I utilize Amazon CloudFront for hosting and deploying customer web applications, which are connected to a database. It is used for website content delivery, video streaming, and API acceleration for dynamic content delivery.
senior IT professional at ThinkSmart for Development and Training
Enhancing global reach with automatic scaling and robust security
Pros and Cons
- "The solution improves performance by reducing latency and cost."
- "Amazon CloudFront could improve by making it easier to integrate with components from different cloud providers."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Amazon CloudFront optimizes performance and reduces travel time for data requests, improving our system's efficiency. It has also helped us achieve a ten to fifteen percent reduction in data transfer cost.
What is most valuable?
The solution improves performance by reducing latency and cost. It also has automatic scaling, global reach, lower data transfer costs, and easy setup and configuration, which I find extremely valuable.
Additionally, integrating CloudFront with other AWS security services provides robust protection against DDoS attacks.
What needs improvement?
Amazon CloudFront could improve by making it easier to integrate with components from different cloud providers. There are no specific features missing that come to mind right now.
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November 2024
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For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Amazon CloudFront for around two to three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not experienced any performance or stability issues with Amazon CloudFront thus far.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is handled within the AWS network, allowing automatic scaling to manage increased traffic and ensure consistent performance during spikes in demand.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support service aligns with agreed timelines. Responses are timely and come with actionable solutions. I would rate the support around eight out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have worked with CloudFlare and the Azure content delivery network before using Amazon CloudFront.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward, with steps like selecting the origin, applying encryption, and selecting edge locations. Deployment depends on data volume.
What was our ROI?
Amazon CloudFront has shown measurable benefits, such as a thirty percent increase in website requests compared to the previous year, and a reduction in data transfer costs for clients.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I find the pricing for Amazon CloudFront to be reasonable. It reduces costs for request handling.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated CloudFlare and Azure content delivery networks before choosing Amazon CloudFront.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Amazon CloudFront to organizations that host their applications and resources on AWS, particularly for industries like e-commerce, online shopping, and gaming.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Last updated: Oct 31, 2024
Flag as inappropriateDevOps Engineer at Construction Specialties
Provides good security features, clear documentation, and integrates easily with other tools
Pros and Cons
- "The solution has good security features."
- "Sometimes, the server goes down automatically."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product to deliver our content. We can use it in end-to-end projects.
What is most valuable?
The solution has good security features. It has all the features we need. The solution provides more security to our applications. We can integrate the tool easily with other solutions if we follow the documentation properly.
What needs improvement?
Sometimes, the server goes down automatically. We do not know the reason yet.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for the past two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable. It gives access to all customers.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the product’s scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
Whenever we contact the support team, the team solves the issue within a day. They respond on time. They put a lot of effort into solving our problems.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
If we do not know anything about AWS, the setup is difficult. If we try to learn the tool, everything will be easier than on other cloud platforms like Azure, IBM, and GCP. AWS is easy to learn. The documentation is very clear. It provides step-by-step information for everything.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Kibana is a tool that is used for open-source data visualization. It is difficult to find information on Azure and GCP’s documentation. Everything is interlinked on AWS on the same page. AWS is one of the best platforms.
What other advice do I have?
We monitor our environment using AWS. I like the EC2 instance. We also use Amazon GuardDuty. I do not have access to the production environment. GuardDuty and AWS Security Hub provide CSPM services to streamline security with automated and continuous security best practices. It provides NACLs and load-balancing features. I will recommend the product to others because it provides high security and high availability worldwide. Overall, I rate the tool an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Apr 19, 2024
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Amazon CloudFront
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Amazon CloudFront. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Chief Innovation Officer at Fluid.Live
Easy to use and provides good security
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is very easy to use."
What is our primary use case?
The front end of most of our websites is by CloudFront. It works as a CDN. More than the CDN and the performance, we use Amazon CloudFront for its security. It frontends most of our sites, so we don't have to expose it directly.
What is most valuable?
Amazon CloudFront is a robust solution. We can use the solution to block certain countries. Since it frontends our S3, we don't directly expose or make public all the media files. We route it through Amazon CloudFront. The tool integrates with AWS's WAF (Web Application Firewall), which adds a lot of L7 security for us.
Those are the primary things that we look at. We can use the solution to host things on EC2 instances or S3 buckets. You can choose what to cache and what not to cache. That feature allows you to work with policies, and we use it heavily. It's very easy to integrate Amazon CloudFront with other AWS services. The solution is very easy to use.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon CloudFront for more than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven’t faced any issues with the solution’s stability.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is very easy.
What other advice do I have?
The solution has improved the performance of our applications. Since we run websites, we usually block certain countries because we get a lot of DDoS attacks and hits from them. Although it's a CDN service, we look at Amazon CloudFront more from a security standpoint than the CDN. I would recommend the solution to other users.
Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Sep 15, 2024
Flag as inappropriateChief Executive Officer at PROJECT MOONSHOT
A cost-effective solution for content delivery but needs better support
Pros and Cons
- "The AWS environment was very helpful in terms of integration."
- "The solution could be more simplified for new users. It could be more user-friendly."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for content delivery and website acceleration. We use it because AWS and CloudFront are under one environment. It requires AWS configuration.
What is most valuable?
We didn't face any issues. The AWS environment was very helpful in terms of integration.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be more simplified for new users. It could be more user-friendly. Also, support needs to be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Amazon CloudFront for more than a month.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is pretty scalable. It works as we expected. We are setting up this solution for a bank with 200 staff employees and more than 5000 users.
I rate the solution’s scalability a seven to eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
It is hard to get technical support from Amazon. They have launched in the Philippines around June, but it's very limited.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have DigitalOcean but we use AWS because it is cheap.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is moderate in AWS but difficult in Azure.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the product’s pricing a six to seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Mar 11, 2024
Flag as inappropriateSr. Consultant Sales - AWS at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Reduced latency enhances fast content delivery with good auto-scaling
Pros and Cons
- "One of the most valuable features of CloudFront is the reduced latency due to its edge locations, which results in a very fast delivery of data."
- "CloudFront could improve in the areas of auto-scaling, reports, and insights. End clients desire more detailed reports to understand usage patterns better."
What is our primary use case?
My primary use case for Amazon CloudFront involves utilizing it as a CDN service from AWS. It is used mainly for e-commerce websites and for clients who have critical applications that require faster loading of their mobile applications and websites.
I've worked with clients in the e-commerce industry who seek to load pages and products faster and in an efficient manner.
Additionally, I've supported EdTech clients who use videos on their site and conduct live classes; CloudFront aids in delivering content quickly.
How has it helped my organization?
CloudFront has allowed organizations to enhance their applications and websites' overall performance, significantly impacting user experience and customer retention.
It helps regain customers by ensuring that websites load quickly, preventing potential users from switching to competitors' sites. This enhanced user experience translates to higher customer trust and retention, assisting in achieving business goals.
What is most valuable?
One of the most valuable features of CloudFront is the reduced latency due to its edge locations, which results in a very fast delivery of data. It also offers encryption capabilities and DDoS attack protection, which can be monitored and managed efficiently.
Another highlight is its user-friendly nature, particularly for developers and DevOps teams, due to complete APIs and arrangements, which simplify integration within applications and websites.
What needs improvement?
CloudFront could improve in the areas of auto-scaling, reports, and insights. End clients desire more detailed reports to understand usage patterns better.
There's an opportunity to modernize modules to support organizations completely on cloud with AI and ML solutions, making it more robust and flexible for contemporary technological demands.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with CloudFront for approximately one or two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
During my experience with CloudFront, I encountered only a few instances of downtime, not exceeding one or two minutes per occurrence, and it has not been a major issue overall.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
CloudFront supports scalability through its auto-scaling feature, using container services like Kubernetes, crucial for handling unpredictable traffic spikes. It is highly beneficial for content delivery and offers significant support during major events.
How are customer service and support?
While there are occasional technical queries regarding latency from multiple data sources, interactions with AWS technical support have been rare due to the minimal technical issues faced.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have experience with Azure CDN, which offers a more flexible pricing model for end clients. However, CloudFront is slightly faster than Azure CDN.
How was the initial setup?
I am not involved in the initial setup or deployment directly. That said, I understand CloudFront is user-friendly.
What about the implementation team?
I am not part of the deployment or implementation team. I am more involved in sales, account management, and consulting.
What was our ROI?
Clients who have used CloudFront, particularly in the e-commerce sector, have seen an increase in profitability. They have acquired new customers and experienced approximately ten to fifteen percent improvements in their ROI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of CloudFront is generally reasonable, offering a pay-as-you-go model with a twelve-month free trial for smaller websites. There is room for improvement, especially considering competition from other providers.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have considered Microsoft Azure CDN.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend CloudFront for any business, application, or website that aims to enhance end-user experience by providing fast content delivery. It is particularly beneficial for e-commerce but can also assist any content-focused endeavor.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Last updated: Oct 27, 2024
Flag as inappropriateInfrastructure manager
A CDN solution that has rich documentation and resources
Pros and Cons
- "The beneficial feature for the entire AWS community is the presence of edge location servers. These servers are strategically located in multiple locations, allowing efficient content delivery from the nearest server."
- "The solution can benefit from expanding its data center and server locations to multiple places for smoother content delivery with even lower latency. The latency we experience is sufficient for our needs, and we are doing well. However, if they expand their locations in the future, it could be a positive factor. Its competitors have multiple data and server locations."
What is our primary use case?
We use Amazon CloudFront for various purposes based on our needs and budget considerations. For instance, if we have live content like static images or videos that should be quickly accessible on our website, the tool is handy. It enables us to deliver content swiftly to end users. The cache features also reduce the need to access the origin server, optimizing our website speed.
How has it helped my organization?
Previously, we were directly fetching videos from our Amazon S3 URL, resulting in slow image loading and high latency on our landing page. To address this, we explored Amazon CloudFront features with edge locations to improve content delivery speed. We integrated Amazon S3 with Amazon CloudFront, and now all content is served through the product, leading to better optimization than our previous setup.
What is most valuable?
The beneficial feature for the entire AWS community is the presence of edge location servers. These servers are strategically located in multiple locations, allowing efficient content delivery from the nearest server.
We opted for the tool because we already used the Amazon S3 bucket. Since Amazon CloudFront is an AWS feature, integrating it with our S3 bucket was easy. Transferring data from one source to another within AWS is straightforward. The process might have been more time-consuming if we had chosen a different CDN provider. Amazon CloudFront, a managed service by AWS, offers an easy integration solution.
What needs improvement?
The solution can benefit from expanding its data center and server locations to multiple places for smoother content delivery with even lower latency. The latency we experience is sufficient for our needs, and we are doing well. However, if they expand their locations in the future, it could be a positive factor. Its competitors have multiple data and server locations.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the product for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the tool's stability a nine out of ten. Customization is easy with the product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate Amazon CloudFront's scalability a ten out of ten. I use it 24/7.
How are customer service and support?
AWS technical support can't be fully assessed at the moment. In the basic support plan, users have the option to open basic support tickets, and AWS provides choices for responses through calls or live chat. To access advanced technical support, users need to subscribe to premium plans. Its response time is quick. Though they give a timeframe of 24 hours, support is immediately initiated.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Akamai CDN before. I chose the product since it integrates easily with my internal system. It is widely used and comes with rich documentation and resources.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment is easy. For inexperienced resources, I rate deployment difficulty an eight out of ten. For me, it's nine point five out of ten. The product comes with a vast amount of resources and documentation.
We had a deadline of one and a half months. However, we could go into production within four weeks, i.e., 25 days. Deployment includes quality assurance and staging processes. One resource is enough to handle the deployment process. The person responsible for deploying the solution should know CI/CD processes. They should understand security compliance, gate methodologies, and the functioning of code push and pull. Familiarity with Webhooks and the dashboard of AWS CodePipeline or check kits is necessary.
Once the setup is done, the tool doesn't require frequent changes. Two resources are needed for maintenance, and one would be enough later.
What was our ROI?
We have seen an ROI of 45 percent with the tool's use.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the product's pricing an eight out of ten. The licensing follows a pay-as-you-go model.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
AWS Developer at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
Boosts global reach with effective content delivery and cache management
Pros and Cons
- "The most beneficial feature is capturing the static data, which is crucial for our operations."
- "There is a bit of a workaround required for custom domain management on CloudFront."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use it to serve static content and to provide an additional call drive to the API Gateway.
How has it helped my organization?
It is very effective in enhancing our application's global reach with its distributed network across geographical locations. It has improved both the performance and reach of our applications.
What is most valuable?
The most beneficial feature is capturing the static data, which is crucial for our operations.
What needs improvement?
There is a bit of a workaround required for custom domain management on CloudFront. Mapping the domain involves some complexity with the domain provider, and it's tricky when doing it for the first time.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using CloudFront for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability is good. It does not face significant issues or break down.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is good, there are no issues observed.
How are customer service and support?
Customer support is rated six out of ten due to knowledge-related aspects.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is not straightforward and requires some prior knowledge and experience.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
CloudFront is relatively cheap and worth the money.
What other advice do I have?
One needs to be aware of how data caching works, especially when trying to refresh data, as it involves cache invalidation, which requires some management.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
Last updated: Oct 15, 2024
Flag as inappropriateSoftware Developer 4 at WEX Inc. (NYSE: WEX)
A widely used, customizable solution with good support
Pros and Cons
- "We can personalize a lot of things inside CDN."
- "The product should be more intuitive."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution to expose fact files to have more latency. We expose the front end of applications using the product.
What is most valuable?
We can personalize a lot of things inside CDN.
What needs improvement?
The product should be more intuitive. It should provide better descriptions of the fields. It can improve the cache and have some customization inside cache configurations. While the product is easy to understand for a developer, it is not so easy for a DevOps engineer like me.
How are customer service and support?
Support is good. Once, I wanted to increase the response time and did not understand which feature to use. So I requested support to increase the timeout. At that moment, it was intuitive because I searched the Internet and understood the use case.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The ease of setup depends upon the use cases. If you are using the most common use case, it's not difficult to set up. We can put our application in origin. We can put an S3 bucket as the origin and research and request from there. You can limit the request to be private inside the product and S3. When we need to go a little bit deep, like when we need to customize some things related to cache, the setup is not intuitive.
What about the implementation team?
We do not need to maintain the product after deployment and calibration. We customize the information from our application in the product and choose the use case. We do not need to worry about maintaining the solution after that.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Cloudflare is more simple, but it is more focused on other use cases. Most companies I work with use 90% CloudFront and 10% Cloudflare.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Updated: November 2024
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Learn More: Questions:
- Can you share your experience on migration from Akamai Kona Site to Amazon CloudFront and AWS WAF?
- How do I choose between AWS Global Accelerator and Amazon CloudFront?
- How does Amazon CloudFront compare with AWS Global Accelerator?
- When evaluating CDN, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
- How does a CDN protect against DDoS attacks?
- If I have a CDN, do I have to worry about DDoS attacks?
- Which eCDN solution do you prefer?
- Why is CDN important for companies?