Are you looking for a free global content delivery network (CDN) that provides you with DDoS protection and protects your website from various kinds of online attacks? Well, then reading this Cloudflare review might be very helpful to you.
Cloudflare is a global content delivery network known for its security and enhancing performance.
In this Cloudflare review article, I would be providing you with a brief review of Cloudflare based on its features, benefits, pricing, and overall functionality.
So let’s get started!
What is Cloudflare?
Cloudflare is a CDN network known for improving site performance and increasing the loading time of websites. They have their data centers located in multiple locations in the world.
It is an American Web infrastructure company founded in 2009 known for providing internet security, DDoS mitigation, and domain name server services.
Its service works like a reverse proxy as it works between the hosting provider and website visitor.
Cloudflare network is like a giant VPN. Whenever a visitor accesses your website, then the visitor will be redirected to the closest server.
Features of Cloudflare
Fast and Effective
Across 50 countries, there were more than a hundred data centers of Cloudflare content delivery network (CDN). Their CDN is global and is fast for better mobile experiences.
Security
Cloudflare security is tremendous and is well-known for protecting websites from different kinds of hacking, DDOS attacks that can damage your online assets, information, and your website and application performance.
It comes with a firewall application that can find and blocks different threats.
Content Optimization
Cloudflare helps to bring website online content closer to your website visitor. It also makes your site well optimized for the website pages so that mobile users and web users may not face any issues in browsing.
It provides a seamless experience to the users. Also, reduce source code files by removing unnecessary HTML, CSS, and JavaScript characters.
Load Balancing
The distribution of workload in various services and traffic processes is called load balancing.
Cloudflare provides this service and guarantees that when any server is down, the website visitors will be routed to any closest backend server.
The feature of Load balancing helps in avoiding a horrible user experience whenever any unreliable server is down.
Highly Customizable
You will have complete control of how the network catches content.
Cloudflare provides you complete control over that. Its Cache API lets you have advanced control by which you can improve the cache hit ratio.
Bandwidth Cost Saving
It minimizes bandwidth consumption by reducing the number of requests. CDN networks such as Cloudflare helps in reducing the data of the origin server. Therefore, it also reduces hosting costs.
Globally Available Network
Cloudflare data centers are present in various locations so that content should be closer to the users, and it offers the fastest delivery at the most reliable price.
Benefits of Cloudflare
- It is available in paid membership as well as a free membership. Free membership also offers decent features.
- Cloudflare security is also tremendous as it protects from DDoS attacks and provides easy SSL encryption.
- It is straightforward to set up Cloudflare, and it increases site speed as its data centers are located globally.
- Cloudflare’s one of the best benefits is that it works on website performance and security. The number of features provided by Cloudflare for cache and performance is excellent.
- Cloudflare provides an attack mode that adds some JavaScript verification code before loading the site preventing bot attacks.
Cloudflare Integrations
| Google analytics | UserVoice |
| Buddy | Pingdom |
| Clicky | Acquia |
| Terraform | Plesk |
Pricing Plans of Cloudflare CDN
Cloudflare has four plans. It also comes with a free plan.
The four pricing plans offered by Cloudflare are – Free, Pro, Business, and Enterprise.
Free plan
Cloudflare offers a Free plan ideal for people having personal projects. It comes with the global content delivery network and the DDoS attack mitigation.
Pro plan
Cloudflare Pro plan price comes at $20 per month. Pro plan is ideal for people who want to speed up their website.
It comes with various features such as cache analytics, DDoS attack mitigation, DDoS alerts, enhanced security with web application firewall, global content delivery network, lossless image optimization, and automatic mobile optimization.
Its average support response time is less than 4 hours if you have an urgent issue.
Business plan
Cloudflare Business plan price is at $200 per month. Small businesses are suitable for this plan. Business plans are suitable and provide advanced security, prioritized customer support, and 100% uptime SLA.
It offers various features such as the DDoS attack mitigation, DDoS alerts, cache analytics, enhanced security with web application firewall, global content delivery network, lossless image optimization.
The other features are: you can use your SSL certificate, CNAME set up compatibility, Easy PCI compliance, automatic mobile optimization, 24×7×365 chat support, 100% uptime SLA.
Its average support response time for email is less than 2 hours.
Enterprise plan
For core to business applications, an enterprise plan is ideal. It provides various reliability, security, and performance features.
It offers various features such as the DDoS attack mitigation, DDoS alerts, cache analytics, enhanced security with web application firewall, global content delivery network, lossless image optimization, use your SSL certificate, CNAME set up compatibility, Easy PCI compliance, automatic mobile optimization, 24×7×365 chat support, 100% uptime SLA, designated customer success manager and solutions engineer, customer success manager lead onboarding, role-based account access, prioritized IP ranges, 24×7×365 emergency phone support.
For the Enterprise plan, the response time for email is less than 1 hour.
Video
Wrap up
Cloudflare is a highly recommended platform for your website. Overall it’s an excellent security platform and is very easy to use.
You can start with their free plan, which comes with decent features to boost your site performance and security.
Learn more about Cloudflare.
