I'm building a media site and need help choosing a CDN for video and large files

For a media site, the “best” CDN depends less on raw speed and more on how you serve video and large files:

• If you stream video at scale: look for video-aware delivery (HLS/DASH support, segment caching, origin shielding, token auth, good range request handling).
• If you mostly serve large static files: prioritize low egress cost, high cache hit rates, range requests, and global PoPs.
• If you need both: choose a CDN that’s strong on media delivery + cost control + security.

Good CDN options to consider

1) Cloudflare

Best for: broad use, security, easy setup, strong global network
Pros:

• Excellent global performance
• Strong security features (WAF, DDoS, token auth options)
• Good caching for large files
• Often simple to integrate Cons:
• Video-specific workflows may need more manual setup
• Some advanced media features are less specialized than dedicated video platforms When to pick: you want one platform for site + files + moderate video delivery.

2) Fastly

Best for: advanced control, real-time config, high-performance media delivery
Pros:

• Very flexible edge logic
• Fast purging and config changes
• Strong for large file delivery and custom caching rules
• Good observability Cons:
• Can be more complex
• Pricing may be less friendly at lower scale When to pick: you have engineering resources and need precise caching/control.

3) Akamai

Best for: enterprise-grade global scale and media delivery
Pros:

• Massive network coverage
• Strong video delivery capabilities
• Mature enterprise features Cons:
• Often expensive
• More sales/contract complexity When to pick: you’re at larger scale or need enterprise reliability and support.

4) AWS CloudFront

Best for: if you already use AWS
Pros:

• Tight integration with S3, Media services, Lambda@Edge
• Good for large files and video segments
• Pay-as-you-go Cons:
• Can get complicated to optimize
• Costs can rise with poor caching or lots of request volume When to pick: your storage/origin is in AWS and you want a native solution.

5) Bunny.net

Best for: cost-effective delivery for media and downloads
Pros:

• Usually very cost-competitive
• Easy to use
• Good for large files, video, and download-heavy sites Cons:
• Less enterprise depth than Akamai/Fastly
• Smaller ecosystem When to pick: you want a simpler, lower-cost CDN for a media startup or SMB.

6) Cloudflare Stream / Mux / Vimeo OTT (video platforms, not just CDNs)

Best for: if you want video hosting/encoding/playback, not only CDN
Pros:

• Handles transcoding, packaging, player workflows
• Less infrastructure work Cons:
• Not ideal if you need full control over raw file delivery
• Can be pricier depending on usage When to pick: your main problem is video delivery workflow, not generic file CDN.

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My practical recommendation

If you’re starting out:

• Bunny.net if cost matters most
• Cloudflare if you want a strong all-around choice

If you already run on AWS:

• CloudFront is the default choice

If you need heavy customization and very high performance:

• Fastly

If you’re enterprise / massive scale:

• Akamai

If video is the main product:

• Consider Mux or Cloudflare Stream for video workflow, and a CDN for everything else.

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Key features to compare for your use case

Make sure your shortlist supports:

• Byte-range requests for large files and seekable video
• HLS/DASH support if streaming
• Tokenized/signed URLs for protected content
• Origin shielding to reduce origin load
• Edge caching rules you can control
• Purge/invalidation speed
• Bandwidth pricing and request pricing
• Logs/analytics for cache hit ratio and cost monitoring
• TLS/WAF/DDoS protection

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Quick decision rule

• Need simplest all-around option: Cloudflare
• Need cheapest good option: Bunny.net
• Need AWS-native: CloudFront
• Need maximum control/performance: Fastly
• Need enterprise media scale: Akamai
• Need video workflow, not just CDN: Mux or Cloudflare Stream

If you want, I can also give you a ranked shortlist based on your traffic, file sizes, regions, and budget.