Company snapshot
| Category | Cedexis | Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|
| Status | defunct | active |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | — | — |
| Website | — | — |
| Docs | — | — |
Overview
Cedexis was a MultiCDN platform specializing in real-time traffic steering and performance monitoring, optimizing web and cloud application delivery across multiple CDNs and data centers. Founded in 2009 by Julien Coulon and Marty Kagan, it was acquired by Citrix in 2018 and integrated into its Intelligent Traffic Management (ITM) product. The platform was used by enterprises, including media outlets like L’Equipe, Le Figaro, and Le Monde, to enhance global web performance. Cedexis is now defunct, with its ITM product reaching end-of-life (EOL) in October 2025.
Cloudflare, founded in 2009, is a San Francisco-based company offering a global content delivery network (CDN), DDoS mitigation, and web security services. Its network accelerates content delivery and protects websites and applications from cyber threats. Cloudflare serves a wide range of customers, from small businesses to enterprises like Shopify, Medium, and IBM. The platform is known for its developer-friendly tools, including serverless edge computing and comprehensive security features. It provides a free tier alongside paid plans, catering to diverse user needs. Cloudflare’s services sit between end users and origin servers, acting as a reverse proxy to enhance performance and reliability.
Network & Architecture
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Cloudflare operates over 200 points of presence (PoPs) globally, spanning regions like North America, EMEA, APAC, Latin America, Africa, India, China, and the Middle East. Its Anycast network ensures low-latency content delivery by routing traffic to the nearest data center. The company has strong peering agreements, enhancing connectivity and reducing latency. Regional strengths include robust coverage in North America and Europe, with growing presence in APAC and Latin America. However, performance in certain African and Middle Eastern regions may vary due to fewer PoPs or local network constraints. Cloudflare’s architecture supports dynamic content acceleration and integrates with its security and edge computing services.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Cedexis | Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|
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
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Cloudflare offers a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model, a free tier, and enterprise plans. The free tier includes basic CDN, DDoS protection, and an SSL certificate, suitable for small sites. Paid plans (Pro, Business, Enterprise) add advanced features like WAF, bot mitigation, and analytics, with pricing starting at $20/month for Pro plans. Enterprise pricing is customized, often requiring committed contracts. Data transfer and HTTP/HTTPS requests are included in subscription plans, with additional costs for features like edge computing or advanced WAF rules. Full details are available at https://www.cloudflare.com/plans/.
Integrations & DevEx
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Cloudflare supports Terraform for infrastructure-as-code (IaC), enabling automated configuration management. SDKs and APIs facilitate integration with CI/CD pipelines and custom applications. Real-time logs (Logpush) and analytics (Cloudflare Analytics) provide actionable insights, with RUM support for end-user performance monitoring. Migration tools, like the Cloudflare Dashboard and DNS import features, simplify onboarding from other providers. The developer platform, including Cloudflare Workers and Pages, supports building and deploying serverless applications and static sites, enhancing developer experience.
When it fits
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- Small businesses or developers needing a free or low-cost CDN with basic security and SSL support.
- Enterprises requiring robust DDoS protection, WAF, and global content delivery with strong developer tools.
- Teams leveraging edge computing for serverless applications or dynamic content acceleration.
When it doesn’t
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- Organizations needing specialized video features like HLS/DASH packaging, DRM, or RTMP ingest for advanced streaming use cases.
- Users in regions with limited PoPs (e.g., parts of Africa or the Middle East) where latency may be higher.
- Scenarios requiring origin shield for enhanced caching, which Cloudflare does not natively support.
History & Notes
Cedexis was known for its Radar, Fusion, Sonar, and OpenMix tools, which provided real-time visibility and programmable traffic management across CDNs and clouds. Its acquisition by Citrix aimed to bolster hybrid and multi-cloud performance but faced challenges, including a notable DDoS attack in May 2017 impacting French media clients. The decision to sunset ITM reflects Citrix’s strategic shift, with no reported plans for a direct successor. NS1 Connect has emerged as a key alternative, leveraging similar DNS-based steering technology.
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