If you are searching for a Magento CDN (content delivery network), you are at the right place. In this article, we will discuss the best CDNs for Magento 2. Before we move towards the CDNs, let us talk about website performance first. It is safe to state that speed is one of the most common reasons for low performing websites. Slow-loading websites have a high bounce rate and provide a poor user experience.
According to a recently published article in Forbes, 40 per cent of users will close a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load. This highlights the importance of having an optimised and fast-loading website. If you are still unconvinced, then know that slow loading websites cost US retailers $2.6 billion in sales each year. Thus, there’s a direct link between your store’s performance and website loading speed.
How to Improve Magento 2 Website Loading Speed?
There are different ways to improve a Magento 2 website’s loading speed, including:
Choose a Reliable Hosting Provider
The first recommendation is to check to your current hosting provider. Based on our experience as a leading Magento extensions company, most Magento 2 users opt for entry-level hosting providers. Eventually, their store’s performance and security start suffering. Therefore, opt for a hosting company that offers secure and fast service.
Optimise Images and Videos
An eCommerce store contains a lot of images and videos. If not properly optimised, they can take too long to load. If users have to wait longer than expected just for the product’s image to load, this will lead to negative user experience. Thus, upload images and videos in next-gen formats.
Use Third Party Cache Tools
While Magento offers in-built caching ability, it is still not up to par. Therefore, use third party tools like Redis and Varnish to improve cache capabilities. For more information, refer to our blog, 'Magento 2 Cache Types and Management'. You’ll find information on how to enable different cache and setting up the Magento 2 Cache Warmer Extension.
Update Magento
Another way to boost the website’s loading speed is by simply updating Magento 2 to the latest version. You’ll notice that with every new version, the developers offer various enhancements that improve the overall website speed. Therefore, as soon as a stable build is available, update Magento. If you don’t know how to check your current Magento 2 version, refer to our blog here.
Enable gzip Compression
Moreover, you can opt for gzip compression to improve the time the server requires to load the website.
Use a Magento 2 CDN
When talking about ways to speed up a website, Magento CDN comes at the forefront. It is an effective way to provide fast delivery of website content. Most merchants assume that Magento 2 is intrinsically slow when compared to other top-ranked eCommerce platforms. However, it is not the case. If Magento 2 were slow, it would not be considered amongst the most popular eCommerce platforms.
So, why is there a popular belief that Magento 2 is slow? Based on our expertise, most merchants have not set up their store correctly. Remember, Magento 2 is a highly customisable platform. Unless you don’t customise and configure the platform as per the requirements, you’ll notice dips in performance. In any case, using the best CDN for Magento 2 can boost overall speed.
What is a CDN?
A CDN refers to a geographically distributed group of servers to reduce the time between a user’s request for data and its delivery. The idea is to allow users to access the data from the server that is geographically closest to them.
How Does A CDN Work?
As stated above, a CDN is a group of servers placed at different locations also known as Points of Presence (PoPs). Each PoP contains a number of caching servers responsible for content delivery to visitors within its proximity. So instead of fetching data from a US-hosted website, a CDN will do it through a UK server or any server that is closest to a UK-based visitor.
This greatly minimises the distance the data must travel hence reduces the delivery time. The use of CDNs continues to grow as they make it possible for content to be delivered quickly and securely. This is the reason websites such as Facebook, Netflix, and Amazon are impressively fast despite storing thousands of terabytes of data on their servers. The below image provides a visual representation of a CDN.
Source: Hostinger
Benefits of Using a CDN for Magento 2
Improved User Satisfaction
Since the users can browse the website quickly, you’ll notice a significant increase in user satisfaction.
SEO Boost
Faster loading times means a lower bounce rate and improvement in search engine result page rankings. For those of you who don’t know, Google and other search engines use website loading speed as a key factor in their search engine algorithm.
24/7 Availability
Even if there’s an outage at one of the servers, users can still access the website using the replica servers. This ensures that your website is available all the time.
Scalability
Lastly, the CDN is scalable, making it a perfect investment to handle an unusual increase in traffic.
The 8 Best CDN for Magento 2
The availability of hundreds of CDN providers makes it difficult to pick the top few but we have done the research and chosen the ones that are the fastest, easy to configure, and most reliable. Here is the list:
1. StackPath
It is the most popular CDN for Magento 2. It is user-friendly, secure, and reliable. StackPath acquired MaxCDN a few years ago. It mainly focuses on the West which is evident from its server’s distribution. It has more Points of Presence (PoPs) in America and Europe than Asia. Its features include real-time analytics, intelligent caching system, Gzip compression, 301 redirects, and security services.
Pros- Easy to set up
- Free private SSL certificate
- Unlimited CDN requests
- Unlimited CDN rules
- No free plan. The basic CDN starts at $10/month
- Lacks locations outside US and Europe
2. Cloudflare
Cloudflare is widely popular among bloggers, small businesses, and professionals. It has the highest number of PoPs around the world ensuring fast content delivery in any part of the world. It comes with a free plan with no limitation on bandwidth.
Other features of Cloudflare include its easy integration with Magento 2, image optimization, mobile optimization, web filtering, clever page rules to manipulate traffic, etc.
Pros- Easy to set up
- 200+ data centers around the world
- Capable free plan
- Full control for developers through REST API
- No phone or chat support in the free plan
- You will have to upgrade to premium plan starting from $20/month to get extra features
3. Fastly
Fastly is a CDN heavyweight that some of the internet giants such as Magento marketplace, Github, Vimeo, Pinterest, Reddit, and Spotify relies upon. Ideal for big organizations, Fastly delivers content in the shortest possible time. It is the second fastest CDN for the UK.
A predominant feature is high programmability. Fastly provides diverse support for different types of video caching. It also offers instant purging and real time logs.
Pros- Highly configurable
- Extremely fast
- Monitor up to $50 of traffic for free
- Difficult to set up
- Costly (Minimum $50 per month)
4. KeyCDN
KeyCDN is another popular CDN provider ideal for first-time and low budget users. Its Magento integration is simple and you can start using it with free 25GB traffic.
Some of the important features of KeyCDN include Gzip compression, real-time reports, instant purge options, two-factor authentication, DDoS protection, and much more.
Pros- Easy to integrate
- Pay as you go (a Pro for low traffic, a Con for high traffic sites)
- 24/7 support
- No free plan
- Limited security features
- Ordinary performance compared to others
5. Google Cloud CDN
Google Cloud CDN leverages Google’s global distribution of points of presence (PoPs). They have over 100 edge points around the globe covering every metropolitan area and hence a recommended cloud CDN for Magento stores.
Cloud CDN is fast, reliable and provides privacy and data security. Configuration is pretty simple, although technical know-how is required to set up HTTP(S) Load Balancing.
Pros- Offers free trial
- $300 free trial credit
- Free SSL certificate
- Pay as you go
- Technical support will cost you extra
6. Amazon CloudFront
Amazon CloudFront is a popular CDN for websites offered by Amazon Web Services, especially because of its speed. It’s highly programmable and offers the most advanced security capabilities.
Amazon CloudFront is for advanced users and its integration with Magento 2 is not that easy. On the flip side, it’s unmatched when it comes to fast content delivery.
Pros- Very fast
- 225+ Points of Presence
- Integrated with AWS
- Difficult to use
- Pricing vary by location
7. CDN77
CDN77 is another solid yet less preferred content delivery network because of its heavy price, although it does have some big clients. The network has data centers across 6 continents and is one of the best choice for Magento store owners having thousands of SKUs.
Pros- Offers a 14 day free trial
- Free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate
- Easy to configure
- Does not offer advanced features
- Pricy (the basic plan starts at $199/month)
8. Akamai
Akamai is among the leading CDN providers. They are in the business for quite some time and hence provide the most extensive network of edge points. The company claims they have approximately 325,000 servers in more than 130 countries and nearly 1,500 networks around the world.
Akamai promises fast, intelligent and secure content delivery. Static content caching, dynamic content routing and cache purging are on par with other leading CDNs.
Pros- Free trial
- Super coverage
- Great support
- Amazing performance
- Not for beginners
- Pricing is unknown
Drawbacks of Using a CDN?
So far, we have described what is a CDN, its benefits, and the best CDN for Magento 2. Now, let’s see what drawbacks are associated with using a CDN.
Complexity
Unless you know what you are doing, setting up a CDN can be quite complex. Even once set up, operating the CDN can be a challenge since the data is no longer on a single server but multiple ones.
Security
By using multiple servers, you are increasing the attack area. Hackers may find a vulnerability in one server and use it to infiltrate the entire network.
Cost
Additionally, CDNs can be quite expensive to set up and manage. It is why you’ll only hear very large companies using CDNs. For stores serving a handful of markets, a CDN is not a viable option.
Final Thoughts on the Best CDN for Magento 2
That’s all about best CDN for Magento 2. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this article.
Related Posts:FAQs Magento 2 CDN
Is Magento 2 slow?
Magento 2 is not slow. The speed ultimately depends on how well you have configured the store. Using an expert Magento company can boost your store’s performance and security.
How Can I Improve My Magento 2 Store’s Speed?
There are numerous ways through which you can improve the speed, including using a reliable hosting provider, using third-party cache tools, enabling gzip compression, and using a CDN.
What is a CDN?
The easiest way to describe a CDN is that it refers to geographically distributed servers that speed up content delivery by providing users content from servers closest to them.
What is the Best CDN for Magento 2?
It is challenging to term any single CDN the best CDN for Magento 2. There are various factors which need to be considered. We have compiled a list of eight CDNs for Magento 2. It makes it easier for you to make a decision.
Do CDNs Have Any Drawbacks?
Yes, they do have drawbacks, including they can be expensive to set up and can introduce additional security-related vulnerabilities.