Alibaba Cloud CDN

In global CDN discussions, Alibaba Cloud CDN is often simply labeled as:“China's cloud service providers” CDN."

But those who have actually used it and made selections for cross-border or China-related business operations will know—The value of Alibaba Cloud CDN extends far beyond being merely a “domestic alternative.”

It addresses a very real and very thorny problem:

How to reliably deliver content to users within China's complex internet and regulatory environment.

Service Provider Basic Information

Alibaba Cloud CDN Alibaba Cloud Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a service provided by Alibaba Cloud, deeply integrated into Alibaba Cloud's overall cloud computing and network infrastructure.Mainland China and the Asia-Pacific RegionPossesses exceptional network control capabilities.

• Service Provider Name: Alibaba Cloud CDN

• Group affiliation: Alibaba Group

• Headquarters Location: China · Hangzhou

• Official Website:https://www.alibabacloud.com

• Core Services: CDN Acceleration, Video Distribution, Web & API Acceleration, Security Protection

• Typical clients: E-commerce platforms, overseas business operations, China market-related projects

• Reference Price (Official Price Range)：

  • Overseas CDN Acceleration: Approximately $0.06 – $0.12 / GB(Varies by region)

  • Mainland China CDN Acceleration: Approximately Starting at ¥0.24 per GB(Tiered pricing based on data usage; registration required)

  • Video, HTTPS, and backhaul traffic may be billed separately.
    (Prices are subject to change and are based on Alibaba Cloud's official real-time pricing.)

If your business involves mainland China or a large number of Chinese users, Alibaba Cloud CDN is not “one option” but “one of the default solutions.”

1. It is not a standalone product, but rather “part of the cloud network.”

Unlike many independent CDN providers, Alibaba Cloud CDN was never a “standalone network” from the outset.

It is part of the overall Alibaba Cloud system, along with:

• Alibaba Cloud ECS

• Object Storage Service (OSS)

• Video on Demand

• Security Products (DDoS, WAF)

Deeply coupled together.

One direct result of this is:

When you place your origin server, storage, and acceleration within the Alibaba Cloud ecosystem, the entire chain operates with “internal network-level coordination.”

In the context of mainland China's internet environment,of utmost importance。

II. It's Not About “Technical Showmanship,” But About “Implementation Capability”

1️⃣ Mainland China's network coverage is an absolute advantage.

This is a point that must be addressed separately.

In mainland China, the internet situation is highly unique:

• Operator fragmentation

• Cross-network access is costly

• Regulatory and compliance requirements are stringent.

The advantages of Alibaba Cloud CDN in these aspects are:structural：

• Establishing deep cooperation with the three major telecom operators

• High node density, and not merely a token presence“

• Clear compliance procedures (record filing, domain access, HTTPS, etc.)

If your business targets users in China,This isn't a performance difference, but rather a difference in whether it can run properly.

2️⃣ Extremely well-suited for video, e-commerce, and high-concurrency scenarios

Alibaba Cloud CDN demonstrates exceptional maturity in the following scenarios:

• E-commerce Mega Sale (High Concurrency, Short-Term Peak Traffic)

• Video-on-Demand and Live Streaming

• Image- and static-resource-intensive websites

Especially during major promotions and event traffic scenarios, Alibaba Cloud CDN'sScalability and StabilityIt has been proven through multiple real-world applications.

3️⃣ Web and API Acceleration: The Robust Approach

• Static and Dynamic Content Caching

• HTTPS / HTTP2 / QUIC Support

• API Request Acceleration and Origin Control

Its style isn't about offering you tons of “fancy features,” but rather letting you handle high traffic volumes.Minimize problems as much as possible。

III. Among China's CDN providers, it ranks in the top tier.

This is an often underestimated aspect of Alibaba Cloud CDN.

Leveraging Alibaba Cloud's comprehensive security framework, it can seamlessly integrate with:

• High-Defense IP

• DDoS Cleaning

• Web Application Firewall

• Bot Management

Combined use.

For the Chinese market, thisIntegrated Security + CDNThis model is often more hassle-free than “CDN + third-party security integration.”

IV. Price and Positioning Comparison (Based on Official References)

The following table isFrom the user's perspective on model selectionPrices listed are publicly available or within the official range.

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V. When is Alibaba Cloud CDN the Optimal Solution?

You can quickly determine this by asking yourself the following questions:

• Do I have a significant portion of my users in mainland China?

• Does my business require compliance, registration, and stable domestic access?

• Am I already using other Alibaba Cloud products?

If the answer is “yes,” then Alibaba Cloud CDN is oftenLowest cost, minimal riskThe choice.

VI. When Should You Exercise Caution in Your Choices?

It is also necessary to clearly define the boundaries:

• If your businessDoes not involve China at all

• If you prefer minimalism, self-service, and a developer-centric experience

• If you only target European and American users and aim for the lowest possible costs

Then Cloudflare, Fastly, Bunny, and others might be more suitable.

VII. Practical Usage Recommendations (Field-Tested)

If you plan to use Alibaba Cloud CDN, please note the following points:

1. First, confirm whether filing is required.(Acceleration in mainland China is almost a necessity)

2. Distinguish between domestic and overseas CDN domains to avoid mixing them.

3. Set cache rules appropriately to reduce backend requests.

4. Be mindful of hidden costs (HTTPS, backend calls, logging)

The perception that “Alibaba Cloud CDN is expensive” actually stems fromImproper configuration。

VIII. Long-Term Location of Alibaba Cloud CDN

From an industry perspective, my assessment is clear:

• It will maintain its dominant position in China's CDN market for the long term.

• Continued expansion in the Asia-Pacific region

• We will not directly compete with Cloudflare in the “global minimalist CDN” space.

In a nutshell:

As long as your business involves China, Alibaba Cloud CDN will never be an outdated option.

Conclusion

The value of Alibaba Cloud CDN lies not in “showcasing technical prowess,” but in its ability toChina, one of the most complex online environments，

Consistently delivering content. This task alone is challenging enough—and valuable enough.