On the 18th November 2025, the Cloudflare server went down, dragging thousands of websites, apps and servers down with it.
The issue, according to Cloudflare, was triggered by an issue with their Bot Management System, which uploaded a file size that was too big. This caused the software to fail, and after ruling out a DDoS attack, Cloudflare quickly found the core issue and was able to replace the file.
Speaking on their website, Cloudflare wrote 鈥淲e are sorry for the impact to our customers and to the Internet in general. Given Cloudflare鈥檚 importance in the Internet ecosystem any outage of any of our systems is unacceptable. That there was a period of time where our network was not able to route traffic is deeply painful to every member of our team. We know we let you down today.鈥�
And with around 20% of the web running through Cloudflare鈥檚 network, including more than 221,000 paying customers, it鈥檚 no surprise that the outage caused such widespread panic.
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Why Do Server Outages Happen?
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Server outages can happen for a number of reasons and really aren鈥檛 that uncommon.
Some reasons they happen invluce:
- Software bugs that cause systems to pause and break before engineers can figure out what went wrong.
- Human error due to a mistyped command or line of code.
- Traffic surges that overpower the system and cause it to malfunction.
- Hardware breakages from power, chips and routers.
- Cyberattacks, directly targeting the server.
- Network issues, that cause breaks in connectivity.
The truth is, no server is completely immune to an outage. But if you do rely on Cloudflare and find yourself looking for alternatives, look no further.
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Amazon CloudFront (AWS)
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Amazon CloudFront is a global content delivery network (CDN) from Amazon Web Services (AWS) that uses multiple data centres to deliver content at high speeds.
By using a distributed network, it allows web pages, videos, files and content to be delivered with low latency and high transfer speeds. It is also able to prevent crashing by distributing demand across its network.
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Tailscale
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Tailscale is a VPN tool that allows users to create private networks between devices. Instead of relying on public-facing IP, it connects devices directly.
And whilst it is true that Tailscale is a VPN, it can be a great tunnelling alternative to Cloudflare, helping companies create encrypted access on their private networks. Whilst it鈥檚 probably not right for publicly facing websites, it鈥檚 a great option for businesses that want to control which devices access their network.
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Google Cloud CDN
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Google Cloud CDN was initially built to serve its own apps like Google Search, Gmail and Maps. However, Google Cloud now allows other websites to access global traffic.
One of its benefits is that it integrates with Google Cloud Load Balancing and Cloud Armor for security, adding a layer of protection. It鈥檚 a particularly good choice for API apps, streaming services and workspaces with users all over the globe.
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Akamai
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Akamai is an American-based company that specialises in content delivery networks, cybersecurity, DDoS mitigation and cloud services. It aims to make the internet faster, more secure and more reliable to its customers.
It works by using a number of servers around the world. When a user asks for a website or app, the content is delivered from the nearest server, making it as fast as possible. It also helps businesses prevent against cyberattacks and has a team of experts working round the clock incase of any security threats.
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BunnyCDN
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BunnyCDN is an alternative to some of the bigger companies listed above. It鈥檚 known for loading websites quickly at a fraction of the cost of its competitors.
It offers a 鈥榩ay as you go鈥� pricing model that helps clients up or down weight their usage based on need. For SMEs or businesses looking for a flexible alternative, BunnyCDN can be a great option, especially in Europe.
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Azure CDN
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Azure Content Delivery Network is a product by Microsoft, that allows users to send video, apps, photos, audio and websites to customers faster and more reliably than alternatives. The main service it uses is Azure Front Door, which provides even higher security and speed for customers.
It鈥檚 great for global websites, streamers and businesses that constantly need to share large files
