Edge compute has become essential for low-latency global apps. Two platforms lead the space in 2026: Cloudflare Workers (V8 isolates, 320+ cities) and AWS Lambda@Edge (CloudFront, 600+ POPs). Which should you choose?
📊 Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | Cloudflare Workers | AWS Lambda@Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Cold start | ~0ms (V8 isolates) | 100-500ms |
| Locations | 320+ cities | 600+ POPs |
| Pricing (1M req) | $0.30 | $0.60 + duration |
| Free tier | 100k req/day | None |
| Runtime | JS/TS, WASM, Python (beta) | Node.js, Python |
⚡ Cloudflare Workers Example
export default {
async fetch(request, env) {
const country = request.cf?.country ?? 'US';
return new Response(JSON.stringify({
greeting: `Hello from ${country}!`,
timestamp: Date.now()
}), { headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' } });
}
};🎯 Verdict
Cloudflare Workers wins for most modern serverless apps thanks to zero cold starts, simpler pricing, and a generous free tier. Pick Lambda@Edge only if you're deeply integrated with the AWS ecosystem (S3, DynamoDB, CloudFront).