We’re on Fastly but want easier cache controls, what should we look at?

If you’re on Fastly and want easier cache controls, the best alternative depends on what “easier” means for you:

Best options to look at

1) Cloudflare

Usually the first place people look.

• Simpler dashboard and rules UI
• Easy cache purge controls
• Good built-in CDN + security + WAF
• Clear page rules / cache rules for many common use cases
• Generally easier for teams that don’t want to live in VCL or edge logic

Good if: you want the least operational friction and a broad feature set.

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2) Akamai

Very powerful, but not necessarily simpler.

• Enterprise-grade caching and edge control
• Lots of flexibility
• Often more complex to manage than Fastly or Cloudflare

Good if: you need heavy enterprise controls and can tolerate more complexity.

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3) AWS CloudFront

Can be easier if you’re already deep in AWS.

• Works well with S3, ALB, Lambda, etc.
• Cache policies and origin request policies are more approachable than custom edge logic
• Integration with AWS ecosystem is strong

Good if: your infra is mostly on AWS and you want a native option.

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4) Bunny.net

A simpler, lighter-weight CDN option.

• Straightforward UI
• Easy cache purge and rule controls
• Often lower cost
• Good for teams that want “CDN that just works”

Good if: you want simplicity and don’t need very advanced edge behavior.

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5) KeyCDN / StackPath / others

These can also be simpler than Fastly, but usually don’t match Fastly’s flexibility or ecosystem.

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If your main pain is “cache controls”

Look specifically for:

• Rule-based cache control without code
• Instant purge by URL/tag
• Surrogate keys / cache tagging
• Origin shielding
• Easy bypass / stale-while-revalidate settings
• Per-path cache TTLs
• UI-driven configuration
• API support for automation

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Quick recommendation

• Want simplest general replacement: Cloudflare
• Want AWS-native: CloudFront
• Want lightweight/easy/cheaper: Bunny.net
• Need advanced enterprise control: Akamai

If you want, I can give you a Fastly vs Cloudflare vs CloudFront comparison specifically for cache management.