Performance Test on a page - Cloudflare VS Bare Nginx

Summary

After doing the load balancing in the last post, I pointed the domain to the CNAME record of the balancer and did some Web Speed Tests1.

Tried comparing the site speed with and without Clouflare CDN using an older version of that post. I have to say, Cloudflare makes the site slower with longer waiting time resulting in a longer TTFB. With the proxy_cache in Nginx, the site without Cloudflare CDN is generally faster. So the site is now running without Cloudflare CDN.

I ran the tests of the old version of the last post on KeyCDN1, the test results I need is shown below. The meaning of the table headers:

  • CF Dev: The page under Cloudflare Development Mode, where the CDN is used without its caching feature, thus the speed is similar to a site on the CDN visited for the first time when the caching is happening.
  • CF Cache: The page visited from cloudflare cache.
  • Nginx 1st: The page served directly by the nginx on the server without cached content.
  • Nginx Cache: The page served directly by the nginx on the server with saved caches.
  • The page: The loading time of the tested post page, in the other words, the html code of the post. This time includes the time of Blocked, DNS, Connect, SSL, Wait and Receive of the domain per request.
  • CSS: The loading time of the stylesheet all.css.
  • The images: The loading time of the image taking the longest time to load.
  • Isoo data 1: The loading time of the first data request of the isso responded with (a json).
  • Isoo data 2: The loading time of the second data request of the isso responded with (html code).
  • Total Time: The total loading time of the whole page with all the elements.
  • Total Time Without Woff2: Total Time minus the loading time of the two google font woff2 files.

Tests

Amsterdam

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 249.6 ms 279.3 ms 202.44 ms 479.2 ms
CSS 174.2 ms 203.6 ms 52.5 ms 145.7 ms
The images 194.956 ms 227.1 ms 192.2 ms 590.0 ms
Isso data 1 34.5 ms 145.7 ms 46.6 ms 466.9 ms
Isso data 2 37.3 ms 143.823 ms 47.2 ms 486.3 ms
Total Time 6.6 s 942.8 ms 9.6 s 4.3 s
Total Time Without woff2 0.7 s 879.7 ms 0.6 s 1.75 s
Original result The image The image The image The image

This region......Hmm...... Some occasional things happened in it multiple times. Long loading time for google fonts, slow response from Nginx cache.
Regardless, in this region CloudFlare won 1 score.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
1 0

Bangalore

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 1.8 s 1.5 s 1.1 s 1 s
CSS 1.5 s 111 ms 792.0 ms 227.7 ms
The images 1.7 s 213 ms 1.5 s 940.1 ms
Isso data 1 1.1 s 594.7 ms 565.4 ms 561.5 ms
Isso data 2 560.974 ms 1.1 s 565.7 ms 551.7 ms
Total Time 4.4 s 2.8 s 2.8 s 2.5 s
Total Time Without woff2 4.4 s 2.7 s 2.8 s 2.5 s
Original result The image The image The image The image

Clearly in this region Nginx won 1 score.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
1 1

Dallas

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 1.2 s 900.8 ms 797.4 ms 610.9 ms
CSS 912.2 ms 72.9 ms 510.3 ms 79.4 ms
The images 1.1 s 89.5 ms 953.0 ms 327.8 ms
Isso data 1 469.2 ms 594.2 ms 414.2 ms 424.6 ms
Isso data 2 602.2 ms 429.0 ms 417.4 ms 417.5 ms
Total Time 2.9 s 1.7 s 2 s 1.4 s
Total Time Without woff2 2.9 s 1.67 s 2 s 1.4 s
Original result The image The image The image The image

In this region Nginx won 1 score.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
1 2

Frankfurt

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 283.1 ms 278.9 ms 309.5 ms 257.3 ms
CSS 124.4 ms 12.6 ms 39.0 ms 35.2 ms
The images 156.7 s 12.5 ms 154.5 ms 137.7 ms
Isso data 1 95.3 ms 98.0 ms 34.1 ms 34.2 ms
Isso data 2 101.1 ms 31.5 ms 36.0 ms 34.3 ms
Total Time 709.1ms 623.0 ms 684.0 ms 704.3 ms
Total Time Without Woff2 644 ms 579.7 ms 628 ms 557 ms
Original result The image The image The image The image

Nginx won 1 score.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
1 3

London

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 405.2 ms 390.2 ms 250.8 ms 229.0 ms
CSS 200.2 ms 11.1 ms 52.1 ms 47.3 ms
The images 227.5 ms 38.4 ms 198.6 ms 194.7 ms
Isso data 1 39.5 ms 152.2 ms 48.6 ms 46.5 ms
Isso data 2 145.9 ms 156.5 ms 49.5 ms 47.0 ms
Total Time 1 s 879.5 ms 749.5 ms 641.0 ms
Total Time Without Woff2 960 ms 829.5 ms 723.5 ms 594.0 ms
Original result The image The image The image The image

Nginx won 1 score.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
1 4

Miami

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 1.2 s 959.0 ms 638.3 ms 554.8 ms
CSS 951.1 ms 8.8 ms 527.0 ms 70.71 ms
The images 1.1 s 16.0 ms 937.4 ms 300.1 ms
Isso data 1 427.7 ms 600.9 ms 461.6 ms 408.8 ms
Isso data 2 415.8 ms 614.4 ms 458.0 ms 413.2 ms
Total Time 2.7 s 1.8 s 1.9 s 1.4 s
Total Time Without Woff2 2.7 s 1.8 s 1.9 s 1.4 s
Original result The image The image The image The image

That awfully long waiting time to receive the page can't be saved by the fast speed of static cache...... Clearly Nginx won 1 score.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
1 5

New York

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 1 s 1 s 699 ms 225.6 ms
CSS 943.3 ms 12.0 ms 399.2 ms 67.6 ms
The images 1.2 s 18.3 ms 945.5 ms 274.1 ms
Isso data 1 426.3 ms 418.4 ms 403.2 ms 394.8 ms
Isso data 2 421.9 ms 613.1 ms 395.2 ms 411.9 ms
Total Time 2.4 s 1.8 s 1.7 s 1 s
Total Time Without Woff2 2.4 s 1.8 s 1.7 s 1 s
Original result The image The image The image The image

CloudFlare behaved like a shit on the initial waiting time again which the impressive caching speed can't save...... Nginx won 1 score.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
1 6

Paris

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 319.8 ms 284.9 ms 187.5 ms 501.5 ms
CSS 244.0 ms 10.6 ms 46.9 ms 148.0 ms
The images 305.9 ms 38.7 ms 174.1 ms 611.7 ms
Isso data 1 47.4 ms 174.9 ms 43.9 ms 478.6 ms
Isso data 2 185.11 ms 189.7 ms 44.3 ms 490.5 ms
Total Time 1.1 s 810.66 ms 635.29 ms 1.7 s
Total Time Without Woff2 1.1 s 755.46 ms 569.5 ms 1.7 s
Original result The image The image The image The image

Considering something occasional happened to the Nginx Cache, CloudFlare won this round.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
2 6

San Francisco

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 1.2 s 892.2 ms 741.0 ms 414.5 ms
CSS 741.2 ms 752.9 ms 349.8 ms 13.0 ms
The images 920.4 ms 988.4 ms 892.0 ms 58.4 ms
Isso data 1 350.1 ms 392.6 ms 362.0 ms 357.6 ms
Isso data 2 370.1 ms 386.9 ms 355.6 ms 345.1 ms
Total Time 2.4 s 2.2 s 1.8 s 1.1 s
Total Time Without Woff2 2.4 s 2.2 s 1.8 s 1.093 s
Original result The image The image The image The image

This round something occasional happened to CloudFlare. Nginx hit Cloudflare so hard and won 1 score.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
2 7

Seattle

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 918.3 ms 902.7 ms 741.0 ms 469.6 ms
CSS 852.1 ms 13.6 ms 349.8 ms 48.3 ms
The images 1.1 s 38.5 ms 892.0 ms 199.0 ms
Isso data 1 513.8 ms 522.9 ms 362.0 ms 393.0 ms
Isso data 2 398.3 ms 395.5 ms 355.6 ms 384.4 ms
Total Time 2.4 s 1.6 s 1.8 s 1.2 s
Total Time Without Woff2 2.4 s 1.6 s 1.8 s 1.18 s
Original result The image The image The image The image

Nginx won 1 score in a similar way as usual.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
2 8

Singapore

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 1.7 s 1.7 s 1.2 s 1.2 s
CSS 1.4 s 13.2 ms 530.5 ms 189.3 ms
The images 1.6 s 23.4 ms 1.3 s 777.1 ms
Isso data 1 529.6 ms 1.1 s 520.2 ms 515.6 ms
Isso data 2 1 s 532.8 ms 511.5 ms 525.3 ms
Total Time 4.4 s 3 s 2.8 s 2.5 s
Total Time Without Woff2 4.4 s 2.97 s 2.8 s 2.5 s
Original result The image The image The image The image

When it comes to the global speed, CloudFlare slows down it even more...... Nginx won 1 score.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
2 9

Sydney

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 1.4 s 1.4 s 1.1 s 1 s
CSS 1.4 s 9.6 ms 730.6 ms 176.6 ms
The images 1.5 s 17.6 ms 1.2 s 738.7 ms
Isso data 1 509.6 ms 1.1 s 498.9 ms 497.6 ms
Isso data 2 491.7 ms 1 s 517.4 ms 507.7 ms
Total Time 3.5 s 4.1 s 2.6 s 2.3 s
Total Time Without Woff2 3.5 s 4.0 s 2.6 s 2.3 s
Original result The image The image The image The image

Something occasional happened to Cloudflare again. Nginx won 1 score.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
2 10

Tokyo

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 1.2 s 1.2 s 1.2 s 800.5 ms
CSS 1.1 s 1.1 s 585.8 ms 129.0 ms
The images 1.3 s 1.3 s 1 s 529.3 ms
Isso data 1 456.0 ms 468.4 ms 459.8 ms 461.0 ms
Isso data 2 781.7 ms 794.8 ms 473.7 ms 451.9 ms
Total Time 3.2 s 3.2 s 2.4 s 1.8 s
Total Time Without Woff2 3.2 s 3.2 s 2.4 s 1.8 s
Original result The image The image The image The image

CloudFlare cache seems not working in Tokyo? Nginx won 1 score.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
2 11

Toronto

CF Dev CF Cache Nginx 1st Nginx Cache
The page 918.3 ms 1.1 s 703.6 ms 494.2 ms
CSS 852.1 ms 10.0 ms 401.6 ms 71.8 ms
The images 1.1 s 25.2 ms 924.8 ms 279.0 ms
Isso data 1 513.8 ms 619.7 ms 412.5 ms 412.4 ms
Isso data 2 398.3 ms 629.4 ms 395.4 ms 404.9 ms
Total Time 2.4 s 1.9 s 1.8 s 1.2 s
Total Time Without Woff2 2.4 s 1.83 s 1.8 s 1.2 s
Original result The image The image The image The image

Nginx won 1 score again in a usual way.

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
2 12

Result

Score Table:

CloudFlare Nginx
2 12

CloudFlare only won two rounds, when something occasional happened. So that result is, almost a total win for bare Nginx. I believe with only one server behind the CloudFlare, Cloudflare will behave worse since there will be some longer paths for CloudFlare to receive responses from thus resulting in a longer waiting time. But CloudFlare is okay as a free service, while I can't expect too much from it with so many users on it. I'm still a user of their DNS. Their DNS is famous for its fast speed.

Update: Actually I did some tests on my isso subdomain backend. Load balanced bare nginx servers behaved worse than single nginx behind Cloudflare CDN if I use Cloudflare on my main site. Load balanced nginx servers behind Cloudflare CDN behaved worse than single nginx behind Cloudflare CDN as well. I'd rather use Cloudflare CDN alone for dynamic contents if I use Cloudflare CDN for my static contents. Less lookup, faster speed. (Haven't tried contributed database though, that might lead to a different result)

  1. Website Speed Test | Full Page Performance Check ↩↩