CDN hosting for small business: free tiers explained
What a CDN is, why it makes sites fast, and what the free tiers actually cover for a small business.
Nikolas Gannon · · 2 min read · Systems and security
A CDN, or content delivery network, is the delivery layer of the modern internet. It is why a site hosted in Sydney loads fast in Perth, and why the same site survives a traffic spike.
What a CDN does
Your site’s files are copied to servers all over the world. When a visitor asks for your site, they receive it from the nearest server. The distance the data travels shrinks, and the page loads faster.
Why it matters for a small business
Speed is a ranking factor, a conversion factor and a patience factor. A site served from a CDN is faster for every visitor, everywhere. It also handles traffic spikes well, so a busy day does not slow the site down.
The free tiers
The major CDNs offer free tiers that comfortably cover typical small business traffic. For a static site, that usually means hosting costs nothing, because the site is just files.
What you keep
Your domain, your content, your analytics and your control. The CDN is the delivery layer, not the owner of your site. You can move whenever you like.
How it fits a static site
A static site and a CDN were made for each other. The site builds to a folder of files, the folder is pushed to the CDN, and the delivery is handled. No server, no PHP, no database, no monthly hosting bill.
Worth knowing
A CDN does not fix a slow or broken site by itself. It makes a well-built site faster to deliver. The site itself still has to be built well.
If you want a site that is fast and cheap to host, that is the kind of build I do, and the audit to work out whether it suits you is free.
Free resource: Website security check
Free resource: Website health check
Read next: What a static site actually is · WordPress vs static site for small business · How to check if your WordPress site is up to date and secure
Questions
What is a CDN?
A content delivery network serves your site's files from servers near each visitor, which makes loads faster worldwide.
Are free CDN tiers enough for a small business?
Usually yes. Typical business traffic fits comfortably in the free tiers of major CDNs.
Do I lose control with a CDN?
No. You keep your domain, your files and your analytics. The CDN is the delivery layer.