Expert Overview
Global Content Delivery Network
Cloudflare is one of the best-known content delivery networks in the world. As of this writing, they operate 102 data centers in locations around the world, and they are regularly adding to that number. They can handle 10Tbps in bandwidth for their customers, and do an excellent job at innovating and helping clients with a wide range of different requirements. It is important to note that this is not a traditional web-hosting service that is being offered from CloudFlare. Their service is to deliver content to websites that have special requirements.
For example, sites that have heavy traffic or very large files (music, movies, ect) can have the content stored and delivered from CloudFlare rather than their own web hosting server. This can cut down on the system requirements needed, while also increasing the speed and other benefits. This type of service requires very high end hardware and bandwidth, and CloudFlare is one of the best in the world at providing this service.
Uptime & Reliability
Reliability is Their Main Selling Point
The main benefit of a content delivery network is that you will have reliable, fast loading of your sites, files, and other content. Thanks to the many different data centers and extremely high quality connections, uptime will never be an issue. Most customers who use this service will never experience any type of outage at all. In addition, their DDoS and security features can do a lot to help prevent other types of outages caused by digital attackers.
Features
Features Focused on Quality
When looking through the feature list from this company it is very easy to see that they don’t have the same type of options as other companies. Instead, their features are focused on serving up content, adding security, protecting from attacks, and more. Each of the features that they do offer are very high quality and will meet the needs of even the most demanding of customers.
The main service is the content delivery network, which allows customers to serve up almost limitless amounts of data to visitors without any trouble. They also provide web optimization services to speed things up. A service that is becoming more and more important to all sorts of customers is their Anti-DDoS efforts. When a site is being hit with a DDoS attack it becomes unusable. By routing traffic through CloudFlare they are able to scrub the bad traffic out so the site remains up and working the entire time. This is especially important for corporate clients that are often attacked in this manner.
Support
Excellent Tech Support
It is very rare that you will run into any type of issue with this company. If, however, something does go wrong, they will be there to support you immediately. They are easy to reach through their website or back end, or via phone if necessary. In most cases, they respond to issues like DDoS attacks automatically so you don’t even have to do a thing. If you ever need them, they will respond quickly and provide you with the answers to solve your issues. In addition, they do have a good section of documentation and resources that can help you learn more about their services.
Pricing
Great Pricing Options
Many people are surprised at just how affordable the services are from this company. To start with, they have a free package that provides many of their great services for personal websites and blogs. For professional websites and small businesses, they have an option for $20 per month per domain that needs basic security, performance improvements, and other benefits. For $200 per month per domain businesses that run eCommerce sites or those who need more advanced security and performance can get their services. Large corporations can also have a customized quote on the price by contacting them.
User Friendly
Easy to Work with Services
The services provided by this company are very easy to work with. Even those who have never used a CDN in the past shouldn’t have any trouble getting their site up and running on it quickly and easily. Their documentation is top notch as well so you can get your site setup easily. Signing up for their service isn’t a problem either thanks to their easy to navigate website.
Summary
Top of the Line Services
If you’re looking for a content delivery network, security, optimization, or any of the other services provided by this company, they can definitely meet your needs. From small entry level websites to the world’s largest corporations, this company is able to help. They currently protect more than 5.5 million websites.
Pros:
- Great DDoS Protection
- Very Affordable Services
- Easy to Use
Cons:
- Not a Normal Hosting Provider
- Lots of Features can be Confusing for New Customers
