Company snapshot
| Category | 5 Cents CDN | Kingsoft Cloud (kscloud) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | active | active |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | — | — |
| Website | — | — |
| Docs | — | — |
Overview
5 Cents CDN provides a content delivery network focused on affordability and scalability for video streaming, web acceleration, and cloud storage. It serves enterprises, broadcasters, and OTT providers, with a client base including government agencies and TV channels across North America, Europe, Asia, and other regions. The platform emphasizes low-cost plans starting at $2.5/TB and a global network of over 70 points of presence (PoPs). Features include live streaming, video-on-demand, and multistreaming to social platforms. It supports businesses prioritizing cost-effective content delivery with minimal setup complexity.
Kingsoft Cloud, founded in 2012, is a leading cloud service provider in China, offering CDN, cloud storage, and computing services. It serves industries like gaming, video streaming, healthcare, and finance, with a strong focus on AI-driven solutions. The company operates as a subsidiary of Kingsoft Corporation and is listed on NASDAQ (KC) and HKEX (3896). Its customers include enterprises leveraging its infrastructure for high-performance computing and AI applications, particularly within the Xiaomi and Kingsoft ecosystems. As of 2025, it reports significant growth in AI cloud revenue and operates data centers globally.
Network & Architecture
5 Cents CDN operates over 70 PoPs globally, with data centers in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and India. Its infrastructure supports high availability for video streaming and web acceleration, leveraging modern server setups for low-latency delivery. The network offers 2+ Tbps capacity, with strong presence in North America and Europe, though some users report inconsistent speeds in certain global regions. The platform includes SimpleDNS for cost-effective domain management and Traffic Director for multi-CDN traffic steering based on geography or network conditions.
Kingsoft Cloud operates data centers in mainland China, Hong Kong, Russia, Southeast Asia, and North America. Specific POP (Point of Presence) counts are not publicly disclosed, but the provider emphasizes a global footprint with strong coverage in APAC, particularly China. Its infrastructure supports high-performance computing for AI and gaming, with robust peering for low-latency delivery in the region. Limitations may include less extensive coverage in EMEA and LATAM compared to providers like Akamai or Cloudflare. The service is optimized for China’s regulatory environment, holding necessary licenses for operation.
Feature comparison
| Feature | 5 Cents CDN | Kingsoft Cloud (kscloud) |
|---|---|---|
waf | ✓ | ✓ |
bot_mitigation | ✗ | ✗ |
ddos | ✓ | ✓ |
rate_limit | ✗ | ✗ |
http3_quic | ✗ | ✗ |
tls13 | ✓ | ✗ |
tiered_cache | ✗ | ✗ |
origin_shield | ✗ | ✗ |
instant_purge | ✗ | ✗ |
stale_while_revalidate | ✗ | ✗ |
stale_if_error | ✗ | ✗ |
image_optimization | ✓ | ✓ |
video_vod | ✓ | ✓ |
video_live | ✓ | ✓ |
drm | ✗ | ✗ |
hls_dash_packaging | ✗ | ✗ |
websockets | ✗ | ✗ |
signed_urls | ✗ | ✗ |
edge_compute | ✗ | ✓ |
functions | ✗ | ✗ |
kv_storage | ✓ | ✗ |
api_first | ✓ | ✓ |
realtime_logs | ✓ | ✓ |
log_push | ✗ | ✗ |
terraform | ✗ | ✗ |
Legend: ✓ = Supported, ✗ = Not supported, — = Not listed
Pricing
5 Cents CDN offers pay-as-you-go (PAYG) pricing starting at $2.5/TB for North America and Europe delivery. Plans include Standard ($2.5/TB, 10+ PoPs) and Enterprise ($10/TB, 20+ PoPs) with unlimited zones and streams. A 15-day trial is available with no long-term contracts, though nominal setup fees apply. Custom pricing is offered for high-bandwidth needs (100+ TB/month). Full details at https://www.5centscdn.net/pricing/.
Kingsoft Cloud uses a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model with enterprise-focused pricing, requiring custom quotes for most services. No free tier is publicly advertised, and pricing details are not fully transparent without contacting sales. Per-GB pricing for CDN or storage is not publicly listed, but the model supports scalability for large enterprises. See https://en.ksyun.com/pricing for more details.
Integrations & DevEx
The platform provides an API-first interface for managing CDN services, including stream setup and analytics. It integrates with vMix for live streaming and supports OpenStack Swift and S3 APIs for cloud storage. Realtime logs and analytics are available via the V5 dashboard, offering insights into traffic and performance. No public documentation confirms Terraform or CI/CD pipeline support. The control panel is noted for ease of use but has received feedback for needing a more intuitive interface.
Kingsoft Cloud provides APIs for service management and real-time logs for monitoring. Documentation is available at https://endocs.ksyun.com/, covering CDN, storage, and compute services. Terraform support is not explicitly documented. SDKs are available for major programming languages, supporting integration with CI/CD pipelines. Migration tools for data transfer, such as Kingsoft Cloud Data Transmission Service (KDTS), assist with moving data between engines.
When it fits
- Small to medium businesses needing affordable CDN services with flexible PAYG plans.
- Broadcasters and OTT providers requiring live streaming and multistreaming to social platforms.
- Enterprises targeting North America and Europe with video-heavy workloads.
- Enterprises needing a China-licensed CDN with strong APAC coverage for gaming or video streaming.
- Businesses within the Xiaomi or Kingsoft ecosystems seeking integrated AI and cloud solutions.
- Organizations prioritizing AI-driven edge computing and high-performance infrastructure.
When it doesn’t
- Organizations needing advanced edge compute or serverless functions, which are not supported.
- Users requiring consistent high-speed delivery in underrepresented regions like parts of APAC or Africa.
- Businesses seeking extensive IaC support (e.g., Terraform) or complex multi-CDN orchestration.
- Small businesses or startups looking for a free tier or transparent, low-cost pricing.
- Companies requiring extensive POP coverage in EMEA, LATAM, or other non-APAC regions.
- Users needing advanced features like HTTP/3, DRM, or Terraform integration not currently offered.
History & Notes
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