Company snapshot
| Category | Alibaba Cloud CDN | CDN77 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | active | active |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | — | — |
| Website | — | — |
| Docs | — | — |
Overview
Alibaba Cloud CDN, operated by Alibaba Cloud, is a global content delivery network with over 1,200 points of presence (POPs) across more than 70 countries. It specializes in accelerating content delivery for websites, video streaming, and large-scale downloads, particularly in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and China. The service supports a range of industries, including e-commerce, gaming, and media, with a strong focus on compliance with China’s regulatory requirements. Customers include enterprises and developers needing low-latency delivery in APAC markets. The platform integrates with other Alibaba Cloud services like Elastic Compute Service (ECS) and Object Storage Service (OSS) for streamlined content hosting.
CDN77 is a global content delivery network (CDN) provider based in London, founded in 2011. It operates a network with over 200 Tbps capacity across six continents, delivering approximately 175 petabytes of data daily, with a primary focus on video content, which constitutes about 90% of its traffic. The company serves a range of clients, including websites, gaming platforms, and streaming services, offering features like DDoS protection and real-time analytics. CDN77 is noted for its infrastructure services and content delivery, supporting major websites and applications worldwide.
Network & Architecture
Alibaba Cloud CDN operates over 1,200 POPs globally, with a significant presence in APAC, including China, where it holds a Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) license for compliance. The network leverages extensive peering with local ISPs in China to ensure low-latency delivery. It uses tiered caching and origin shield to reduce origin server load. The service is optimized for high-traffic scenarios like e-commerce events (e.g., Singles Day), but its coverage in Africa and Latin America is less extensive compared to North America and EMEA.
CDN77 maintains a global network with over 20,000 servers and points of presence (PoPs) across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Its infrastructure supports a capacity of 200 Tbps, with robust peering and routing optimized for low latency. The network is particularly strong in Europe and North America, with recent expansions in Asia through partnerships like Exa Infrastructure for 400G and 100G wavelengths. While it has comprehensive global coverage, its presence in Africa and certain parts of APAC may be less dense compared to competitors like Cloudflare or Akamai.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Alibaba Cloud CDN | CDN77 |
|---|---|---|
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
Alibaba Cloud CDN uses a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model with pricing based on traffic volume and region. A free trial is available, offering up to 12 months of usage for select services like Elastic Compute Service, which integrates with CDN. Per-GB pricing varies by region, with China typically higher due to regulatory compliance costs. Detailed pricing is available at https://www.alibabacloud.com/product/cdn/pricing.
CDN77 operates on a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model with no long-term commitments, making it accessible for various business sizes. Pricing is traffic-based, with per-GB rates available but not publicly detailed; for example, high-volume plans are tailored for enterprise clients. A free trial is offered for testing services. Full pricing details are available at https://www.cdn77.com/pricing.
Integrations & DevEx
The service supports Terraform for infrastructure-as-code, enabling automated configuration of CDN domains. SDKs are available for multiple languages, facilitating integration with CI/CD pipelines. Real-time logs and analytics are accessible via the console or API, with log push capabilities for external storage. A self-service diagnostics tool helps troubleshoot issues like page loading failures. Domain transfer tools simplify migrations across Alibaba Cloud accounts.
CDN77 supports an API-first approach with comprehensive APIs for managing services, including content purging and analytics. Real-time logs and analytics are available, with log-push capabilities for integration with external systems. While Terraform support is not explicitly documented, the platform offers SDKs and tools for developers to automate configurations. Migration tools are available to assist with onboarding from other CDNs, and the client portal provides detailed analytics for monitoring performance.
When it fits
- Businesses targeting APAC and China markets, especially those needing MIIT-compliant CDN services.
- E-commerce and media companies handling high-traffic events with video streaming or large downloads.
- Users integrating with Alibaba Cloud’s ecosystem (ECS, OSS) for end-to-end content management.
- Suitable for video-heavy workloads, such as streaming platforms or VOD services, due to its robust video delivery features.
- Ideal for gaming companies needing low-latency content delivery and DDoS protection for global audiences.
- Fits businesses seeking a PAYG model with flexible scaling and no long-term contracts.
When it doesn’t
- Organizations prioritizing extensive coverage in Africa or Latin America, where POP density is lower.
- Small businesses seeking simple, low-cost CDN solutions without complex integrations.
- Users requiring advanced bot mitigation or managed WAF rules, which are not fully supported.
- May not be the best choice for organizations requiring advanced WAF or bot mitigation, as these features are not currently offered.
- Less optimal for users needing extensive edge compute functions or key-value storage, which are limited compared to competitors like Fastly.
- Smaller presence in Africa or niche APAC regions may limit performance for highly localized traffic.
History & Notes
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