Cloudflare’s 2023 Network Performance Update
Cloudflare’s latest measurements show meaningful progress in its quest to be the fastest network provider globally. The company constantly monitors its own edge performance against competitors, using real-user data to identify where it lags and then taking targeted action to close those gaps.
The headline numbers come from TCP Connection Time at the 95th percentile, measured per network (defined as a country and AS number pair). As of May 31, 2023, Cloudflare ranks #1 in 46% of all networks measured—a solid jump from 33% in July 2022. In another 10% of networks, Cloudflare is within 2 ms or 5% of the fastest provider. For context, the closest competitor was #1 in 20% of networks in July 2022, and that share has since fallen to 18%.
How Performance Is Measured
The benchmarking relies on Real User Measurements (RUM). Browsers worldwide fetch a small test file from Cloudflare, Akamai, CloudFront, Fastly, and Google Cloud CDN, reporting back latency from the perspective of the end user’s actual network. This approach captures TCP Connection Time, Time to First Byte (TTFB), and Time to Last Byte (TTLB) for both Cloudflare’s own infrastructure and competitors.
All this data flows into a dedicated Performance Benchmarks Dashboard, which lets engineers analyze results across multiple dimensions. The primary metric tracked is the percentage of networks where Cloudflare ranks #1 in TCP Connection Time—a direct key performance indicator.
Beyond global rankings, the dashboard also visualizes per-country performance, highlighting regions where Cloudflare is the top provider or where attention is needed. Additionally, engineers track both TCP Connection Time and TTLB as separate but complementary signals.
Driving Improvements Through Targeted Action
When the dashboard flags a network where Cloudflare underperforms, engineering teams investigate the root cause and log action items directly on the dashboard until resolved. These fixes typically fall into one of three categories:
- Establishing peering with the specific network at a given location to ensure users take the optimal path.
- Expanding compute capacity in a particular data center so traffic can be served from the nearest point of presence.
- Applying traffic engineering configurations when routing protocols select a path that isn’t the most performant option.
These categories are not mutually exclusive; a single network may require a combination of peering, capacity, and routing adjustments before performance improves.
The Path Forward
Cloudflare’s granular data gives it a clear view of every network that connects to its edge. The optimization process is continuous: new measurements surface fresh opportunities, action items push fixes through, and the metrics are revisited to verify progress. The stated goal remains to become the fastest provider in every network, everywhere.
