If you’ve ever tried to find Akamai’s pricing on their website, clicking through pages searching for a simple price list that doesn’t exist, only to discover that every quote requires a sales call and custom contract negotiation, you know that enterprise CDN pricing can feel like navigating a maze designed for Fortune 500 companies with dedicated procurement teams.
Akamai has established itself as one of the pioneers and leaders of content delivery networks, operating one of the world’s largest distributed computing platforms with approximately 365,000 servers in more than 135 countries. The platform delivers a comprehensive suite including CDN services, cybersecurity solutions, and cloud computing capabilities. But as Akamai has evolved to serve the world’s largest enterprises with increasingly sophisticated needs, its pricing structure has become primarily custom and contract-based, with multiple pricing models, usage tiers, and bundled offerings that can overwhelm organizations seeking straightforward solutions.
We’ve spent time analyzing Akamai’s pricing models, contract structures, and actual costs. We believe it’s the ideal choice if:
- You’re an enterprise requiring comprehensive CDN, security, and cloud services under one vendor
- Your organization needs advanced features like Web Application Firewall, bot management, and DDoS protection
- You have dedicated IT teams to manage complex implementations
- Your monthly data transfer exceeds 50 TB consistently
- You can commit to annual contracts and negotiate enterprise agreements
However, Akamai pricing is not a good choice if:
- You need transparent, predictable pricing without sales negotiations
- Your business has irregular usage patterns (like event streaming that doesn’t happen every month)
- You want simple pay-as-you-go billing without contracts or monthly fees
- You value personalized support and tailored solutions over mass-market service
- You need an interface that doesn’t require extensive technical expertise to navigate
In this case, you should consider CDNsun: a proven CDN provider with 12 years of reliability, specializing in streaming and video delivery, offering enterprise-level CDN performance without enterprise complexity or pricing. With transparent pay-as-you-go pricing starting at $0.03 per GB, no monthly fees, and personalized support that larger providers can’t match.
Because of that, we have included a detailed pricing comparison with CDNsun in this review, as the best choice for organizations wanting comparable performance to industry giants while paying significantly less and receiving more attentive service. With that said, if you’re eager to jump into the CDNsun pricing breakdown, go ahead and do so with this link.
Table of contents
- Akamai Pricing Summary
- Akamai Pricing: In-Depth Overview
- Where Akamai Falls Short
- Best Akamai Alternative – CDNsun: Enterprise Performance Without the Complexity
- Akamai Feature Value Breakdown (vs CDNsun)
- Akamai Pricing FAQ
- Final Verdict: Akamai vs CDNsun
Akamai Pricing Summary
| Akamai | CDNsun | |
|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | • Free trials for specific products
• Requires form submission • Product-specific limitations |
• 15-day free trial
• 5 GB free storage ongoing • Immediate access |
| Entry Level | • Custom contracts only
• 0-10 TB: ~$0.049/GB (estimated) • Minimum commitments typical • 12-month terms standard |
• Business Plan: $0.03/GB
• No minimum spending • No monthly fees • Pay-as-you-go (buy credit, use as needed) |
| Mid-Tier | • 10-50 TB: ~$0.045/GB (estimated)
• Bundled security services available • Custom feature packages • Annual contracts |
• Same $0.03/GB pricing
• All features included • Granular control (choose specific cities) • No contracts required |
| Enterprise | • 50+ TB: Custom pricing
• Full security suite • Dedicated support • SLA guarantees |
• Custom Plan: $200/mo minimum
• Volume discounts available • Unlimited websites • Personalized, tailored support |
| Best For | Large enterprises needing comprehensive CDN, security, and cloud services with predictable, consistent usage | Streaming companies, software distributors, and image-heavy websites wanting enterprise performance with flexible pay-as-you-go pricing and personalized support |
Akamai Pricing: In-Depth Overview
Akamai operates on a primarily custom and contract-based pricing model, particularly for its enterprise-level CDN and security services. The company targets everyone from media giants to financial institutions, structuring deals based on specific requirements, usage volumes, and service bundles. This approach reflects Akamai’s position as an enterprise vendor where each implementation is tailored to the customer’s unique needs. Let’s examine the various pricing components and models Akamai employs.
Akamai CDN Usage-Based Pricing
| Data Volume | Price per GB | Contract Terms |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10 TB/month | ~$0.049 (estimated) | 12-month minimum typical |
| 10-50 TB/month | ~$0.045 (estimated) | Annual contracts standard |
| 50+ TB/month | Custom pricing | Multi-year agreements common |
Usage-based pricing forms the foundation of Akamai’s CDN model, where costs are calculated based on data transfer volume measured in gigabytes or terabytes. The tiered structure provides volume discounts as usage increases, but these are indicative prices based on third-party estimates; actual rates depend on contract negotiations. Most agreements include minimum commitments and require annual terms, with potential penalties for early termination. Organizations must also factor in regional pricing variations, with Asia and South America typically incurring higher rates than North America and Europe.
| Usage-Based Model | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Volume discounts for high usage | ❌ Requires sales negotiation |
| ✅ Predictable costs for stable traffic | ❌ Minimum commitments typical |
| ✅ Can bundle with other services | ❌ Complex contract terms |
| ✅ Enterprise-grade SLAs | ❌ Poor fit for irregular usage patterns |
The Bottom Line Usage-based pricing suits enterprises with predictable, high-volume traffic, but organizations with irregular usage patterns like event streaming companies will struggle with minimum commitments and inflexible contracts.
Akamai Security and Bundled Services
Beyond basic CDN, Akamai offers extensive security services typically bundled into comprehensive packages. These include Web Application Firewall (WAF), DDoS protection, bot management, and API security. Pricing for these services isn’t publicly available and depends entirely on the specific bundle and contract terms. Organizations often find that adding security features can significantly increase their base CDN costs. The bundling approach varies by service and customer needs.
| Bundled Services | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Comprehensive security suite | ❌ Opaque pricing structure |
| ✅ Single vendor simplicity | ❌ Potential feature bloat |
| ✅ Integrated platform benefits | ❌ High total costs |
| ✅ Enterprise features included | ❌ May include unneeded services |
The Bottom Line Bundled services provide comprehensive protection for enterprises but can create complexity and costs that challenge organizations wanting straightforward CDN service.
Akamai Connected Cloud (formerly Linode)
| Plan Type | Starting Price | Target User |
|---|---|---|
| Shared CPU | $5/month | Development, testing |
| Dedicated CPU | $36/month | Production workloads |
| Premium CPU | $43/month | Enterprise applications |
| High Memory | $60/month | Database workloads |
For cloud computing services, Akamai offers more transparent pricing through its Connected Cloud platform (formerly Linode). These plans include bundled CPU, RAM, storage, and transfer at predictable monthly rates. This represents Akamai’s most accessible pricing, though CDN and security services can be integrated but are priced separately. The cloud platform targets developers and businesses seeking alternatives to hyperscalers.
| Cloud Computing | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Transparent monthly pricing | ❌ CDN priced separately |
| ✅ No hidden fees | ❌ Limited to compute resources |
| ✅ Competitive with major clouds | ❌ May require separate CDN contract |
| ✅ Simple tier structure | ❌ Still complex for basic needs |
The Bottom Line Connected Cloud offers Akamai’s most straightforward pricing but doesn’t solve the CDN pricing complexity that most customers face.
Hidden Costs and Additional Fees
Akamai’s true costs often emerge through additional fees and requirements not immediately apparent in initial proposals. Professional services for implementation can run thousands of dollars, with emergency support reaching hundreds per hour. Premium support packages, while providing faster response times and dedicated teams, add significant monthly costs. Organizations must also consider overage fees for exceeding contracted usage, regional data transfer premiums, and charges for additional features like real-time analytics or API access beyond basic limits.
Where Akamai Falls Short
While Akamai excels at serving large enterprises with complex requirements, its pricing model and approach create significant barriers for organizations seeking straightforward CDN services with personalized support:
Lack of Pricing Transparency
- No public pricing makes budget planning difficult without sales engagement
- Every quote requires negotiations and contract discussions
- Comparison shopping becomes time-consuming
- Additional costs may emerge after commitment
Complexity Without Personalization
- Extremely complex dashboard that requires extensive technical expertise
- Mass-market approach with 10,000+ clients means limited customization
- Bundled services include features you may not need
- One-size-fits-all solutions despite varying customer needs
Poor Fit for Irregular Usage Patterns
- Monthly commitments frustrate businesses with intermittent usage
- Event streaming companies forced to pay for months without events
- Annual contracts don’t suit seasonal or variable traffic
- No true pay-as-you-go option like buying credit and using as needed
Limited Support Despite High Costs
- Enterprise support comes at premium prices
- Large customer base means less personalized attention
- Generic solutions rather than tailored approaches
- Sales-driven process focuses on closing deals, not ongoing support
These characteristics have led many organizations particularly streaming companies, software distributors, and businesses with image-heavy websites to seek CDN providers that offer enterprise-level performance with more flexible pricing and personalized service.
Best Akamai Alternative – CDNsun: Enterprise Performance Without the Complexity
CDNsun delivers enterprise-level CDN performance through a radically different approach: matching the lowest prices in the market while providing personalized support that giants like Akamai simply can’t offer.
For organizations frustrated by Akamai’s complex dashboard that needs “a college degree” to navigate, forced monthly subscriptions for irregular usage, and mass-market support, CDNsun offers a compelling solution with 12 years of proven reliability, transparent pay-as-you-go pricing at $0.03 per GB, and a strategy focused on fewer, bigger clients with tailored solutions.
Founded in 2012 with the mission to provide enterprise-performance CDN without enterprise complexity, CDNsun serves over 2,000 customers worldwide through 30+ Points of Presence with servers in every major city around the world. The platform specializes in three core CDN services: streaming CDN for live events and video content (perfect for TEDx like events, webinars, church ceremonies), software/game delivery CDN for distributing updates to millions of users globally, and website CDN for accelerating image-heavy sites like dating platforms or Instagram-like applications.
From a user perspective, there’s no noticeable performance difference between CDNsun and major competitors like Akamai, the speed appears the same. Users simply pay less money, receive better support, and work with an easier product.
CDNsun Business Plan: Pay-as-You-Go Freedom
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | $0.03/GB (North America/Europe) |
| Pricing Model | Buy credit, use as needed (like cell phone credit) |
| Monthly Fees | None |
| Setup Fees | None |
| Contract Required | No |
| Websites Supported | Up to 20 |
CDNsun’s Business Plan revolutionizes CDN pricing with a true pay-as-you-go model. You buy credit and use it as needed, similar to cell phone credit, making it perfect for businesses with irregular usage patterns. Event streaming companies hosting TEDx like talks or educational webinars don’t pay for months when they’re not streaming. The plan includes all core features: unlimited requests, SSL certificates, HTTP/2 support, API access, streaming capabilities, DDoS protection, and granular control including the ability to choose which specific cities to enable or disable for content delivery.
| Business Plan | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ True pay-as-you-go (buy credit, use when needed) | ❌ Higher per-GB than some volume deals |
| ✅ Perfect for irregular usage patterns | ❌ Limited to 20 websites |
| ✅ Granular control over CDN configuration | ❌ Basic security features |
| ✅ User-friendly dashboard requiring minimal expertise | ❌ Regional pricing varies |
The Bottom Line The Business Plan is ideal for streaming companies, software distributors, and businesses frustrated with monthly subscriptions for services they use intermittently.
CDNsun Custom Plan: Tailored Solutions with Personalized Support
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Minimum Spending | $200/month |
| Price per GB | Custom (volume discounts) |
| Websites | Unlimited |
| Support | 24/7 personalized support |
| Features | Everything tailored to specific needs |
For organizations with higher traffic volumes, CDNsun’s Custom Plan embodies their strategy of fewer, bigger clients with tailored solutions. Unlike Akamai with 10,000+ clients who can’t offer much customization, CDNsun provides everything tailored to your specific needs. This includes custom configurations for streaming events, optimized delivery for software updates, or specialized setups for image-heavy platforms. The personalized support means you’re not just another ticket number, you get focused attention from a team that understands your unique requirements.
| Custom Plan | |
|---|---|
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Personalized, tailored solutions | ❌ $200 minimum spend |
| ✅ Volume discounts available | ❌ Requires sales contact |
| ✅ Focused support from smaller provider | ❌ Less flexibility than pure pay-as-you-go |
| ✅ Custom configurations for specific needs | ❌ May not suit very small traffic |
The Bottom Line Custom pricing provides enterprise-level service with the personalized attention that mass-market providers can’t deliver.
CDNsun Storage Pricing
| Storage Tier | Monthly Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 5 GB | Free |
| 10 GB – 2 TB | Contact for pricing |
CDNsun includes 5 GB of free CDN storage with every account, with additional storage available. This integrated storage solution can reduce the need for separate origin infrastructure for static content. The storage includes high-speed connectivity, daily backups, and multiple upload methods (FTP, SFTP, RSYNC, API), all without additional fees.
Akamai Feature Value Breakdown (vs CDNsun)
Pricing Transparency and Flexibility
Akamai‘s Approach: Akamai’s custom pricing model requires sales engagement for every quote with annual contracts and monthly commitments. This model particularly frustrates businesses with irregular usage patterns, imagine an event streaming company forced to pay monthly fees even during months without events.
CDNsun‘s Approach: CDNsun matches the lowest prices in the market at $0.03 per GB with a true pay-as-you-go model. You buy credit and use it as needed, just like cell phone credit. Perfect for streaming companies hosting TEDx like events or webinars, software companies with periodic update releases, or any business tired of the monthly subscription trap.
Value Assessment: CDNsun offers superior flexibility for businesses with variable traffic or those frustrated by forced monthly subscriptions.
User Interface and Management Complexity
Akamai‘s Approach: Akamai’s dashboard is extremely complex, industry insiders joke it needs “a college degree” to navigate effectively. This complexity reflects its enterprise focus but creates barriers for teams without dedicated CDN specialists. Even simple configuration changes can require extensive documentation review or professional services support.
CDNsun‘s Approach: CDNsun’s user-friendly interface is designed to be easy to understand and use, requiring minimal technical expertise to navigate and configure. Users get granular control, including the ability to choose which specific cities to enable or disable, without the overwhelming complexity. Many more features and control options compared to basic free CDN services, but presented in an accessible way.
Value Assessment: CDNsun proves that powerful doesn’t have to mean complicated, offering extensive control through an interface anyone can use.
Support Philosophy and Customer Focus
Akamai‘s Approach: With thousands of enterprise customers, Akamai provides support based on contract tiers. Premium support packages come at significant additional cost, and even then, you’re one of many in a mass-market approach. Customization is limited by the need to serve diverse enterprise requirements at scale.
CDNsun‘s Approach: CDNsun’s strategy focuses on fewer, bigger clients with everything tailored to specific needs. As a smaller company compared to giants like Akamai (with 10,000+ clients), CDNsun can provide more focused, customized support and tailored solutions. Whether you’re streaming church ceremonies, distributing game updates, or running an image-heavy dating platform, you get personalized attention.
Value Assessment: CDNsun’s personalized support model delivers what enterprise giants can’t: genuine attention to your specific needs.
Performance and Global Reach
Akamai‘s Approach: Akamai operates 365,000 servers across 135 countries, providing massive scale and redundancy. This infrastructure supports the world’s largest websites and applications with enterprise-grade performance guarantees.
CDNsun‘s Approach: CDNsun has servers in every major city around the world through 30+ Points of Presence, enabling fast content delivery whether your users are in Australia, America, or anywhere else. With 12 years of proven reliability and stable service without outages, CDNsun demonstrates that effective global coverage doesn’t require hundreds of thousands of servers. Most importantly: from a user perspective, there’s no noticeable performance difference the speed appears the same.
Value Assessment: Users get comparable performance at a fraction of the cost, proving that bigger infrastructure doesn’t always mean better results.
Service Specialization
Akamai‘s Approach: Akamai bundles CDN with extensive security services, cloud computing, and enterprise features. While comprehensive, this approach often means paying for capabilities beyond your needs. A streaming company might find themselves paying for bot management they don’t use.
CDNsun‘s Approach: CDNsun specializes in three core CDN services: streaming CDN for live events (sports, educational webinars, church ceremonies, especially companies that can’t use YouTube due to policy restrictions), software/game delivery CDN for distributing updates globally, and website CDN for image-heavy sites. This focused approach means expertise in what matters most for bandwidth-intensive applications.
Value Assessment: CDNsun’s specialization delivers better value for organizations needing excellent CDN performance without unnecessary enterprise features.
Akamai Pricing FAQ
Does Akamai offer a free trial?
Yes, Akamai offers free trials for specific products including Ion Standard CDN (15 TB allowance), EdgeWorkers, App & API Protector (30 days), and Enterprise Application Access (60 days). However, these require form submission and may involve follow-up from sales teams. This contrasts with CDNsun’s immediate 15-day free trial that anyone can start through self-service signup, plus 5 GB of free storage ongoing.
How much does Akamai CDN actually cost?
Akamai’s CDN pricing varies widely based on volume, features, and contract terms. Based on third-party estimates, pricing ranges from approximately $0.049 per GB for small volumes to custom rates for enterprise volumes over 50 TB monthly. However, actual prices depend on negotiations and can include minimum commitments, bundled services, and additional fees. CDNsun’s transparent $0.03 per GB matches the lowest prices in the market without going below them, eliminating guesswork.
What’s included in Akamai’s base pricing?
Base CDN pricing typically covers content delivery and basic caching, but advanced features like WAF, bot management, and enhanced analytics often require additional fees or upgraded service tiers. Professional services, premium support, and implementation assistance are usually charged separately. CDNsun includes all features in its single price: SSL, API access, streaming capabilities, granular city-level control, and basic security.
Can businesses with irregular usage patterns afford Akamai?
Akamai’s minimum commitments and monthly fees make it expensive for businesses with irregular usage. Event streaming companies, seasonal businesses, or those with variable traffic patterns find themselves paying for unused capacity. CDNsun’s pay-as-you-go model where you buy credit and use it as needed is perfect for companies frustrated with monthly subscriptions for services they don’t use consistently.
Is CDNsun reliable compared to Akamai?
With 12 years in the business, CDNsun has proven its reliability without outages the most important aspect for enterprise clients. While Akamai has 365,000 servers versus CDNsun’s 30+ PoPs, from a user perspective there’s no noticeable performance difference. The speed appears the same users just pay less money, receive better support, and work with an easier product.
Which is better: Akamai or CDNsun?
The answer depends on your needs and priorities. Akamai excels for large enterprises requiring comprehensive security suites and complex integrations with predictable, consistent usage. CDNsun is the smart choice for streaming companies, software distributors, and image-heavy websites that want enterprise-level CDN performance without enterprise complexity, especially those with irregular usage patterns who value personalized support over mass-market service.
Final Verdict: Akamai vs CDNsun
The choice between Akamai and CDNsun isn’t just about features, it’s about philosophy and approach to CDN service.
Akamai represents the traditional enterprise model: comprehensive bundles, complex contracts, and infrastructure designed for Fortune 500 scale. With custom pricing starting around $0.049 per GB (estimated) and extensive security features, it serves organizations needing everything under one roof with predictable, consistent usage patterns. The trade-off? An extremely complex dashboard, forced monthly commitments regardless of usage, and mass-market support where you’re one of thousands.
CDNsun embodies a different vision: enterprise-level CDN performance without the enterprise complexity or pricing. By matching the lowest market prices at $0.03 per GB with true pay-as-you-go billing (buy credit, use as needed), it’s perfect for streaming companies hosting events, software companies distributing updates, and image-heavy websites. With 12 years of proven reliability, CDNsun delivers comparable performance, users won’t notice any speed difference, while providing personalized support that mass-market providers can’t match. The user-friendly dashboard and granular control (including city-specific configuration) mean you get powerful features without needing extensive technical expertise.
The fundamental question isn’t which platform has more features or servers. It’s this: Do you want to be one of 10,000+ clients with a complex enterprise contract, or do you want enterprise-level performance with personalized support, transparent pricing, and the flexibility to pay only for what you use, when you use it?
For streaming companies tired of paying monthly fees during off-seasons, software distributors needing reliable global delivery without contracts, and any organization frustrated with the complexity of enterprise CDN, CDNsun proves that you can have enterprise performance without enterprise headaches.