CDN Cost Calculator (bandwidth + request pricing)
Most CDN bills have two big line items: bandwidth (cost per GB) and requests. This page helps you estimate both, then add them to get a total monthly CDN cost estimate and compare baseline vs peak scenarios.
1) Bandwidth
Use monthly GB delivered by the CDN to end users (edge bandwidth). If you only have Mbps, convert it to GB/month with the Units Converter or this guide: estimate CDN bandwidth.
This calculator is intentionally simple: bring your own pricing assumptions, then sanity-check the result against provider billable units (GB vs GiB, per-10k vs per-1M requests, region tiers).
Inputs
CDN bandwidth (GB / month)
Avg throughput: 12.18 Mbps.
Avg throughput (Mbps)
Est 24,624 GB/month.
Pricing mode
Use tiered mode when pricing changes by volume.
CDN price ($ / GB)
Enter your provider's effective $/GB for the region/path/tier.
Scenario presets
Results
Estimated monthly cost
$240.00
Egress
4,000 GB
Price
$0.06 / GB
2) Requests
Some providers charge per request (often per 10k or per 1M). If you have RPS, convert it to requests/month first.
Use RPS to Monthly Requests if you start from traffic charts rather than a billing export. For pricing units and conversion tips, read CDN request pricing.
Inputs
Requests (per month)
Avg 114.22 req/sec.
Avg RPS
Est 315,187,200 requests/month.
Pricing unit
Per 1M is 100x per 10k.
Price ($ / 10k requests)
Effective rate: $0.75 / 1M requests
Scenario presets
Results
Estimated monthly request cost
$225.00
Requests
300,000,000
Cost per 1M requests
$0.75
Build scenarios (baseline vs peak)
- Baseline: typical month (normal traffic, normal cache behavior).
- Peak: launches, incidents, seasonal spikes (often where request fees surprise teams).
- If pricing is tiered, run separate scenarios for each tier/region mix and sum the totals rather than using one average rate.
Tip: use the new "Save scenario" button at the top to keep a baseline and peak link you can revisit.
CDN cost driver split
- Edge bandwidth is billed to end users, not to your origin.
- Origin egress is a separate line item when cache hit rate is low.
- Request fees can dominate for small payloads or API-like traffic.
Worked split example
- Edge bandwidth: 6,000 GB/month x $0.05 = $300.
- Requests: 400M/month x $0.0075 per 10k = $300.
- Origin egress: 600 GB/month x $0.09 = $54 (modeled separately).
Traffic mix clues
- Video and large downloads are bandwidth-heavy.
- APIs and small assets are request-heavy.
- Image optimization creates many variants and request bursts.
3) Common pitfalls
- Mixing GB and GiB (use Units converter).
- Using origin egress as a proxy for CDN edge bandwidth (they are different line items).
- Ignoring request-class pricing (static vs dynamic, cache miss vs hit) when it matters.
- Forgetting cache fill traffic and origin egress when your hit rate is low.
If you are comparing providers, use the same traffic inputs and swap pricing assumptions. This checklist helps: CloudFront vs Cloudflare CDN cost.
CDN input sources
- Edge bandwidth: use CDN analytics for GB delivered to end users.
- Request counts: use CDN request metrics (not origin requests).
- Region mix: split by geography if pricing differs.
Result interpretation
- Bandwidth dominates large media; requests dominate small or chatty traffic.
- Identify which line item drives spikes before optimizing.
Common mistakes
- Using origin egress as a proxy for CDN edge bandwidth.
- Ignoring cache fill and origin egress when hit rates are low.
- Using one blended rate without accounting for region mix.
Advanced inputs to capture
- Separate edge bandwidth from origin egress and cache fill.
- Split request classes if pricing differs by cache hit or dynamic content.
- Model tiered pricing using effective blended rates.
- Track peak events where request fees and bandwidth spike together.
Budget scenarios
| Scenario | Bandwidth | Requests | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | Expected | Expected | Normal traffic |
| Launch | High | Burst | Launch/incident |
Validate after changes
- Match edge bandwidth and request counts to CDN billing usage types.
- Track origin egress separately when cache hit rate changes.
Next steps
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Example scenario
- Bandwidth: 4,000 GB/month at $0.06/GB -> $240/month; Requests: 300M/month at $0.0075 per 10k -> $225/month; Total -> ~$465/month.
- Bandwidth dominates for large media; requests dominate for API-like traffic with small payloads.
- Build a baseline and a peak scenario to avoid under-budgeting during launches or incidents.
Included
- Bandwidth estimate from GB/month and $/GB pricing.
- Request-fee estimate from requests/month and $ per 10k pricing.
Not included
- Origin egress and cache fill costs (model separately if billed).
- Tiered pricing and regional blending (use effective blended rates or run scenarios).
How we calculate
- Total CDN cost = bandwidth cost + request fees.
- Bandwidth cost = GB/month x $/GB (edge bandwidth).
- Request fees = (requests/month / 10,000) x $ per 10k requests (or convert if pricing is per 1M).
- If your provider has tiered pricing, use a blended effective rate or run multiple scenarios and sum.
FAQ
What keyword should I search for in pricing pages?
Look for "data transfer" or "bandwidth" ($/GB) and "requests" ($ per 10k or per 1M). Confirm units and regions.
Where do I get GB/month and requests/month?
Use CDN analytics if you have them. If you only have throughput or RPS, use the Units Converter and RPS-to-monthly tool to convert.
Does cache hit rate change the CDN bandwidth line item?
Edge bandwidth (to end users) is still billed as bandwidth. Cache hit rate mainly impacts origin egress and origin request volume.
How do I handle tiered pricing?
Use an effective blended $/GB and $ per 10k requests for your expected volume, or model multiple tiers/scenarios and add them up.
Do I need to include origin egress?
Sometimes. If your CDN pulls from an origin you pay for, cache fill and origin egress can be material. Model origin egress separately with the Data Egress calculator.
What if my provider includes free tiers or bundled requests?
Subtract free allowances from your GB/month or requests/month before applying rates, or use an effective blended rate after free tiers.
Related tools
Related guides
API Gateway vs ALB vs CloudFront cost: what to compare (requests, transfer, add-ons)
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Azure CDN pricing: estimate bandwidth, requests, and cache fill
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CDN Cost & Pricing Guide (bandwidth, requests, origin egress)
Step-by-step CDN cost breakdown: bandwidth $/GB, request fees, and origin egress. Includes estimation tips and pitfalls.
CDN request pricing: estimate $ per 10k / 1M requests (and when it dominates)
Some CDNs charge request fees in addition to bandwidth. Learn what counts as a billable request, how to estimate requests/month from RPS or analytics, and how to model per-10k vs per-1M pricing without unit mistakes.
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A practical Cloud CDN cost model: edge bandwidth, request volume, and origin egress (cache fill). Includes validation steps for hit rate by path, heavy-tail endpoints, and purge/deploy events that reduce hit rate.
CloudFront pricing: estimate bandwidth and request costs (without hardcoding prices)
A practical way to estimate CloudFront-style CDN costs using your own bandwidth ($/GB) and request-fee ($ per 10k/1M) assumptions, plus common pitfalls like tiered pricing and origin egress.
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Disclaimer
Educational use only. Not legal, financial, or professional advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs and assumptions shown on this page. Verify pricing and limits with your providers and documentation.
Last updated: 2026-02-23