in the future, but in this case they had not specified a date, which means it could be either a month, a year, or more.
At this time, it offers the same services as MaxCDN in addition to a number of security measures. Thus, if you try to access the official StackPath website, you will be redirected directly to StackPath to make the purcha
MaxCDN (StackPath) Customers
When trying to find the MaxCDN website via search, it only appears as a subpage on the StackPath website. In simple words, you can say that you have to sign up as a new customer to StackPath to get Max CDN services and only old customers have the right to access the old website, although this won’t be perm
StackPath vs Cloudflare Comparison In (2025): Which One Is Better??
StackPath vs Cloudflare: Performance
Cloudflare
In terms of performance, it reduces latency with the help of load balancing offers Railgun and also has 152 centers in 74 countries. It should also be noted that only business and higher tariffs are offered to access all data centers, while the free and pro tariffs come with limited access.
Reducing latency through load balancing means that network traffic is distributed across multiple servers, which is also intended to ensure that a single server cannot be put under high pressure. By distributing traffic across multiple servers, the website gets a faster response.
Railgun is also a web proxy system from Cloudflare that prevents caching of dynamic content on a website, such as HTML, Javascript, CSS, images, etc., but ensures that all changes on the website can be viewed immediately. Typically, only about 66% of the content can be cached, while the rest can only be accessed through the original server.
Railgun solves the problem by using a scheme that allows dynamically generated or personalized websites to be cached, significantly reducing the bandwidth used and speeding up downloads.
Railgun is offered with a business plan that typically costs $200 per month. Cloudflare also offers a wide range of content optimization features.which are also based on techniques such as automated content caching, Argo Smart Routing accelerates mobile links rocket loader etc. and the latter it speeds up the loading of a web page by confirming the content loads first and the javascript can also be loaded after all the content is rendered.
And the advantage of all of these is that all of these are built in the right Cloudflare and customers also don’t have to focus to install any third-party plugins, so they can ensure that the content is optimized and cached for delivering the best performance.
Moreover, Cloudflare’s Pro plan is integrated with SiteGround and Bluehost web hosting for free, which also means that if you want to buy SiteGround and Bluehost web hosting, you will get access to Cloudflare for free. But Cloudflare is integrated with the help of just a few clicks.
StackPath vs Cloudflare: Integration of WordPress
WordPress websites attract a significant amount of traffic every day, so WordPress integration is an important consideration. None of the CDN services offer an easy-to-integrate feature. StackPath, on the other hand, offers a viable option. After you set up your pull zone with StackPath CDN, you can use the W3 Max Cache plugin to include StackPath.
Cloudflare also has WordPress integration and its own plugin that is very easy to set up.
From WordPress.org
StackPath vs Cloudflare: Network Reach & Server Location
When choosing which CDN resources to use, the location of the servers is critical. You don’t want to waste money on a network that doesn’t really serve the areas of interest to you. Cloudflare has about 200 data centers around the world today. They have servers located in almost every country on the planet.
StackPath, on the other hand, operates about 45 data centers, a slightly smaller number. StackPath has recently expanded its locations, adding edge POPs in Latin America in January (2025) Compare Cloudflare and Stackpath host locations.
Cloudflare
CloudFlare has a total reach of 224 cities in 9 countries around the world. The most connected regions are in North America with 46 network connections, closely followed by Europe with 42 connections. Then there are 35 connections in Asia (excluding China) and 23 network connections in Latin America. China and both have 17 network connections from Cloudflare and Russia and Oceania have the fewest 6 connections each.
StackPath
StackPath has a total reach of 21 cities in 9 countries around the world. The most connections are in North America with 14 network connections, followed by Europe with 8 connections. Then there are 5 connections in Asia (excluding China) and the fewest in Latin America and Oceania with 2 network connections each. Furthermore, there are no network connections in Russia, China, the Middle East and Africa.
StackPath’s Performance
Similar to Cloudflare’s load balancing feature, it also provides a global traffic management feature that also ensures that traffic is routed through the best available routes by minimizing the distance that data has to travel. As established by the StackPath, as they use the latter server network, through which all servers are equipped with the help of SSDs.
In fact, the solid-state drives provide the fastest write or read times and also the excellent data resilience and uptime improvement. This also leads to excellent performance.
Since Cloudflare StackPath is also integrated with WP Engine web hosting for free. Therefore, this engine is a good choice, but if you plan to choose MAXCDN as your CDN provider. While MAXCDN does not offer any content optimization feature, as they offer a guide on how webmasters can also optimize their own content using the third plugin as WP Super Cache and WP Rocket. They also offer the same features regardless of the intended use in terms of speed.
Since Cloudflare StackPath is also integrated with WP Engine web hosting for free. Therefore, this engine is a good choice, but if you plan to choose MAXCDN as your CDN provider. While MAXCDN does not offer any content optimization feature, as they offer a guide on how webmasters can also optimize their own content using the third plugin as WP Super Cache and WP Rocket. They also offer the same features regardless of the intended use in terms of speed.
StackPath vs Cloudflare: (Speed Comparison)
After testing two services by using the same website hosted with the same provider, but with the different accounts using one testing StackPath and the other for testing Cloudflare. With the latter, we signed up for the Pro account, which is similar to the free account, but also offers access to more data centers.
We also found a new and a little confusing because Italy’s bandwidth costs are not mentioned as it is expensive, which is the reason we are not aware that it is only a feature. It would be better if they mention somewhere in the notes that the nodes are free and which are part of the Pro plan.
One does not understand the exact difference between the plans, so one should contact the company and speak to a customer service representative.
Another explanation is that if one is connected from Italy to a website on the free plan, then it would use the Germany node, which is not nearby, so if a website is not upgraded to Pro, then the Italy nodes are the best.
StackPath vs Cloudflare: (Security Comparison)
It doesn’t offer built-in protection to safeguard its clients, but its engineers constantly monitor the network and also apply measures to mitigate any attack their clients encounter.
MaxCDN offers the same speed as StackPath, but only if you are logged in with the account.
They are also getting the additional settings and security measure, such as Layer7 DDoS protection malware defense and excellent physical security of data centers with the functions of protection and biometric. DDoS protection includes multi-layer security that are able to automatically detect and mitigate any form of attack that are targeting application resources.
Cloudflare
On the other hand, Cloudflare specializes in security and is also better known for the security they provide.
These include, but are not limited to, the following features:
StackPath vs Cloudflare: Customer Support
The quality of customer support is also an important factor when comparing two services. The most important thing is that you can reach the service provider quickly and that any problems that arise can be solved quickly. Problems like:
Your site may be down for many hours when you first set up a document for delivery and have problems changing the DNS name to properly distribute the site. And if you are not able to do this and something went wrong, this situation occurs.
StackPath vs Cloudfare (Pricing)
For the StackPath
The CDN Pricing
Edge Computing
Containers- Deploy Applications on the Demand of Computing and Zero System Management Requirement
Serverless Scripting– It Also Builds, Deploys and Execute the Serverless Applications in More Than 45 Edge Locations
Edge Services
Edge Delivery 20- in This for Professional Websites and Blogs With Standard Content and Average Traffic Levels
Edge Delivery 200- for Smb Websites and Digital Stores Saas Property and Many More Which Are Rich Content and Are of Moderate Traffic
Edge Delivery 2000- in This for Large Cloud Properties Applications and Platforms With the Advanced Requirements
Additional Consumption
Additional CDN bandwidth
Other Additional Resources
Also Included in the Plans as:
Cloudflare Pricing Plans
1) Free of charge:
Access is free and is aimed at people with a personal website and anyone who wants to explore Cloudflare. It also includes the following features:
2) Pro ($20):
It provides the faster access that professional websites, blogs and portfolios also need for basic security and performance. It also includes the following features:
3) For Business ($200):
It provides the fastest access to websites and businesses that need advanced security and prioritized support. It also includes the following features:
4) For enterprise (contact them):
It performs with the custom tuned for maximum performance for the enterprises that require enterprise-grade security and performance. It also includes the following features:
StackPath vs Cloudflare: Customer Support
The quality of customer support is also an important factor when comparing two services. The most important thing is that you can reach the service provider quickly and that any problems that arise can be solved quickly. Problems like:
Your site may be down for many hours when you first set up a document for delivery and have problems changing the DNS name to properly distribute the site. And if you
Which CDN is better? Here are 5 ways the StackPath CDN wins over Cloudflare as reported by CynderHost.
The StackPath CDN! For more information, here are 5 ways StackPath beats the competition:
This is an excellent result for those who want to use a CDN with more low-latency nodes and less dependence on expensive edge caches.
Bottom Line Upfront : StackPath vs Cloudflare
Conclusion
If you’re looking for speed, StackPatch is obviously best for the security function. Cloudflare, on the other hand, is far better in terms of security as well. StackPath offers better security features and also offers a free trial for a month to test the services. So, you should definitely try StackPath as it offers a free trial.
Cloudflare may have an unlimited free plan that comes under very basic unimpressive performance. Compared to StackPath, which offers quality speed and security at a minimal price, due to which we think StackPath is a better choice.
StackPath vs Cloudflare Pros & Cons
- Global network: StackPath has an extensive global network of edge servers, enabling fast content delivery and lower latency for users worldwide.
- Cost-effective pricing: StackPath offers competitive pricing plans with flexible options to suit businesses of all sizes, making it an attractive choice for cost-conscious users.
- Edge optimization and performance: Cloudflare offers a range of edge optimization techniques such as automatic content caching, image optimization, and HTTP/2 prioritization that improve website performance and user experience.
- Easy integration with Cloudflare services: Cloudflare CDN integrates seamlessly with other Cloudflare services, simplifying infrastructure management and providing a streamlined solution.
- Cost-effective pricing: StackPath offers competitive pricing plans with flexible options that cater to businesses of all sizes, making it an attractive choice for cost-conscious users.
- Complexity for newcomers: StackPath’s advanced features and configuration options can be overwhelming for users new to CDN technology and require a learning curve to fully utilize the features.
- Limited popularity: StackPath has a relatively small user base and community support compared to Cloudflare, potentially resulting in fewer available resources and community-driven solutions.
- Analytics and reporting: Cloudflare’s analytics and reporting tools may be less comprehensive and real-time compared to StackPath.
- Dependence on the Cloudflare ecosystem: Cloudflare’s integration with other services within its ecosystem may limit flexibility and create vendor lock-in concerns for some users.
- Security features: While Cloudflare offers robust security features, StackPath may have additional security measures and a better reputation for security.
FAQ’s
Is StackPath compatible with Cloudflare?
Cloudflare DNS records can be changed to point to StackPath CDN/WAF. This can be done by StackPath DNS (regardless of whether the name servers have already been migrated) or by the new DNS provider if StackPath DNS is not used. Customize the WWW subdomain record to be a CNAME record that resolves to the specified edge address.
Is CDN the way of the future?
The content distribution network (CDN) business was worth $9.24 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $38.97 billion by 2024, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.30 percent (2019-2024).
What is the abbreviation CDN?
A CDN (Content Delivery Network) is a widely distributed network of servers that minimizes website loading times by reducing the physical distance between the website and the customer. This allows consumers to access the same high-quality content worldwide without having to put up with long loading times.
How does StackPath CDN work?
The StackPath CDN stores the content of your website in various locations. These are located near the people who want to use your website. This way, the CDN has what it needs for the people in that area, and they can get online more easily.
What is MaxCDN?
MaxCDN delivers what it promises with a fast network and industry-leading features. MaxCDN speeds up your website, reduces server load, provides instant cleanup and deployment, full API integration for GitHub access to settings or content updates remotely from the command line on their new website with NodeJS libs like Express & React Router.
Alan Brock is an entrepreneurship-focused tech blogger with a track record of founding several startups and involvement in the tech startup scene for many years. Eric’s blog delves into startup funding, team building, and product development. He provides a critical perspective on the challenges and opportunities that come with starting a business, as well as the latest trends in the startup world. Alan’s experience as a startup founder has made him a go-to source for anyone looking to launch their own tech startup.
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