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Cloudinary vs Linode (Akamai): Pricing Comparison 2026

Side-by-side pricing comparison of Cloudinary and Linode (Akamai). See all plans, features, and costs at a glance.

Bottom line: Linode (Akamai) starts at $5/mo, making it $94/mo cheaper than Cloudinary ($99/mo). Cloudinary offers a free plan.

Last updated: March 16, 2026

Data compiled by Arthur Jacquemin
Updated March 16, 2026
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Cloudinary vs Linode (Akamai): Quick Pricing Facts

FeatureCloudinaryLinode (Akamai)
Starting Price$99/mo$5/mo
Number of Plans44
Free TierYesNo
Pricing Modelfreemiumusage-based
Annual DiscountN/AN/A

Linode (Akamai) is the more affordable option, starting at $5/mo compared to Cloudinary's $99/mo. Both are Hosting & Infra tools with 8 combined pricing plans and 64 features compared. At comparable tiers, the monthly price difference is $36.

Cloudinary stands out with a free plan for getting started. Cloudinary uses freemium pricing while Linode (Akamai) uses usage-based pricing, which may affect your total cost at scale.

Review the detailed tier-by-tier comparison above to see exactly which features are included at each price point and find the best fit for your Hosting & Infra needs.

Pricing Plans
Cloudinary
Cloudinary
Try it free
Linode (Akamai)
Linode (Akamai)
Try it free
Tier 1
FreePopular
$0/monthCheapest
Includes
  • Upload widget, API, and search
  • Remote fetch, auto-backup, and revision tracking
  • Image and video transformations
  • Video transcoding and adaptive streaming
  • High performance delivery through a CDN
  • Support — forums, tickets, and email
  • Access to free add-ons
  • Upload widget, API, and search
  • Remote fetch, auto-backup, and revision tracking
  • Image and video transformations
  • Video transcoding and adaptive streaming
  • High performance delivery through a CDN
  • Support — forums, tickets, and email
  • Access to free add-ons
  • Access to MCP servers
Start with Free
Shared CPU 1GB
$5/month
Includes
  • 1 CPU core
  • 1 GB RAM
  • 25 GB SSD
  • 1 TB transfer
Start with Shared CPU 1GB
Tier 2
PlusPopular
$99/month
Includes
  • Backup to your own S3 bucket
  • Auto-tagging based search
  • Access to free and paid add-ons
  • Expedited support
  • Allowlist/Blocklist asset access
  • Video Bandwidth Boost 2:1
  • Role-based multi-user administration
  • Backup to your own S3 bucket
  • Auto-tagging based search
  • Access to free and paid add-ons
  • Expedited support
  • Allowlist/Blocklist asset access
  • Video Bandwidth Boost 2:1
  • Role-based multi-user administration
Start with Plus
Shared CPU 2GB
$12/monthCheapest
Includes
  • 1 CPU core
  • 2 GB RAM
  • 50 GB SSD
  • 2 TB transfer
Start with Shared CPU 2GB
Tier 3
AdvancedPopular
$249/month
Includes
  • Custom domain (CNAME) support
  • Optional HTTPS SSL Certificate
  • Authentication Options
  • Custom domain (CNAME) support
  • Optional HTTPS SSL Certificate
  • Authentication Options
Start with Advanced
Dedicated CPU 4GBPopular
$36/monthCheapest
Includes
  • 2 dedicated cores
  • 4 GB RAM
  • 80 GB SSD
  • 4 TB transfer
Start with Dedicated CPU 4GB
Tier 4
EnterprisePopular
Custom pricing
Includes
  • Backup to your own S3 bucket
  • Auto-tagging based search
  • Access to free and paid add-ons
  • Expedited support
  • Allowlist/Blocklist asset access
  • Video Bandwidth Boost 2:1
  • Role-based multi-user administration
  • Security and compliance review
  • Multi-CDN and enterprise grade infrastructure
  • Enterprise SLAs and support
  • Designated customer success manager
  • Custom contracts and invoicing
  • User management (SSO, provisioning API)
Start with Enterprise
High Memory 24GB
$60/monthCheapest
Includes
  • 1 CPU core
  • 24 GB RAM
  • 20 GB SSD
  • 5 TB transfer
Start with High Memory 24GB

Swipe to compare plans →

Cloudinary

Cloud-based image and video management platform

View all Cloudinary plans

Linode (Akamai)

Cloud computing platform now part of Akamai

View all Linode (Akamai) plans
Our Pick

Cloudinary

Cloudinary offers a free plan.

Based on pricing data only. Review the full comparison below for your specific needs.

Best value: Cloudinary

Try Cloudinary free

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Cloudinary if:

  • •You need a free plan with Upload widget, API, and search, Remote fetch, auto-backup, and revision tracking—Cloudinary offers no-cost access with no credit card required
  • •You want more features built-in—Cloudinary offers 32 additional features across its plans
  • •Your team needs custom enterprise pricing—Cloudinary offers negotiated terms for large deployments

Choose Linode (Akamai) if:

  • •You want lower per-user costs—Linode (Akamai) starts at $5/mo, saving $94/mo compared to Cloudinary at $99/mo
  • •You need predictable billing — Linode (Akamai)'s usage-based model avoids surprise overages
  • •Linode (Akamai) keeps its feature set lean, which means faster onboarding and less complexity

Cloudinary offers a free plan [1], eliminating the cost barrier for evaluation, while Linode (Akamai) requires paid subscription from the start. This gives Cloudinary a significant advantage for teams with budget constraints or extended trial periods. Once you outgrow Cloudinary's free tier, upgrading to a paid plan at approximately Free provides substantial additional functionality. Compare this pricing path against Linode (Akamai)'s tiering starting at $5/mo to assess total cost of ownership over 12 months. Cloudinary's 4 tiers provide flexibility at different budgets, while Linode (Akamai)'s 4 tiers structure may force you into higher-cost plans than necessary for your use case. If evaluation cost matters to your decision, Cloudinary is the obvious starting point with zero financial commitment. Use the free tier to validate core functionality before committing to paid plans from either tool.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Cloudinary vs Linode (Akamai)

Which is cheaper, Cloudinary or Linode (Akamai)?
As of March 2026, Linode (Akamai) starts at a lower price point. Cloudinary starts at $99/mo while Linode (Akamai) starts at $5/mo. However, the best value depends on the features you need at each tier.
How many pricing plans does Cloudinary have vs Linode (Akamai)?
Cloudinary offers 4 pricing plans, while Linode (Akamai) offers 4 plans. More plans typically means more flexibility to match your exact needs and budget.
Does Cloudinary or Linode (Akamai) offer a free plan?
Cloudinary offers a free plan, while Linode (Akamai) does not. If budget is a concern, Cloudinary lets you get started at no cost.
What is the most popular Cloudinary plan?
The Free plan is Cloudinary's most popular tier, priced at Free. Key features include Upload widget, API, and search, Remote fetch, auto-backup, and revision tracking, Image and video transformations.
What is the most popular Linode (Akamai) plan?
The Dedicated CPU 4GB plan is Linode (Akamai)'s most popular tier, priced at $36/mo. Key features include 2 dedicated cores, 4 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD.
Does Cloudinary or Linode (Akamai) offer custom enterprise pricing?
Cloudinary offers a custom-priced enterprise tier for larger teams. Linode (Akamai) lists all its pricing publicly.
What pricing models do Cloudinary and Linode (Akamai) use?
Cloudinary uses a freemium pricing model, while Linode (Akamai) uses usage-based pricing. The right model depends on your team size and usage patterns.

Sources

  1. Cloudinary Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page
  2. Linode (Akamai) Official Pricing— Vendor pricing page

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