Company snapshot
| Category | G-Core | KeyCDN |
|---|---|---|
| Status | active | active |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | — | — |
| Website | — | — |
| Docs | — | — |
Overview
G-Core, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Luxembourg, operates a global content delivery network (CDN) with a focus on low-latency delivery for video, gaming, and web content. The company serves a range of customers, including gaming platforms, media providers, and enterprises, leveraging its extensive network to optimize performance. Its CDN is designed to handle dynamic and static content, with additional services like cloud hosting and DDoS protection. G-Core targets businesses needing robust global reach and specialized video/gaming delivery.
KeyCDN is a content delivery network (CDN) provider founded in 2012, headquartered in Wilen, Switzerland. It specializes in accelerating the delivery of web content, such as HTML, JavaScript, images, and videos, through a global network of edge servers. The service is designed for businesses of all sizes, from small blogs to enterprise websites, offering features like real-time analytics and DDoS protection. KeyCDN emphasizes ease of integration with a user-friendly dashboard and API, making it accessible for developers and SMBs. It supports a wide range of use cases, including e-commerce, media, and gaming, with a focus on performance and security.
Network & Architecture
G-Core operates over 150 points of presence (PoPs) across Tier III/IV data centers globally, with a network capacity exceeding 110 Tbps and over 11,000 peering partners. The network spans regions including North America, EMEA, APAC, LATAM, Africa, India, and the Middle East, with an average latency of 30 ms. It uses intelligent routing and TCP/TLS optimization for performance. The company is particularly strong in gaming and video delivery but may have less coverage in certain emerging markets compared to larger providers like Cloudflare or Akamai.
KeyCDN operates over 50 points of presence (POPs) across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and other regions, ensuring global coverage. Its network leverages SSD storage and HTTP/3 for efficient content delivery. The service uses a tiered caching system and supports origin shielding to reduce load on origin servers. KeyCDN has strong peering agreements with major ISPs, optimizing latency and throughput. Its regional strengths include robust performance in North America and Europe, though coverage in Africa and parts of Asia may be less extensive compared to larger providers like Cloudflare or Akamai.
Feature comparison
| Feature | G-Core | KeyCDN |
|---|---|---|
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
G-Core uses a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model with a free tier offering limited usage. Pricing varies by region and traffic volume, with per-GB rates available on their pricing page. Enterprise plans are available for high-volume customers, and premium support is offered for migrations. No public per-GB pricing examples are disclosed without signup. See https://gcore.com/cdn/pricing for details.
KeyCDN uses a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model with no minimum commitments, making it SMB-friendly. Pricing starts at $0.04 per GB for the first 10 TB in North America and Europe, with higher rates for other regions like Asia ($0.14/GB) and Oceania ($0.19/GB). A 30-day free trial includes 10 GB of traffic. Additional features like DDoS protection are included at no extra cost, though custom SSL certificates may incur fees. Full details are available at https://www.keycdn.com/pricing.
Integrations & DevEx
G-Core supports Terraform for programmatic CDN management, enabling versioning and replication across environments. Its API-first approach includes comprehensive documentation for resource configuration. Real-time logs and customizable log exports (5–60 minute latency) via Logs Uploader enhance observability. Migration tools and plugins simplify transitions from deprecated CDNs like StackPath or Lumen Technologies. SDKs and CI/CD integrations are not extensively documented.
KeyCDN provides a robust API for automating tasks like cache purging and zone management, supporting an API-first workflow. Real-time logs and analytics are accessible via the dashboard or API, with log push capabilities for integration with external systems. It offers plugins for platforms like WordPress and Magento, simplifying setup for non-technical users. Terraform support is not available, but the API covers most automation needs. Migration tools are limited, though the dashboard supports easy configuration for importing assets from origin servers.
When it fits
- Businesses needing low-latency video or gaming content delivery with global reach.
- Enterprises seeking integrated DDoS protection and WAF for secure content delivery.
- Developers using Terraform or APIs for automated CDN management.
- Small to medium-sized businesses needing a cost-effective, easy-to-use CDN with global reach and real-time analytics.
- Developers seeking an API-first CDN with features like instant purge and signed URLs for dynamic applications.
- Websites with heavy image or VOD content, leveraging KeyCDN’s optimization and delivery capabilities.
When it doesn’t
- Organizations requiring extensive edge compute or serverless functions, which G-Core lacks.
- Small businesses needing highly competitive pricing compared to BunnyCDN or Cloudflare.
- Users in regions with sparse PoP coverage, where latency may not match larger providers.
- Enterprises requiring advanced edge computing or serverless functions, which KeyCDN does not offer.
- Users needing extensive coverage in Africa or niche regions where KeyCDN’s POP density is lower than competitors like Cloudflare.
- Applications requiring specialized video features like live streaming or DRM, which are not supported.
History & Notes
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