Amazon CloudFront Reviews

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.

We didn't face any issues. 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. Also, support needs to be improved.

I have been using Amazon CloudFront for more than a month.

I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.

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.

It is hard to get technical support from Amazon. They have launched in the Philippines around June, but it's very limited.

Neutral

We have DigitalOcean but we use AWS because it is cheap.

The initial setup is moderate in AWS but difficult in Azure.

I rate the product’s pricing a six to seven out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Amazon CloudFront is a service that allows us to host our website or video on a domain. If we want to access a specific page on our website directly, we can create a CloudFront connection to the hosting server for our website. If we want to launch our website and then link it to documentation or other elements quickly, we can do so directly through CloudFront. Afterward, we can link our domain to the CloudFront distribution.

Amazon CloudFront is a service that dramatically accelerates the delivery of our static and dynamic web content.

The most valuable feature of the solution is the speed of delivery. For example, if we have HTML, CSS, PHP, images, and media files, CloudFront can deliver them quickly and reliably through its worldwide network of edge locations. This reduces latency, allowing webpages to open faster, while also providing high performance.

If the content is not stored in the Amazon CloudFront location, it will be retrieved from an origin, such as Amazon S3, a MediaPackage Channel, or an HTTP file server. For example, if the content is stored on a web server, that server can be identified as the source for the requested content. Suppose that we are hosting an image on a traditional web server, such as a PNG file. We might place the image on a website with the image name adhikary.png. This way, our users can easily navigate to the URL and see the image. When we use Amazon CloudFront, however, they may not be aware that the request is routed from one network to another. This is because the complex connections of interconnected networks that comprise the internet are hidden until the image is found.

Amazon CloudFront can improve by accurately determining the latency of a non-defined URL that the solution encounters. For example, if we have a direct connection, the solution will link to the data in a fraction of a second but if we don't have a direct connection and are using a domain name instead, it will take longer to connect. To improve this, we should consider getting a direct connection.

I have been using the solution for several months.

The stability of the product is very high, and it will not be affected by the connection of the endpoint to CSS, HTML, or CloudFront. Amazon CloudFront is an independent product and its stability is also very good.

I give the stability an eight out of ten.

I give the scalability an eight out of ten.

The technical support provides extensive support for their managed services. In most cases, we don't need much support, but if any issues arise, AWS provides quick and reliable assistance.

Positive

The initial setup is straightforward. I give the deployment an eight out of ten.

I believe the solution is more expensive. Amazon's pricing varies depending on the data transfer. The cost depends on how much data is transmitted from that particular CloudFront. The cost is lower if we are located in America and hosted in America.

I give the solution an eight out of ten.

Navigating Amazon CloudFront is easy and provides many options. Image access management, CloudFront delivery, and the location and IP address range of the CloudFront server is all easily accessible. I find Amazon CloudFront to be particularly productive, making it a great choice for my needs. If an organization is using Amazon's cloud service it is best to use Amazon CloudFront and stay away from other solutions.

We use the product to deliver our content. We can use it in end-to-end projects.

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.

Sometimes, the server goes down automatically. We do not know the reason yet.

I have been using the solution for the past two years.

The product is stable. It gives access to all customers.

I rate the product’s scalability an eight out of ten.

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.

Positive

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.

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.

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.

Our primary use case for Amazon CloudFront is to cache content near users for faster delivery. For instance, when we need to deliver real-time reports to customers, we cache them in locations close to the users. It allows them to access the reports in a fraction of a second.

The product's most valuable feature is its ability to deliver content to users nearby. We have limited AWS regions, so accessing content directly from these regions can incur delays. However, with CloudFront, we can cache content closer to users, ensuring real-time access.

They could be expanding the number of locations available. It will help users easily access content.

We have been using Amazon CloudFront for six months.

While I have not encountered any major issues, sometimes it isn't easy to implement. However, considering these platforms are already extensively tested, any bugs encountered are usually addressed promptly. Overall, it works well. I rate the platform's stability an eight.

I rate the platform's scalability a nine out of ten.

One of my team members typically handles interactions with AWS support, and they have been able to provide satisfactory answers to our queries.

Positive

I have used Microsoft before.

The initial setup may seem difficult for first-time users, as is often with any cloud platform. However, with some work experience, navigating the screens and understanding the processes becomes easier. It takes only a few minutes or seconds to complete.

The security features provided by CloudFront have benefited our operations as we did not need to implement any additional security measures. The built-in security features were sufficient for our business requirements. I highly recommend a product if someone requires a solution for real-time access to data and content.

I rate it a nine out of ten.

I used it for distributing it with the infrastructure of serverless architecture in Lambda front functions and using it for projects like in adding layers for serverless triggers and using it for building content on storage.

The UI and the functionality in AWS for CloudFront is much better as compared to Azure and GCP.

The distribution networks need to be a little bit more user-friendly in the way that new users are not able to configure the CloudFront distribution as easily as experienced users. I faced quite many difficulties in my early days with CloudFront compared to now.

I started using CloudFront in February of 2022, so around two and a half years.

I haven't faced any issues like breaking down or being unreliable. But if you don't configure it properly in the distribution network, it won't give you any results, and you won't be able to actually find out where you made the mistake.

The scalability is good. That part is good. No doubt.

There have been a few times that I have had to contact the support system, and they've been pretty much responsive. They really helped me out by sharing documentation. There are really few instances that you have to actually contact the support team. But when you do, they respond.

Positive

Compared to other services, CloudFront is expensive as opposed to alternative services of Azure and GCP. However, the scalable part and the availability part from support networks give an advantage and a kick-off that you can enjoy the UI and the scalable aspects.

We compared the solution to Azure and GCP.

Practice as much as you can, set up distribution networks, and make sure that you do not make solutions more complex than they need to be. Divide your whole infrastructure into multiple Check Points and steps. Don't make a single layer of series. Make sure that you have multiple Check Points and different distribution points set up so that you can identify where the problems occur.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I have been working with CloudFront for approximately one or two years.

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.

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.

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.

Positive

I have experience with Azure CDN, which offers a more flexible pricing model for end clients. However, CloudFront is slightly faster than Azure CDN.

I am not involved in the initial setup or deployment directly. That said, I understand CloudFront is user-friendly.

I am not part of the deployment or implementation team. I am more involved in sales, account management, and consulting.

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.

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.

I have considered Microsoft Azure CDN.

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.

I've used CloudFront, as the company's CDN, to distribute content across better local servers to help the final user perform better.

The most valuable feature is the number of servers they can put your content in while being reliable. They are stable. It's a strong feature that helps distribute content close to the users.

The user interface could be improved. It's much easier to control or see financial results from similar solutions from Google.

The solution is very stable. I can only remember one or two times that the product was unstable, but overall, it is very hard for something to go wrong.

The solution is very scalable.

In the free tier, you receive very little support from Amazon. You get more support with premium support, but I believe Amazon lacks documentation. This is mainly a problem with people like us from abroad because it's not common for them to translate materials, and they are closed off from the community, so they do not offer the greatest support.

Neutral

It takes a long time to deploy the solution, but the most difficult part is deploying it nicely. The user should fine-tune the configuration to achieve the solution's full potential.

Depending on the complexity of the deployment, the number of people required varies. Just deploying the CDN on the cloud is not hard. If you have one or two good developers, they can deploy the solution themselves.

I rate Amazon CloudFront's pricing a five out of ten.

Amazon CloudFront is not the most complex application for Amazon to set up, but some complexities could be improved to get the most of the power out of this service. However, the solution works perfectly when designed well by the architect.

I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

I use the solution to expose fact files to have more latency. We expose the front end of applications using the product.

We can personalize a lot of things inside CDN.

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.

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.

Positive

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.

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.

Cloudflare is more simple, but it is more focused on other use cases. Most companies I work with use 90% CloudFront and 10% Cloudflare.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.