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Netlify vs Netlify CDN

Based on 161 and 141 real audits

View Netlify details | View Netlify CDN details
MetricNetlifyNetlify CDNWinner
Performance7273Netlify CDN
Accessibility9393Tie
Best Practices9596Netlify CDN
SEO9797Tie
Security7778Netlify CDN
TTFB339ms341msNetlify
Composite8282Tie
Performance
Netlify
72
Netlify CDN
73
Accessibility
Netlify
93
Netlify CDN
93
Security
Netlify
77
Netlify CDN
78
SEO
Netlify
97
Netlify CDN
97
Composite
Netlify
82
Netlify CDN
82

Netlify CDN outperforms Netlify in 3 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (82 vs 82). Netlify leads in TTFB.

When to choose Netlify

Choose Netlify when your primary concern is server response time. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

When to choose Netlify CDN

Choose Netlify CDN when your primary concern is performance and best practices. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 161 audited Netlify sites and 141 audited Netlify CDN sites in the BeaverCheck database. Every audit runs the same 100+ checks — Lighthouse performance, security headers, accessibility, SEO, server response time — against a real URL. No vendor input, no sponsorship, no affiliate links. Read the full methodology →

FAQ

Which is faster, Netlify or Netlify CDN?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, Netlify CDN sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (73 vs 72 on average).
Which has better security, Netlify or Netlify CDN?
Netlify CDN sites score higher on security analysis (78 vs 77 on average).
Which has better accessibility, Netlify or Netlify CDN?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor Netlify (93 vs 93). Both technologies can be made fully accessible with care — the difference reflects common patterns in the sampled sites, not inherent platform limits.
Which is better for SEO, Netlify or Netlify CDN?
Netlify sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (97 vs 97 on average), which cover meta tags, crawlability, mobile friendliness, and structured data. Content strategy and backlinks still matter more than platform choice for ranking.
Which has faster server response (TTFB), Netlify or Netlify CDN?
Netlify sites show lower Time to First Byte (339 ms vs 341 ms on average). TTFB depends heavily on hosting and CDN setup rather than the technology itself, but the sampled sites suggest a meaningful difference in common deployment patterns.
Should I choose Netlify or Netlify CDN for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. Netlify CDN scores higher on overall composite score while Netlify may excel in metrics you care about most. Run a free BeaverCheck audit on a real site using each to compare the metrics relevant to your use case.
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