When it comes to measuring internet performance, most people reach for Ookla's Speedtest. But there's a more powerful and accurate alternative: Cloudflare Radar.
What is Cloudflare Radar?
Cloudflare Radar is a free tool that provides real-time insights into internet traffic patterns, security threats, and network performance globally. Unlike traditional speed tests, Radar leverages Cloudflare's massive network of data centers in over 300 cities worldwide.
Why Cloudflare's Speed Test is Better
1. Real-World Performance
Traditional speed tests measure your connection to a single server. Cloudflare's test measures your connection to actual content delivery infrastructure — the same servers that host millions of websites. This gives you a more realistic picture of your browsing experience.
2. No Ads, No Upselling
Ookla Speedtest is loaded with advertisements and constantly tries to sell you VPN services. Cloudflare's speed test at speed.cloudflare.com is completely ad-free and focuses purely on metrics.
3. Better Latency Metrics
Cloudflare provides detailed latency breakdown including:
- Loaded Latency — Latency under real network load
- Unloaded Latency — Baseline latency without traffic
- Jitter — Variance in latency over time
4. Quality Score
Cloudflare calculates an overall "Quality" score that considers multiple factors, giving you a single number to understand your connection quality for video calls, gaming, and streaming.
How to Use Cloudflare Speed Test
Simply visit speed.cloudflare.com and click the button. The test runs automatically and provides comprehensive results including download, upload, latency, and jitter measurements.
Cloudflare Radar for Deeper Insights
Beyond speed testing, Cloudflare Radar offers:
- Global internet outage detection
- Attack trend analysis
- Domain and IP reputation lookup
- Traffic patterns by country and ASN
Conclusion
While Ookla Speedtest remains popular, Cloudflare's tools offer more accurate, ad-free, and comprehensive metrics. For developers, network engineers, and anyone who cares about internet performance, Cloudflare Radar is the superior choice.
Try our own speed test powered by Cloudflare's edge network, or explore our DNS Lookup tool for more network diagnostics!