Comparisons / CloudFront vs Global Accelerator
Networking

CloudFront vs Global Accelerator

CloudFront is a Layer 7 CDN that caches content at edge locations. Global Accelerator is a Layer 4 service that optimizes routing over the AWS global network without caching.

AspectAmazon CloudFrontAWS Global Accelerator
LayerLayer 7 (HTTP/HTTPS) CDNLayer 4 (TCP/UDP) network acceleration
CachingCaches content at edge locationsNo caching, always reaches the origin
ProtocolsHTTP/HTTPS and WebSocketAny TCP/UDP protocol (games, VoIP, etc.)
Static IPDynamic IPs by default; supports Anycast Static IPs as a paid optionProvides two static Anycast IP addresses by default
FailoverActive/passive via origin groupsFast cross-region failover based on health checks
Typical useWebsite/API delivery, video streamingUDP-based games/IoT, APIs needing static IPs, fast multi-region failover

How to Choose

Choose CloudFront to cache and globally deliver HTTP(S) content. CloudFront can also provide Anycast Static IPs as a paid option, but Global Accelerator remains the default choice when you need two static IPs out of the box, non-HTTP TCP/UDP protocols, or fast multi-region failover. The two can also be combined.

Exam Points

  • SAA frequently tests "speed up static content delivery" → CloudFront vs "improve availability of a UDP game server" → Global Accelerator
  • SAP covers choosing between the two in multi-region high-availability architectures
  • CloudFront Origin Access Control (OAC) restricting direct S3 access is a recurring security topic

Related Service Guides

Amazon CloudFrontNetworking

References

Last updated: 2026-09-06

This page is created from AWS official documentation and reviewed/edited by the operator. See our editorial & quality policy for details.