Company snapshot
| Category | Amazon CloudFront | Incapsula |
|---|---|---|
| Status | active | active |
| 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.
Incapsula, now integrated under Imperva, is a cloud-based CDN platform focused on web application security, DDoS mitigation, and performance optimization. Founded in 2009 as a spin-off from Imperva, it provides services like web application firewalls (WAF), bot mitigation, and load balancing. The platform serves businesses of varying sizes, including high-traffic websites and enterprises like Wix and Siemens. Incapsula’s global network enhances site speed and security, leveraging intelligent caching and content optimization. It operates as a full proxy, sitting between the website and its host to deliver robust security and performance features.
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.
Incapsula operates a global CDN with points of presence (PoPs) across the Americas (e.g., Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles), Europe (e.g., Amsterdam, London, Frankfurt), and Asia-Pacific (e.g., Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo). The network includes recent expansions in India (New Delhi, Mumbai). It uses intelligent caching, TCP optimization, and frequency analysis to prioritize frequently accessed files, reducing latency. Routing and peering details are not fully public, but the platform emphasizes high-capacity scrubbing centers (100+ Gbps per Behemoth scrubber) for DDoS mitigation. It performs well globally but has a stronger presence in North America and EMEA, with growing coverage in APAC and India.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Amazon CloudFront | Incapsula |
|---|---|---|
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/.
Incapsula offers a free tier for up to 10 pages, including CDN, IPv6 support, and basic bot protection. Paid plans start at $59/month (Pro) and $299/month (Business) per site, with enterprise plans customized. Pricing is pay-as-you-go (PAYG) with committed options for enterprises. DDoS protection significantly increases costs on higher tiers. Full details are at https://www.imperva.com/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.
Incapsula supports API-first integrations for configuration and monitoring, with real-time logs and log push for analytics. It lacks Terraform support or dedicated SDKs for CI/CD pipelines. The platform provides a dashboard for bot traffic and WAF alerts, but migration tools are limited, requiring manual configuration or support from Imperva for complex setups.
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.
- Businesses needing robust web security with CDN, especially for DDoS and bot mitigation.
- High-traffic sites requiring global performance with strong North American and EMEA presence.
- Enterprises seeking API-driven control and real-time monitoring for security events.
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.
- Sites focused on video streaming or live content, as video-specific features like VOD or HLS/DASH are absent.
- Small projects needing lightweight, developer-centric CDN without security overhead.
- Budget-conscious users, as premium security features increase costs significantly.
History & Notes
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