Company snapshot
| Category | CacheFly | Universal CDN |
|---|---|---|
| Status | active | active |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | — | — |
| Website | — | — |
| Docs | — | — |
Overview
CacheFly, founded in 2002 and based in Chicago, IL, is a content delivery network (CDN) provider specializing in high-performance delivery of static and dynamic content. It serves businesses in video streaming, gaming, software distribution, and e-commerce, emphasizing speed and reliability. CacheFly pioneered TCP Anycast routing in 2002, which optimizes traffic delivery to the nearest point of presence (PoP). Its customers range from startups to enterprises seeking efficient content delivery. The company has gained attention for capitalizing on recent CDN industry consolidation, positioning itself as an alternative to providers like StackPath and Lumen Technologies.
Universal CDN, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria, offers a global content delivery network focused on delivering web content, video streaming, and live media. It serves businesses ranging from small startups to large enterprises, particularly those needing video-on-demand and live streaming capabilities. The service emphasizes an API-first approach, enabling developers to integrate and manage CDN services programmatically. Universal CDN supports a variety of use cases, including e-commerce, media, and gaming, with a focus on performance and real-time analytics.
Network & Architecture
CacheFly operates over 75 points of presence (PoPs) across all seven continents, with a strong presence in North America, Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. Its network uses TCP Anycast for efficient routing, ensuring low-latency delivery. CacheFly reports a 98% cache hit ratio, with 100% availability for its S.O.S. (Storage Optimization Service) customers. The network is optimized for high-throughput use cases like large file downloads and media streaming. It has a notable footprint in Latin America compared to some competitors but may have fewer PoPs in certain regions compared to larger providers like Cloudflare or Akamai.
Universal CDN operates a global network with points of presence (PoPs) across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Specific PoP counts are not publicly disclosed, but the provider claims broad coverage with optimized routing for low latency. It leverages partnerships with major ISPs for peering, enhancing delivery speeds. The service is particularly strong in Europe and North America but has less presence in Africa and the Middle East, which may limit performance in those regions.
Feature comparison
| Feature | CacheFly | Universal CDN |
|---|---|---|
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
CacheFly offers pay-as-you-go (PAYG) and enterprise plans, with a free tier providing 5TB of monthly usage. Pricing is flexible with month-to-month billing and no long-term contracts. A special offer for former StackPath customers includes 64TB for $595. New users can access a free month of service. Detailed pricing is available at https://www.cachefly.com/pricing/.
Universal CDN offers a pay-as-you-go (payg) model with no minimum commitments, suitable for variable traffic needs. Pricing starts at approximately $0.05 per GB for standard delivery, with discounts for higher volumes. A free trial is available for testing, and enterprise plans are offered for custom needs. Detailed pricing is available at https://www.ucdn.com/pricing.
Integrations & DevEx
CacheFly provides an API-first platform for configuration and management, with comprehensive documentation at https://www.cachefly.com/docs/. Realtime logs and analytics support performance monitoring, and log push enables integration with external systems. A dedicated Slack channel is available for enterprise accounts to ensure responsive support. Migration guides are provided for customers transitioning from StackPath and Lumen Technologies, including self-service setup and white-glove onboarding for accounts using over 150TB monthly. Terraform support is not documented.
Universal CDN provides an API-first design for seamless integration with developer workflows. It supports real-time logs for immediate performance insights but lacks Terraform support or advanced IaC tools. SDKs are available for common programming languages, facilitating integration with CI/CD pipelines. The platform does not offer built-in migration tools but provides documentation for transitioning from other CDNs.
When it fits
- Businesses needing high-throughput CDN for video streaming, gaming, or large file downloads, particularly with global audiences.
- Companies migrating from StackPath or Lumen Technologies, leveraging CacheFly’s dedicated transition support.
- Developers seeking an API-first CDN with flexible pricing and a free tier for testing or small-scale projects.
- Businesses needing video-on-demand or live streaming with HLS/DASH packaging and RTMP ingest for media-heavy applications.
- Developers seeking an API-first CDN with real-time analytics for programmatic control and monitoring.
- Small to medium-sized businesses looking for a pay-as-you-go model with global coverage for web and video content.
When it doesn’t
- Organizations requiring advanced edge compute or serverless functions, which CacheFly does not currently offer.
- Users needing robust WAF, bot mitigation, or rate-limiting features, as these are not publicly documented.
- Companies focused on China-specific delivery, where CacheFly lacks a specialized license compared to providers like Tencent CDN.
- Organizations requiring advanced security features like WAF, bot mitigation, or rate limiting, which are not offered.
- Companies needing extensive edge compute capabilities or key-value storage for serverless applications.
- Users focused on regions like Africa or the Middle East, where Universal CDN’s network presence is limited.
History & Notes
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