Company snapshot

CategoryAmazon CloudFrontEdgio
Statusactivedefunct
Founded
Headquarters
Website
Docs

Overview

Amazon CloudFront is a content delivery network (CDN) provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS), designed to deliver web content, APIs, and streaming media with low latency and high availability. It integrates with other AWS services like S3, EC2, and Lambda for seamless content storage and compute capabilities. CloudFront serves a wide range of users, from startups to large enterprises, particularly those already using AWS infrastructure. It supports static and dynamic content, video streaming, and edge computing through Lambda@Edge. The service is known for its global reach and integration with AWS’s security and monitoring tools.
Edgio, formerly Limelight Networks, was a content delivery network (CDN) provider offering global content delivery, video streaming, and edge compute services. It served enterprises, media companies, and developers with a focus on low-latency content delivery. The company faced financial difficulties, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September 2024, and ceased operations in January 2025 after its assets were sold to Akamai. Edgio’s services are no longer available, and users have been directed to migrate to alternative providers.

Network & Architecture

CloudFront operates over 600 points of presence (PoPs) across 100+ cities in 50+ countries, with regional edge caches for improved performance. It leverages AWS’s global backbone for efficient routing and peering with major ISPs. The service has a strong presence in North America, EMEA, and APAC, with growing coverage in LATAM, India, and the Middle East. Its architecture supports tiered caching and origin shielding to reduce origin load. Limitations include less penetration in Africa and certain APAC regions compared to competitors like Cloudflare.

Feature comparison

FeatureAmazon CloudFrontEdgio
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

CloudFront uses a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model with no upfront commitments. A free tier includes 1 TB of data transfer and 10 million HTTP/HTTPS requests per month for the first year. Pricing varies by region, with per-GB rates starting at $0.085 in the US and Europe, higher in regions like India ($0.109). Enterprise plans are available for high-volume users with custom pricing. Full details: https://aws.amazon.com/cloudfront/pricing/.

Integrations & DevEx

CloudFront supports Terraform for infrastructure-as-code deployments. SDKs are available in multiple languages (Python, Java, Node.js, etc.) for API integration. It integrates with AWS CI/CD tools like CodePipeline and offers real-time logs via CloudWatch and log push via Kinesis. Migration tools include S3 transfer acceleration and origin failover configurations. Analytics are real-time through CloudWatch dashboards, though RUM is not natively supported.

When it fits

  • Organizations already using AWS services (S3, EC2, Lambda) needing tight integration with a CDN.
  • Applications requiring global content delivery with strong support for video streaming and edge computing.
  • Enterprises needing robust security (WAF, DDoS) and customizable caching policies.

When it doesn’t

  • Small businesses or startups looking for simpler, non-AWS-integrated solutions with lower complexity.
  • Users prioritizing deep coverage in Africa or specific APAC regions where PoP density is lower.
  • Budget-conscious buyers seeking predictable pricing without regional rate variations.

History & Notes

Edgio’s closure was accelerated from an initial November 2025 timeline due to financial distress, catching some users off-guard. Microsoft, a key partner, has emphasized proactive migration to avoid downtime, particularly for Azure DevOps and GitHub Actions users. While Akamai acquired select assets, not all Edgio services were absorbed, leaving some users to seek other providers. No official Edgio website or documentation remains active, but Microsoft’s Azure documentation provides detailed transition steps.