Company snapshot
| Category | CDNetworks | Google Cloud CDN |
|---|---|---|
| Status | active | active |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | — | — |
| Website | — | — |
| Docs | — | — |
Overview
CDNetworks, founded in 2000, is a global content delivery network (CDN) provider offering services for web performance, media delivery, and cloud security. Headquartered in Singapore, it serves industries like e-commerce, gaming, and media, with clients including Alibaba, Samsung, and Hyundai. Its CDN Pro (formerly CDN360) focuses on delivering static and dynamic content with enhanced security features. The company emphasizes strong network presence in Asia, particularly China, and provides solutions like DDoS protection and edge computing. CDNetworks is owned by Wangsu Science & Technology since 2017.
Google Cloud CDN is a content delivery network integrated with Google Cloud. It sits behind Google Cloud Load Balancing to cache and serve HTTP(S) content from edge locations. Typical users are teams already running workloads on Google Cloud that want CDN caching, signed URLs, modern TLS, and consistent operations across the platform. The service emphasizes policy-driven caching, fast invalidation, and security integration through Cloud Armor. Pricing follows a pay-as-you-go model that varies by region and usage.
Network & Architecture
CDNetworks operates over 2,800 Points of Presence (PoPs) across six continents, with a strong focus on the Asia-Pacific region, including China and India. Its network leverages global peering and an anycast architecture to optimize routing and reduce latency. The company holds an ICP Beian license, enabling compliant content delivery in Mainland China. Regional strengths include extensive coverage in APAC, but its North American and African footprints are less dense compared to competitors like Akamai or Cloudflare.
Google Cloud CDN uses Google’s global edge and backbone to terminate HTTP(S) traffic close to end users and fetch from origins over Google’s private network. Coverage spans major regions in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, with additional presence in other geographies. Strengths include integration with Google Cloud Load Balancing, Anycast routing, and private backbone connectivity from edge to origin. Limitations can include fewer CDN-specific knobs than specialist CDNs and feature gaps for advanced video packaging.
Feature comparison
| Feature | CDNetworks | Google Cloud 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
CDNetworks uses a customized pricing model, typically enterprise-focused, with quotes based on data transfer, feature usage, and contract terms. Public pricing is not fully transparent, but estimates suggest $0.03–$0.15 per GB for data transfer and $0.005 per 10,000 HTTP/HTTPS requests. No free tier or pay-as-you-go options are publicly advertised; pricing requires contacting sales for a tailored quote. See https://www.cdnetworks.com/pricing/ for details.
Pay-as-you-go pricing with regional rates for cache egress and request charges. Total cost depends on geography, volume, and cache behavior. See cloud.google.com/cdn/pricing for current details.
Integrations & DevEx
CDNetworks supports Terraform for infrastructure-as-code, with OpenAPI Explorer for API integration. Its CDN Pro Portal and API provide access to real-time logs and analytics, facilitating monitoring and optimization. SDKs are not extensively documented, but the API-first design supports custom integrations. Migration tools are not explicitly mentioned, though the console supports cloning configurations for easier setup. CI/CD integration is possible via APIs but lacks native plugins for common pipelines.
Deep integrations include Google Cloud Load Balancing for traffic ingress, Cloud Armor for WAF and DDoS protections, Cloud Storage and Compute Engine for origins, and Cloud Logging and Monitoring for observability. Infrastructure as code is supported via Terraform, and a REST API enables CI/CD automation.
When it fits
- Businesses needing strong CDN performance in Asia, especially China, due to CDNetworks’ ICP Beian license and extensive APAC PoPs.
- Enterprises requiring integrated security (WAF, DDoS, bot mitigation) alongside content delivery for e-commerce or gaming.
- Organizations leveraging edge computing for serverless applications with global reach.
- Workloads already hosted on Google Cloud that need an integrated CDN layer.
- Teams standardizing on Cloud Load Balancing, Cloud Armor, and Cloud Logging.
- Organizations that want signed URLs, HTTP/3, fast purge, and policy-driven caching.
- Buyers who prefer Terraform and API-first management across cloud services.
When it doesn’t
- Small businesses or startups seeking pay-as-you-go or free-tier options, as CDNetworks focuses on enterprise contracts.
- Users needing dense PoP coverage in North America or Africa, where competitors like Cloudflare have broader reach.
- Developers requiring extensive SDKs or native CI/CD integrations, which are less emphasized compared to Fastly.
- Multi-cloud environments seeking provider-neutral or MultiCDN routing.
- Advanced video workflows needing packaging, DRM, or low-lency live features.
- Use cases requiring built-in image optimization pipelines.
- Projects that rely on WebSocket-heavy bidirectional traffic at the edge.
History & Notes
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