FlyingCDN is an automated CDN service from FlyingPress (Gijo Varghese, WP Speed Matters). It is the official CDN service for FlyingPress users; however, it is not autonomous since it operates on Cloudflare Enterprise.
Is it better than other WordPress CDN providers?
FlyingCDN offers multiple benefits over a typical CDN or even Cloudflare’s free or PRO. Prior to switching to Cloudflare, it operated under BunnyCDN.
Most users will definitely find this a good thing because, compared with BUNNY, you get better features and more POPs. It caches site content on multiple EDGEs so visitors can access content quickly. It also includes auto-optimization and full-page caching that speed up loading times, even during heavy traffic.
I don’t plan to explain the meaning or process of CDN at the end of this article. Instead, I will give you a brief FlyingCDN review. So here’s how to optimize your visitors’ browsing experience with FlyingPress and CDN.
Why Makes FlyingCDN Unique?
Almost all CDNs claim to be speedy and boast about their quality. However, I do not totally agree that FlyingCDN is the best. What makes it stand out is its seamless integration with Cloudflare Enterprise. Process is automatic, and you don’t have to sign up separately for Cloudflare. If you try to get Enterprise yourself, it costs around $6k a month. But this service lets you try it for $5.
What makes Cloudflare Enterprise different?
Compared to lower plans, Cloudflare Enterprise has access to all global edge locations. It also has advanced features and enhanced security features, so its performance and security are better than those of other Cloudflare plans.
And these features make FlyingCDN stand out…
- Robust CDN: 310 edge locations (120+ countries). Even behind proxies, Cloudflare works well despite not being a traditional CDN service.
- Full Page Caching: This is one of the most essential features, in my opinion. Most CDNs do not support HTML caching; with FlyingCDN, the TTFB is under 100 ms. Faster TTFB means a faster site.
- Image optimization: Image optimization is included in the setup, so it automatically converts images to WebP without changing URLs. Adaptive images (the right size) and compression without affecting quality.
- Robust Security: Security is Cloudflare’s specialty, so Enterprise gives you plenty of protection. No security plugins or services are needed.
- WooCommerce-ready: Caching speeds up browsing, even with shopping cart items. The origin server will handle critical dynamic requests.
- Adapt to traffic spikes: Cache-hit optimization helps avoid extra queries for page speed, reduces server load, and easily handles traffic spikes.
When considering a CDN, selecting a reliable web host is essential. It must be fully compatible with any web host, including LiteSpeed Hosting, so you can be confident in its versatility.
My Experiences With FlyingPress CDN
Having used FlyingPress for years, I’d say it’s the best plugin for optimizing WordPress sites (easy to use with lots of features). I’ve already written a FlyingPress review so that I won’t go into specifics here.
With one of the largest and fastest EDGE networks, Cloudflare is regularly rated among the fastest CDNs. It can reduce latency, security errors, and more. It’s probably the most powerful WordPress CDN out there. Has robust security features like firewalls, DDoS protection, Wildcard SSL, bot management, etc.
But here, you get extra features like APO, better routing, Argo, dynamic caching, load balancing, and polish image optimization with FlyingPress CDN. Thus, it’s well optimized through Cloudflare Enterprise.
Edge Caching, AKA Full Page Caching
With full-page caching, users will get faster time to first byte. TTFB depends on other factors, too, like your web host, so choose a reliable one like Vultr. You’ll also benefit from Argo if you have an online store or dynamic content.
Cloudflare caches HTML, so you’ll see a huge difference when you test your site with tools like KeyCDN and Speedvitals.
This is my website’s Time to First Byte after FlyingPress CDN integration.
When you use full-page caching, your site’s global Time to the First Byte will most likely be below 100 milliseconds. This technique is capable of delivering dynamic content, such as carts and user-cached pages. Get benefits even if your website has heavy WP themes and fancy page builders like Elementor.
TTFB indicates when the browser receives its first data byte from a server. When the TTFB is low, users get a better experience because the page loads instantly.
A high Time to First Byte means being stuck on an empty screen waiting for the server to respond. There’s a significant impact on Web Vitals when TTFB’s high.
You can increase TTFB by using a CDN, improving database capacity (caching in memory), and upgrading your WEB hosting. You can get better performance with a VPS with cloud control panels.
The only page speed metric I really care about is Time to First Byte, but here are GTmetrix results after using this CDN, too.
FlyingPress CDN uses Cloudflare APO and integrates with other features, such as Argo Smart routing, tiered caching, device caching, etc. Plugins – server-side caches can also speed up the process.
Integrate with FlyingPress CDN
The first thing you need to do is be a FlyingPress customer.
You can only access the Flying-CDN if you are a FlyingPress cache plugin user. I don’t see another way to integrate this service since it requires an API key.
I’m assuming you’re using FlyingPress, and you can try the free CDN trial for seven days. And sign up.
Then, go to your CDN dashboard and add your website (don’t use ‘www’).
Input your server’s (web host) IP address.
During the process, you will receive an IP address and CNAME record, which you should use to update your website’s DNS records.
Access your DNS provider and add or update records. Don’t activate the proxy if you are using Cloudflare DNS.
Yup, it’s easy; read the doc if you have a question.
Or watch this official YouTube video to learn how to integrate:
Verify It Works
With the KeyCDN HTTP Header Checker, you can ensure the CDN works on your site. Check the site URL, and you’ll see the first request headers:
x-flying-press-cache: HIT
cf-cache-status: HIT
cdn: FlyingCDN
flyingcdn-cache: HIT
server: cloudflareIf all cache-status are HIT, everything is fine.
TTFB affects your web host and caching strategies, such as full-page caching – Web hosts like Rocket.net use this approach.
Flying CDN vs BunnyCDN vs Cloudflare Pro
| FlyingCDN | BunnyCDN | Cloudflare Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Start $5/M | Minimum $1/M | $25/M |
| Full-page Cache | ✓ | × | APO |
| Optimizing Images | ✓ | Paid | Polish/Mirage |
| Points of Presence | 300+ | 120+ | 250+ |
| Access All Locations | ✓ | ✓ | × |
| Simple Configs | ✓ | × | × |
| Automatic Process | ✓ | × | × |
| Customizable | × | ✓ | ✓ |
| UI | Minimal | Extensive | In-depth |
| Cache Hit Ratio | Very high | High | Average |
Price Comparison
Want to use Cloudflare Enterprise for just $5?
If you buy Cloudflare Enterprise directly, you’ll pay thousands of dollars.
But FlyingCDN has no hidden costs, and the prices are affordable compared to Cloudflare Pro/Business, KeyCDN, Rocket, and even BunnyCDN.
It’s $5 per 100 GB of bandwidth per site. Web hosting companies usually have tools that let you track how much bandwidth you’re using. Small to medium-sized sites typically don’t use more than 100GB of bandwidth per month.
For example, FlyingPress CDN is more affordable than KeyCDN because using KeyCDN for a website with 1 TB of bandwidth will cost almost $50 monthly.
And the minimum usage fee is $4, with a minimum payment of $49. However, FlyingPress CDN costs $50 monthly for a site with 1 TB bandwidth, so it’s a cheap option. It also has plenty of enterprise optimizations and security features. So, this is a good choice if you want to use it instead of Bunny for any website.
I wouldn’t recommend this option if you like to keep things in your way. However, I don’t think you can buy Enterprise CDN service at this price.
Where Is FlyingCDN Lacking?
When setting up FlyingPress CDN, you’ll immediately feel how minimalist it is… there aren’t that many options.
When you’re used to other CDNs, it’s going to feel really simple.
Here are a few little annoyances…
- The significant limitation is that you have to have FlyingPress to use it.
- You can’t make your hostname look like cdn.example.com. Since Cloudflare functions as a proxy rather than a CDN, it won’t matter.
- Users can’t customize anything, which may be okay for average users but can be a problem for advanced users.
- The UI doesn’t provide as many details as other CDN dashboards. You see balance, bandwidth usage, and integration info. It would be nice to see metrics like cache hit rates, visitor counts, IP, WAF history, and platforms.
- I’ve had issues discovering which features are turned on or off, but it’s OK if you know what Cloudflare Enterprise is.
- Like the FP plugin, this lacks detailed documentation.
So far, those are the only things I’ve been annoyed with FlyingCDN.
However, this is a good thing for those who prefer to keep things simple and automated without any hassles. If you’re using low-cost hosting for WordPress, it doesn’t matter how robust your CDN is.
My Final Thoughts For This FlyingCDN Review
So far, I am impressed with FlyingCDN. It is a solid choice for many users who like things automated without manual setup—but you have to be a FlyingPress user to use it. Just add the domain, point it to the DNS record, and you’ll love it.
It’s cheaper than most, but the lack of customization makes it less suitable for techies who want to change things to suit their requirements.
But it’s a hassle-free service that won’t add issues to your site, even with optimization features. And works with WordPress documentation sites.
It works regardless of the site type (static or dynamic) and the traffic level it receives. Final decision rests with you—test it out to see if you like it or not.
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