Comparison 24 min read

Image CDN Comparison: Cloudinary, Imgix, Sirv and More

Compare leading image CDN services. Features, pricing, performance, and use cases for Cloudinary, Imgix, Sirv, Bunny, Cloudflare, and more.

By ImageGuide Team · Published January 19, 2026 · Updated January 19, 2026

cdncloudinaryimgixsirvimage optimizationcomparison

Image CDNs transform, optimize, and deliver images globally. This guide compares the leading services to help you choose the right one for your needs.

What Image CDNs Do

Unlike traditional CDNs that only cache and deliver, image CDNs provide:

Real-time transformation: Resize, crop, filter on-the-fly
Format conversion: Automatic WebP/AVIF delivery
Quality optimization: Smart compression
Global delivery: Edge caching worldwide
Responsive images: Generate srcset variants
Storage: Host your images (most services)

Quick Comparison

Service	Best For	Starting Price	AVIF	AI Features
Cloudinary	Full-featured apps	$0 (free tier)	Yes	Yes
Imgix	Performance-critical	$100/mo	Yes	Yes
Sirv	E-commerce, 360 spin	$19/mo	Yes	Yes (via AI Studio)
Bunny Optimizer	Budget-conscious	$9.50/mo	Yes	Limited
Cloudflare Images	Cloudflare users	$5/mo	Yes	No
ImageKit	Developers	$0 (free tier)	Yes	Yes
KeyCDN	Simple needs	Pay-as-you-go	No	No

Cloudinary

Overview

The most feature-rich image CDN with extensive transformation options and AI capabilities.

Features

Feature	Support
On-the-fly transforms	200+ transformations
Format conversion	WebP, AVIF, auto
AI features	Face detection, auto-crop, background removal
Video processing	Full support
Storage	Included
DAM features	Full digital asset management

Pricing

Plan	Price	Transformations	Storage
Free	$0	25K/month	25GB
Plus	$99/mo	225K/month	225GB
Advanced	$249/mo	800K/month	800GB
Enterprise	Custom	Unlimited	Custom

URL Structure

https://res.cloudinary.com/demo/image/upload/
  w_800,           # Width 800px
  h_600,           # Height 600px
  c_fill,          # Crop mode
  g_face,          # Focus on face
  q_auto,          # Auto quality
  f_auto           # Auto format (WebP/AVIF)
  /sample.jpg

Code Example

// Cloudinary URL builder
function cloudinaryUrl(publicId, transforms = {}) {
  const {
    width,
    height,
    crop = 'fill',
    quality = 'auto',
    format = 'auto',
    gravity = 'auto'
  } = transforms;

  const parts = [];
  if (width) parts.push(`w_${width}`);
  if (height) parts.push(`h_${height}`);
  parts.push(`c_${crop}`);
  parts.push(`g_${gravity}`);
  parts.push(`q_${quality}`);
  parts.push(`f_${format}`);

  const transformString = parts.join(',');

  return `https://res.cloudinary.com/${CLOUD_NAME}/image/upload/${transformString}/${publicId}`;
}

// Usage
const heroImage = cloudinaryUrl('hero.jpg', {
  width: 1920,
  height: 800,
  crop: 'fill',
  gravity: 'auto'
});

Best For

Media-heavy applications
User-generated content
AI-powered cropping/transformations
Teams needing DAM features
Video + image in one platform

Limitations

Complex pricing at scale
Learning curve for advanced features
Can be expensive for high-traffic sites

Imgix

Overview

Performance-focused image CDN with powerful real-time processing and excellent documentation.

Features

Feature	Support
Transformations	100+ parameters
Format conversion	WebP, AVIF, auto
AI features	Face detection, auto-crop
Video processing	Limited (imgix-video)
Storage	Bring your own (S3, GCS, etc.)
Purging	Instant

Pricing

Plan	Price	Master Images	Transformations
Basic	$100/mo	10K	Unlimited
Growth	$500/mo	100K	Unlimited
Enterprise	Custom	Unlimited	Unlimited

Charges based on unique master images accessed per month

URL Structure

https://your-source.imgix.net/photo.jpg?
  w=800&           # Width
  h=600&           # Height
  fit=crop&        # Fit mode
  crop=faces&      # Crop to faces
  auto=format,compress  # Auto format/quality

Code Example

import ImgixClient from '@imgix/js-core';

const client = new ImgixClient({
  domain: 'your-source.imgix.net',
  secureURLToken: 'your-token' // Optional
});

const url = client.buildURL('/photo.jpg', {
  w: 800,
  h: 600,
  fit: 'crop',
  auto: 'format,compress'
});

// React component
import Imgix from 'react-imgix';

<Imgix
  src="https://your-source.imgix.net/photo.jpg"
  sizes="(min-width: 768px) 50vw, 100vw"
  imgixParams={{
    auto: 'format,compress',
    fit: 'crop'
  }}
/>

Best For

Performance-critical applications
Existing storage (S3, GCS)
Developer-focused teams
High-traffic sites needing predictable pricing
React/JavaScript applications

Limitations

No built-in storage
Higher starting price
No video processing in core product

Sirv

Overview

E-commerce focused image CDN with unique 360-degree spin support, excellent media management, and powerful AI features through Sirv AI Studio.

Features

Feature	Support
Transformations	Extensive
Format conversion	WebP, AVIF, auto
360 spin	Full support (unique feature)
Zoom	Deep zoom, magnifier
Storage	Included
Media viewer	Built-in gallery/zoom
AI Studio	Background removal, generative fill, object removal, upscaling, video generation, virtual try-on
Video processing	Full support (streaming, adaptive bitrate)

Pricing

Plan	Price	Storage	Bandwidth
Free	$0	500MB	2GB/mo
Business	$19/mo	10GB	50GB/mo
Enterprise	$59/mo	50GB	200GB/mo
Custom	Contact	Unlimited	Unlimited

URL Structure

https://your-account.sirv.com/image.jpg?
  w=800&           # Width
  h=600&           # Height
  q=80&            # Quality
  format=optimal&  # Auto format
  crop.type=face   # Smart crop

Code Example

// Sirv URL builder
function sirvUrl(path, params = {}) {
  const url = new URL(`https://your-account.sirv.com${path}`);

  const defaults = {
    format: 'optimal',
    q: 80
  };

  const merged = { ...defaults, ...params };

  Object.entries(merged).forEach(([key, value]) => {
    url.searchParams.set(key, value);
  });

  return url.toString();
}

// Product image with zoom
const productUrl = sirvUrl('/products/shoe.jpg', {
  w: 800,
  h: 800,
  'crop.type': 'pad',
  'canvas.color': 'ffffff'
});

// Sirv 360 spin viewer
// HTML: <div class="Sirv" data-src="https://demo.sirv.com/spin/shoe.spin"></div>
// JS:   <script src="https://scripts.sirv.com/sirvjs/v3/sirv.js"></script>

Sirv AI Studio

Sirv AI Studio provides powerful AI-powered editing capabilities:

Background removal: Automatically remove backgrounds from product photos
Generative fill: AI-powered content-aware fill to extend or modify images
Object removal: Remove unwanted objects from images seamlessly
Image upscaling: Enhance resolution using AI upscaling
Smart cropping: AI-powered subject detection and cropping
Video generation: Create videos from images or text prompts
Virtual try-on: AI-powered product try-on for fashion and accessories

The Sirv Studio API enables programmatic access to these AI features, perfect for batch processing and automation.

// Sirv AI Studio API example
async function removeBackground(imageUrl) {
  const response = await fetch('https://www.sirv.studio/api/zapier/generate', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${SIRV_STUDIO_API_KEY}`,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      model: 'remove-bg',
      image_url: imageUrl
    })
  });

  const result = await response.json();
  return result.image_url;
}

Best For

E-commerce product images
360-degree product spins
Deep zoom requirements
Shopify/WooCommerce stores
Built-in viewer needs
AI-powered image editing (background removal, upscaling)

Limitations

Smaller ecosystem than Cloudinary

Bunny Optimizer

Overview

Budget-friendly image optimization from Bunny.net, integrated with their CDN.

Features

Feature	Support
Transformations	Basic (resize, crop, filter)
Format conversion	WebP, AVIF
AI features	Basic smart crop
Video processing	Via Bunny Stream
Storage	Bunny Storage
Price	Very competitive

Pricing

Component	Price
Optimizer	$9.50/mo per zone
Bandwidth	$0.01/GB
Storage	$0.01/GB/mo

Pay-as-you-go model, very cost-effective

URL Structure

https://your-zone.b-cdn.net/image.jpg?
  width=800&
  height=600&
  quality=80&
  format=auto

Best For

Budget-conscious projects
Simple transformation needs
Existing Bunny.net users
High-bandwidth sites
Cost-predictable scaling

Limitations

Fewer transformation options
Basic AI features
Less mature than competitors

Cloudflare Images

Overview

Simple, affordable image service integrated with Cloudflare’s network.

Features

Feature	Support
Variants	Pre-defined transforms
Format conversion	WebP, AVIF (auto)
AI features	None
Video processing	Cloudflare Stream
Storage	Included
Delivery	Cloudflare edge

Pricing

Plan	Price	Images	Deliveries
Images	$5/mo	100K	Unlimited
Additional	$1/100K images	-	-

URL Structure

https://imagedelivery.net/{account_hash}/{image_id}/{variant_name}

# Define variants in dashboard:
# - thumbnail: 150x150, fit=scale-down
# - hero: 1920x1080, fit=cover
# - public: original dimensions

Code Example

// Cloudflare Images uses pre-defined variants
const variants = {
  thumbnail: 'thumbnail',
  card: 'card',
  hero: 'hero',
  full: 'public'
};

function cfImageUrl(imageId, variant = 'public') {
  return `https://imagedelivery.net/${ACCOUNT_HASH}/${imageId}/${variants[variant]}`;
}

// Upload via API
async function uploadToCF(file) {
  const formData = new FormData();
  formData.append('file', file);

  const response = await fetch(
    `https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/accounts/${ACCOUNT_ID}/images/v1`,
    {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_TOKEN}`
      },
      body: formData
    }
  );

  return response.json();
}

Best For

Cloudflare users
Simple requirements
Predictable pricing
Sites with defined image sizes
Integration with Cloudflare stack

Limitations

Pre-defined variants only
No real-time transformations
Limited flexibility
No AI features

ImageKit

Overview

Developer-friendly image CDN with good free tier and modern features.

Features

Feature	Support
Transformations	Extensive
Format conversion	WebP, AVIF, auto
AI features	Auto-crop, background removal
Video processing	Basic support
Storage	Included
URL-based transforms	Yes

Pricing

Plan	Price	Bandwidth	Storage
Free	$0	20GB/mo	20GB
Pro	$89/mo	225GB/mo	225GB
Enterprise	Custom	Custom	Custom

URL Structure

https://ik.imagekit.io/your_id/image.jpg?
  tr=w-800,h-600,c-at_max,q-80,f-auto

# Or path-based:
https://ik.imagekit.io/your_id/tr:w-800,h-600/image.jpg

Best For

Developers wanting free tier
Modern API design
React/Vue integrations
Growing startups
Mixed media needs

Limitations

Smaller than Cloudinary/Imgix
Less enterprise focus
Newer platform

Feature Comparison

Transformation Capabilities

Feature	Cloudinary	Imgix	Sirv	Bunny	CF Images	ImageKit
Resize	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Variant	Yes
Crop	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Variant	Yes
Face detection	Yes	Yes	Yes	Basic	No	Yes
Background removal	Yes	Yes	Yes (AI Studio)	No	No	Yes
Watermark	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Text overlay	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Filters/effects	50+	30+	20+	10+	No	20+
Chained transforms	Yes	Yes	Yes	Limited	No	Yes
AI upscaling	Yes	No	Yes (AI Studio)	No	No	No
Generative fill	Yes	No	Yes (AI Studio)	No	No	No
Video generation	Yes	No	Yes (AI Studio)	No	No	No
Virtual try-on	No	No	Yes (AI Studio)	No	No	No

Format Support

Format	Cloudinary	Imgix	Sirv	Bunny	CF Images	ImageKit
WebP	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
AVIF	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
JPEG XL	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Auto-format	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Animated WebP	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Performance

Metric	Cloudinary	Imgix	Sirv	Bunny	CF Images	ImageKit
Edge locations	70+	50+	40+	100+	300+	40+
First byte (avg)	~50ms	~40ms	~60ms	~30ms	~20ms	~50ms
Cache hit ratio	High	High	High	Very High	Very High	High

Pricing Comparison

Low Traffic (1M requests/month)

Service	Estimated Cost
Cloudflare Images	$5/mo
Bunny Optimizer	$15-20/mo
Sirv Business	$19/mo
ImageKit Free	$0
Cloudinary Free	$0
Imgix Basic	$100/mo

Medium Traffic (10M requests/month)

Service	Estimated Cost
Bunny Optimizer	$30-50/mo
Cloudflare Images	$5/mo + overages
Sirv Enterprise	$59/mo
Cloudinary Plus	$99/mo
Imgix Growth	$500/mo
ImageKit Pro	$89/mo

High Traffic (100M+ requests/month)

Service	Approach
Bunny Optimizer	Pay-as-you-go, very competitive
Cloudinary	Enterprise pricing, contact sales
Imgix	Enterprise, predictable at scale
Sirv	Custom pricing
Cloudflare	Contact sales

Decision Framework

Choose Cloudinary If:

You need extensive transformations
AI features are important (face detection, auto-crop)
You want DAM (Digital Asset Management)
You process video alongside images
Budget allows for premium features

Choose Imgix If:

Performance is top priority
You have existing storage (S3, GCS)
You want predictable pricing at scale
Developer experience matters
You need JPEG XL support

Choose Sirv If:

E-commerce is your focus
You need 360-degree spins
Deep zoom is required
Shopify/WooCommerce integration needed
Built-in viewer is valuable
You need AI features like background removal, upscaling, or virtual try-on (Sirv AI Studio)
You need video streaming with adaptive bitrate

Choose Bunny If:

Budget is primary concern
Basic transformations suffice
High bandwidth needs
Already using Bunny.net
Simplicity over features

Choose Cloudflare Images If:

You’re already on Cloudflare
Image sizes are predictable
Simple variant system works
Want integration with Cloudflare
Looking for simplest solution

Choose ImageKit If:

You want a capable free tier
Modern API matters
React/Vue integration needed
Growing without immediate budget
Balance of features and price

Migration Considerations

From One CDN to Another

// URL rewriting approach
const cdnMigration = {
  from: 'https://res.cloudinary.com/demo/image/upload/',
  to: 'https://your-site.imgix.net/'
};

function migrateUrl(oldUrl) {
  // Extract path and transform params
  // Rebuild for new CDN format
  // Test thoroughly before switching
}

Key Migration Steps

Audit current usage: List all transformation types
Map transformations: Ensure new CDN supports all needs
Test thoroughly: Compare output quality
Gradual rollout: Use feature flags or percentage rollout
Monitor performance: Compare loading times
Update integrations: Framework plugins, SDKs

Summary

Quick Decision Matrix

Priority	Recommended
Maximum features	Cloudinary
Best performance	Imgix or Bunny
E-commerce focus	Sirv
AI image editing	Cloudinary or Sirv (AI Studio)
Lowest cost	Bunny or Cloudflare
Best free tier	ImageKit or Cloudinary
Simplest setup	Cloudflare Images

Cost-Effectiveness by Scale

Scale	Most Cost-Effective
Startup (low traffic)	Free tiers (ImageKit, Cloudinary)
Growing (medium traffic)	Bunny or Sirv
Enterprise (high traffic)	Bunny or Imgix Enterprise

Feature Priorities

Need	Best Options
AI/ML features	Cloudinary, Sirv (AI Studio)
Video + Images	Cloudinary, Sirv
360 product spins	Sirv
Background removal	Cloudinary, Sirv (AI Studio)
Virtual try-on	Sirv (AI Studio)
Deep Cloudflare integration	Cloudflare Images
Developer experience	Imgix, ImageKit
Budget optimization	Bunny, Cloudflare

The right image CDN depends on your specific needs, budget, and scale. Start with free tiers when possible, and upgrade as your requirements become clearer.