AkamaivsFastly
Score Comparison
Signals Comparison
Akamai
- Enterprise pricing prohibitive for smaller organizations(9/10)
- April 2026 price increases up to 10%(9/10)
- Opaque custom pricing - no transparent rates(6/10)
Fastly
- $50 monthly minimum makes it expensive for small sites(8/10)
- Costs can get quickly out of control as you grow(8/10)
- Complex regional pricing structure(6/10)
- Charged after account closure requests(8/10)
Akamai
- Complex UI requires specialized training(7/10)
- Not developer-friendly - integration is complex(7/10)
- Requires specialized operational discipline(5/10)
Fastly
- Requires technical expertise to configure properly(7/10)
- WAF interface overwhelming and cumbersome(6/10)
Akamai
- Initial tech support can be challenging to obtain(7/10)
Fastly
- Support closes tickets without resolution(7/10)
- WAF support responsiveness lacking(7/10)
Akamai
- IP address limits require time-consuming requests(5/10)
Fastly
No signals
Akamai
- Multiple incidents in early 2026(6/10)
- CDN business in decline - 17 quarters of falling revenue(6/10)
Fastly
- Support portal login issues (January 2026)(5/10)
Akamai
No signals
Fastly
- Complex sign-up process with no online support(5/10)
Pricing Comparison
Akamai
Users: N/A
Storage: N/A
Limits: Enterprise minimums, annual contracts typical, complex negotiation required
Users: N/A
Storage: 5-20 TB/month
Limits: Estimated range $8,000-25,000/mo based on industry reports
Users: N/A
Storage: N/A
Limits: Multi-year commitments often required
Users: N/A
Storage: 25GB
Limits: Cloud compute separate from CDN/security products
Fastly
Users: N/A
Storage: N/A
Limits: Basic support only, no SLA guarantees, self-service configuration
Users: N/A
Storage: N/A
Limits: Annual commitment typically required
Users: N/A
Storage: N/A
Limits: Annual contracts, minimum commitments
Users: N/A
Storage: N/A
Limits: Complex configuration, separate pricing
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Akamai | Fastly |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | ||
| Global CDN (1000+ POPs) Largest network | ||
| Global CDN | ||
| Instant Purge (~150ms) Industry-leading | ||
| Security | ||
| Web Application Firewall Industry-leading | ||
| DDoS Protection | ||
| Bot Manager | ||
| API Security | ||
| Next-Gen WAF Separate pricing | ||
| Customization | ||
| VCL Configuration Developer-focused | ||
| Edge Computing | ||
| Compute@Edge $50 free credits | ||
| Infrastructure | ||
| Cloud Computing (Linode) Via acquisition | ||
| Edge Computing | ||
| Monitoring | ||
| Real-time Analytics | ||
| Pricing | ||
| Transparent Pricing Custom/negotiated only | ||
| Free Tier $50 minimum | ||
| Simple Pricing Complex regional rates | ||
| Accessibility | ||
| SMB-Friendly Enterprise only | ||
| Onboarding | ||
| Easy Setup Requires training | ||