Fastly
Global edge cloud platform offering CDN delivery, image optimization, DDoS protection, and programmable edge compute with a transparent usage-based pricing model.
Use Cases
Free Tier
100 GB bandwidth + 1M requests + 5 TLS domains + 100K image optimizer requests free per month, no upfront cost
How to Maximize the Free Tier
Fastly's free tier is a monthly allowance, not a one-time trial: 100 GB of bandwidth, 1M requests, 5 managed TLS domains, and 100K image optimizer requests per month (per the official pricing page). The biggest risk is overage billing — past 100 GB in North America you pay $0.12/GB, so cache aggressively and watch the real-time stats dashboard. Set up budget alerts under billing to catch traffic spikes before they cost money. Use the Image Optimizer (100K free requests) instead of shipping pre-optimized image variants to save both bandwidth and origin processing. Combine Fastly with a static host like Netlify or Cloudflare Pages (both in the directory) as origin, and pair with Cloudflare Turnstile for form bot protection. VCL has a learning curve, but the free allowance is generous enough to run a real production site.
Getting Started
1. Sign up for a free Fastly account at fastly.com. 2. In the dashboard, create a service and choose Full Site Delivery (CDN). 3. Add your origin server (e.g., your Netlify or Vercel URL) and configure host/domain settings. 4. Add your custom domain and enable free managed TLS (5 domains free via Certainly). 5. Point a CNAME from your DNS provider to the Fastly service. 6. Activate the service and test with curl, then set up budget alerts in Account > Billing.
Pros
- Real monthly free tier: 100 GB bandwidth + 1M requests every month — a genuine production-grade allowance, not a one-time trial credit
- Programmable edge: VCL and Compute@Edge (JavaScript/Rust) allow custom routing, A/B testing, and logic at the edge
- Included TLS and image optimization: 5 free managed TLS domains and 100K image optimizer requests per month are part of the free tier
Cons
- Overage billing: Usage past the free allowance is billed per GB/request — requires monitoring to avoid surprise charges
- Steeper learning curve: VCL configuration and service setup are more complex than Cloudflare or Bunny CDN
- Advanced security is paid: WAF, bot management, and next-gen security packages are add-on products, not part of the free tier