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Netlify vs Netlify CDN

Based on 86 and 67 real audits

View Netlify details | View Netlify CDN details
MetricNetlifyNetlify CDNWinner
Performance6362Netlify
Accessibility9191Tie
Best Practices9393Tie
SEO9595Tie
Security7271Netlify
TTFB357ms378msNetlify
Composite7978Netlify
Performance
Netlify
63
Netlify CDN
62
Accessibility
Netlify
91
Netlify CDN
91
Security
Netlify
72
Netlify CDN
71
SEO
Netlify
95
Netlify CDN
95
Composite
Netlify
79
Netlify CDN
78

Netlify outperforms Netlify CDN in 4 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (79 vs 78). Netlify CDN leads in no categories.

When to choose Netlify

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

When to choose Netlify CDN

Netlify CDN doesn't clearly lead Netlify in any category on the sampled sites — pick it based on developer experience, ecosystem, or existing team skills rather than the audit scores.

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 86 audited Netlify sites and 67 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 sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (63 vs 62 on average).
Which has better security, Netlify or Netlify CDN?
Netlify sites score higher on security analysis (72 vs 71 on average).
Which has better accessibility, Netlify or Netlify CDN?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor Netlify (91 vs 91). 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 (95 vs 95 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 (357 ms vs 378 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 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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