Amazon Web Services vs Cloudflare: What’s the Difference?
Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Cloudflare are both major cloud providers, but they serve different purposes. AWS offers a full suite of cloud computing services, while Cloudflare focuses on performance and security at the network edge.
Quick Overview
| Feature | AWS | Cloudflare |
|---|---|---|
| Core Purpose | Full cloud computing (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) | Edge CDN, DNS, and security |
| Popular Services | EC2, S3, Lambda, Route 53 | CDN, DNS, WAF, DDoS Protection |
| Global CDN | Amazon CloudFront | Built-in and faster at the edge |
| DNS | Route 53 | Fast DNS with built-in proxy/security |
| DDoS Protection | AWS Shield | Included with Cloudflare proxy |
| SSL/TLS | ACM or manual setup | Free and automatic |
| Pricing Model | Pay-as-you-go, complex | Free tier + flat pricing |
When to Choose AWS
- Full infrastructure deployment (compute, storage, DB)
- Custom cloud-native app architecture
- Need for serverless (Lambda), container services (ECS, EKS)
When to Choose Cloudflare
- CDN + DNS + WAF + DDoS on top of existing hosting
- Protect origin servers from attacks
- Easy HTTPS setup and caching without managing infrastructure
Combined Approach (Best Practice)
Often, they’re used together:
- Host your app on AWS (e.g. EC2 or S3)
- Use Cloudflare for caching, firewall, and DNS
- Result: Global delivery + security with minimal origin load
Example Setup: AWS + Cloudflare
# On AWS:
# Host static website on S3 bucket
# On Cloudflare:
# Point DNS A record to AWS IP or CNAME to S3
# Enable proxy (orange cloud)
# Configure WAF and HTTPS
Conclusion
AWS and Cloudflare are not direct competitors—they are complementary. Use AWS for hosting and compute, and Cloudflare for security and edge performance. DevOps engineers benefit from combining both for a robust, scalable setup.