Is Fastly worth the price?
Fastly's pricing appears expensive for smaller businesses, with the 'Network Basic' tier starting at $1500/month for 100M requests.
However, the 'Advantage/Ultimate' custom pricing for 2-5B requests suggests better value for high-volume enterprises. This pricing model is best suited for large-scale organizations with significant traffic and a need for advanced edge capabilities.
Pricing Plans
Network Basic
$1,500
- 100M requests/month
- 20 TLS domains
- 30M image requests
- Standard support
Network Starter
$6,000
- 500M requests/month
- 40 TLS domains
- 150M image requests
- Gold support
Compute Starter
$500
- 500M requests
- 5M GB-seconds
- 20 services
Observability Starter
$1,500
- 500M requests
- Edge Observer
- Real-time logging
Advantage/Ultimate
- 2-5B requests
- 80-150 TLS domains
- Priority support
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
Overage fees for exceeding request limits
Additional costs for advanced security packages
Potential for higher support tier costs
Custom pricing for higher usage not transparent
Which Plan Do You Need?
Large enterprises with high traffic
Companies needing advanced edge compute
Businesses prioritizing security at scale
How Fastly Compares to Competitors
Compared to Cloudflare, Fastly's entry-level Network Basic at $1500/month is significantly higher than Cloudflare's Pro plan ($20/month) or even Business plan ($200/month), though Fastly offers more features at that entry point. Akamai also offers custom enterprise-grade solutions, making direct price comparison difficult, but Fastly's modular pricing for Compute and Observability allows for more tailored solutions than some competitors.
Fastly Pricing FAQ
How much does Fastly cost?
Fastly starts at $500/month on the Compute Starter plan. It offers 4 paid tiers ranging from $500/month up to $1500/month.
Does Fastly have a free plan?
Fastly does not offer a permanent free plan. Paid plans are required from day one.
What is the cheapest Fastly paid plan?
The cheapest paid plan for Fastly is "Compute Starter" at $500/month. Key features include: 500M requests, 5M GB-seconds, 20 services.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Fastly?
Yes. Popular alternatives to Fastly include Akamai, Cloudflare, StackPath, BunnyCDN. Free alternatives include Cloudflare. Compare them side-by-side on Toolradar.
Cheaper alternatives to Fastly
Direct competitors with similar features. Many offer free tiers or lower per-seat pricing.
