A content delivery network, or CDN, has long been a favorite tool of web developers. While CDNs still offer advantages, advances in browser technology, security considerations, and third-party dependencies have made them less necessary for certain websites.
CDNs Offer a Few Advantages
The content delivery network gained favor with developers because of its ability to speed up website loading. It accomplishes this by offloading some of the resources to this network and caching them for the user. CDNs can deliver resources from servers closer to the user, reducing loading times. However, modern browser caching changes have reduced the benefits of sharing cached resources between different websites.
Web developers focused on increasing site performance tout the use of a CDN as an effective resource for boosting load speeds. For example, if you are running Bootstrap 5.0.2 on your site, you can offload those resources to a CDN, potentially reducing the amount of data served directly from your website's server. However, the actual performance benefit depends on factors such as the user's location, connection speed, browser caching, and CDN configuration.
Faster load speeds aside, many CDNs also offer built-in analytics that can provide users with statistics such as bandwidth usage, cache performance, and content zone breakdowns.
Sounds great, right? Not so fast: CDNs have some drawbacks that can counteract their usefulness.
Arguments Against Using a Content Delivery Network
Sure, a content delivery network can make your data faster and more reliable. But depending on your website's needs, the cons may outweigh the pros. Here's why:
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Outdated Technology. Technology is constantly evolving, and the way browsers interact with CDNs has changed. Modern browsers partition their caches between websites, reducing one of the traditional advantages of using a shared CDN for common scripts and stylesheets. If two separate sites use the same resource on the same CDN, the end user may still need to download both.
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Security Flaws. Those who advocate for CDNs say they provide security against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. While it's true that CDNs can help protect websites by filtering and distributing malicious traffic, relying on external resources can introduce additional security considerations. Third-party scripts and files may create potential supply chain risks, and improperly configured CDNs can introduce vulnerabilities. By keeping essential resources local, website owners can reduce unnecessary third-party dependencies.
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Extra Cog. A CDN represents an extra cog in the wheel; it's one or more additional requests leaving your site when resources are hosted externally. If your site is dependent on that functionality and the CDN goes down, your site may be affected beyond your control. Resources exist on your site for a reason, and letting others control yours can lead to additional issues. Consider the Cloudflare outage on June 21, 2022, which caused service disruptions for websites and applications relying on its network.
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Cache No Longer as Important. When modern browsers adopted HTTP/2, parallel streams were introduced. Instead of being limited to downloading just a couple of items at a time, like a hero image and CSS file, browsers can now handle multiple requests simultaneously. You no longer have to wait for that high-definition hero banner to finish downloading before other resources can load. Is cache still important? Yes. However, modern browser improvements have reduced some of the performance advantages traditionally associated with hosting common scripts on public CDNs.
CDN Alternatives
Fortunately, there are alternatives to using a content delivery network, particularly for websites that don't require geographically distributed content delivery. Use resources that are local to your web server. Instead of hosting and linking to a third-party CDN, have a copy of that resource available on your site and link to it there. This reduces reliance on external services and gives you greater control over your website's resources. You can also update the cache settings on your site to improve loading performance.
Frequently Asked Questions About Content Delivery Networks
Are content delivery networks still necessary?
Not always. Smaller websites with primarily local audiences may perform well without a CDN. However, websites serving users across multiple geographic regions can still benefit from CDN technology.
Is it better to host website resources locally or use a CDN?
Hosting resources locally provides greater control and reduces third-party dependencies. CDNs can improve loading speeds for geographically dispersed audiences. The best approach depends on your website's needs.
Can a website load faster without a CDN?
Yes. Optimizing images, reducing unnecessary scripts, enabling browser caching, and using reliable hosting can improve website speed without relying on a CDN.
Get in Touch with the Foremost Team
If you would like more information or ideas on reducing your site’s dependency on CDNs, reach out to Foremost Media for a free consultation!