Cloudflare vs Fastly: Which MCP should you use?
Cloudflare
Global edge network and Workers
Fastly
Edge cloud with real-time invalidation
TL;DR
Cloudflare is the largest CDN + edge platform — free tier, Workers, R2, D1, WAF, DNS, tunnels, Zero Trust. Fastly is the premium real-time CDN — instant purge, VCL power, used by Reddit/GitHub/NYT. Cloudflare wins on breadth + cost; Fastly wins on configurability and real-time invalidation.
Pick Cloudflare
Pick Cloudflare when you want the broadest platform, best free tier, and edge compute (Workers).
Pick Fastly
Pick Fastly when you need instant purge, VCL customization, or extreme-scale media delivery.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | 🟠Cloudflare | ⚡Fastly | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Network PoPs | 300+ | 80+ | A |
| Free tier | Generous | None | A |
| Real-time purge | <150ms | <150ms (pioneered) | Tie |
| Edge compute | Workers (V8 isolates) | Compute@Edge (Wasm) | Tie |
| Configuration power | Rules + Workers | VCL (extreme flexibility) | B |
| WAF / security | Included | Next-Gen WAF (ex-Signal Sciences) | Tie |
| DNS / registrar | Yes | No | A |
| Enterprise pricing | Flat-ish | Bandwidth-heavy | A |
Network PoPs
ACloudflare
300+
Fastly
80+
Free tier
ACloudflare
Generous
Fastly
None
Real-time purge
TieCloudflare
<150ms
Fastly
<150ms (pioneered)
Edge compute
TieCloudflare
Workers (V8 isolates)
Fastly
Compute@Edge (Wasm)
Configuration power
BCloudflare
Rules + Workers
Fastly
VCL (extreme flexibility)
WAF / security
TieCloudflare
Included
Fastly
Next-Gen WAF (ex-Signal Sciences)
DNS / registrar
ACloudflare
Yes
Fastly
No
Enterprise pricing
ACloudflare
Flat-ish
Fastly
Bandwidth-heavy
Best for
Cloudflare
- Network PoPs: 300+
- Free tier: Generous
- DNS / registrar: Yes
- Enterprise pricing: Flat-ish
Best for
Fastly
- Configuration power: VCL (extreme flexibility)
Migration path
Both front your origin and cache. Update DNS to point at the new CDN, set up origins with matching host headers, port Page Rules (Cloudflare) ↔ VCL (Fastly). Workers and Compute@Edge are not source-compatible — rewrite edge code. Critical: warm the cache during off-peak before cutting over to avoid origin overload.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Cloudflare and Fastly?
Cloudflare is the largest CDN + edge platform — free tier, Workers, R2, D1, WAF, DNS, tunnels, Zero Trust. Fastly is the premium real-time CDN — instant purge, VCL power, used by Reddit/GitHub/NYT. Cloudflare wins on breadth + cost; Fastly wins on configurability and real-time invalidation. In short: Cloudflare — Global edge network and Workers. Fastly — Edge cloud with real-time invalidation.
When should I pick Cloudflare over Fastly?
Pick Cloudflare when you want the broadest platform, best free tier, and edge compute (Workers).
When should I pick Fastly over Cloudflare?
Pick Fastly when you need instant purge, VCL customization, or extreme-scale media delivery.
Can I migrate from one to the other?
Both front your origin and cache. Update DNS to point at the new CDN, set up origins with matching host headers, port Page Rules (Cloudflare) ↔ VCL (Fastly). Workers and Compute@Edge are not source-compatible — rewrite edge code. Critical: warm the cache during off-peak before cutting over to avoid origin overload.
Do Cloudflare and Fastly both work with MCP-compatible AI agents?
Yes. Both have MCP servers installable via MCPizy (mcpizy install cloudflare and mcpizy install fastly). They work identically across Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, and any other MCP-compatible client. You can install both side by side and route queries in your agent's prompt.
More Infrastructure & Deploy comparisons
AWS vs Google Cloud
AWS has the broadest service catalog, largest market share, and deepest enterprise footprint. GCP wins on data/AI (BigQuery, Vertex AI, TPU), networking simplicity, and developer UX in specific areas. Both are production-ready at any scale — the call is usually driven by existing team expertise and contracts.
AWS vs Azure
AWS is the market leader with the broadest catalog. Azure is #2 with deep Microsoft enterprise integration (AD, Office, Windows Server, SQL Server, .NET) and strong government/regulated footing. Pick AWS for greenfield / open-source stacks; Azure for Microsoft-shop enterprises.
Kubernetes vs Nomad
Kubernetes is the industry-standard orchestrator — massive ecosystem, every cloud supports it. HashiCorp Nomad is dramatically simpler (one binary, fewer abstractions), supports containers + VMs + raw executables, and is cheaper to operate for small-to-medium fleets.
Install both with MCPizy
Not sure? Run both side by side — swap between them in your AI agent with a single config line.