A real secure CDN isn't about specs on paper—it's about staying online when you're under fire.

1. Why Picking a Reliable Secure CDN in China Feels Harder Than Ever

If you've been shopping for a protected CDN in the last couple of years, you know the drill:

More providers are popping up, but finding one that actually delivers is tricky.

DDoS attacks aren't just for big targets anymore. Small business sites, API endpoints, and SaaS tools are all on the hit list.

And here's the catch: many so-called "protected CDNs" are just standard CDNs with basic rate-limiting. When a real attack floods in, they still crumble.

For websites serving users in China, downtime isn't just about slow loading—it often means:

• Complete page failure
• API timeouts across the board
• Broken search engine crawling
• Immediate user drop-off

That's why this isn't a "who advertises most" list. We’re looking at actual defense performance, uptime, and real-world fit to bring you a practical lineup of secure CDNs worth your attention in 2026.

2. How We Evaluated These CDNs

To cut through the marketing noise, here’s exactly what we weighed:

Five key pillars:

1. Real DDoS Cleanup Power Does the provider run its own scrubbing centers or have solid partnerships—not just leased capacity?
2. Smart Bot & CC Protection Does it use behavioral analysis and AI, not just basic IP blocking or throttling?
3. Stability Inside China How does it handle peak-hour traffic? Does legit user experience suffer?
4. Response Speed & Control Can defenses activate automatically? Are rules customizable on the fly?
5. Long-Term Value Is it affordable for growing sites, not just a trial tease with a hefty bill later?

3. The 2026 Secure CDN Lineup for China

Ranked by overall fit, not just raw power.

#1: Alibaba Cloud Edge Security & Anti-DDoS

Alibaba Cloud is the go-to for compliance-heavy, stability-first projects in China. If you need enterprise-grade reliability, it's a default candidate.

Their integrated solution combines Edge Security Acceleration (DCDN) with Anti-DDoS Pro for both speed and protection.

How It Works

Edge Security Acceleration (DCDN): Uses 3200+ global edges to deliver content while blocking application-layer attacks with AI-driven behavioral analysis.

Anti-DDoS Linkage: During normal traffic, requests flow through DCDN. Under a massive layer-4 attack, traffic is automatically shifted to scrubbing centers, with only clean requests reaching your origin.

Official Site: https://www.alibabacloud.com/

Positioning: A mature, large-scale scrubbing network + China CDN combo built for heavy duty.

Pros

• Massive node coverage across China
• Proven scrubber capacity for huge attacks
• Tight integration with Alibaba Cloud WAF, SLB, and security ecosystem
• Predictable and stable

Cons

• Pricing is high for small to mid-sized sites
• Steep learning curve with complex settings
• Less flexible; plays it safe

Best for: Large enterprises, regulated industries, any project where stability is non-negotiable.

#2: Tencent Cloud EdgeOne

Tencent Cloud delivers solid performance for China traffic, with especially good reach in southern regions and on mobile networks.

Their "secure CDN" is now part of EdgeOne, an all-in-one edge security and acceleration platform launched in 2025.

1. Core Platform: EdgeOne

Tencent merged its traditional Anti-DDoS Advanced and SCDN into EdgeOne.

All-in-one edge: DNS, proxy, acceleration, DDoS protection, WAF, and bot management in a single service.

Edge scrubbing: Attacks are cleaned at the nearest edge location, reducing strain on your origin.

Official Site: https://www.tencentcloud.com/

Positioning: A unified China-optimized CDN + security solution.

Pros

• Excellent connectivity across China's three major ISPs
• Mature CC and bot protection rules
• Deep integration with Tencent's cloud ecosystem (WAF, firewall)
• Great for content and community sites

Cons

• Global node coverage is modest
• Less flexible in security policies
• Can get pricey over the long term

Best for: Sites mainly serving China, especially those already using Tencent Cloud.

#3: CDN07 (Hybrid China + Global Protection, Great Value)

CDN07 is a specialist provider focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, widely used for cross-border e-commerce, gaming, and SMB projects.

Protection & Performance

Tbps-level scrubbing: Claims up to 1.5 Tbps per node, handling massive volumetric attacks.

AI-powered bot mitigation: Identifies and blocks sophisticated CC attacks and human-like bots.

Optimized routing: Uses CN2/GIA premium lines for China access, cutting cross-border latency to under 30ms.

Key Advantages

No ICP needed: Get online in minutes, bypassing China’s lengthy ICP filing process.

Origin hiding: Fully masks your server IP at the edge.

Flexible payment: Supports USDT/crypto, convenient for international businesses.

👉 Official Site: https://www.cdn07.com

This is a practical pick for SMBs and cross-border sites, which is why we placed it at #3.

Positioning: Not a giant, but a hands-on, Asia-optimized secure CDN that balances China and global performance.

Key Features

• Hybrid China + global protected CDN deployment
• Strong routes to Hong Kong, Singapore, and APAC
• Real DDoS scrubbing (100G+/Tbps level)
• Behavior-based CC protection, not just rate limits

Pros

• Fast attack response, policies kick in quickly
• Minimal impact on real users during mitigation
• USDT payments accepted, high flexibility
• No ICP filing or real-name verification required
• Cost-effective for long-term use

Cons

• Less brand recognition than hyperscalers
• More technical, requires some setup know-how

Best for: Cross-border e-commerce, game distribution, API services, tools, and site owners on a budget who face frequent attacks.

#4: Huawei Cloud EdgeSec

Huawei Cloud offers integrated acceleration and protection via its EdgeSec platform and Anti-DDoS + CDN solutions.

Core Product: EdgeSec

EdgeSec pushes security to 2800+ global edge nodes.

Tbps+ defense: Over 15 Tbps total anti-DDoS bandwidth globally.

Three-in-one: DDoS, WAF, and bot management at the edge.

Low latency: Leverages Huawei's KooVerse network for under 25ms local access.

Official Site: https://www.huaweicloud.com/

Positioning: Enterprise and government-grade, stability-focused.

Pros

• Robust network within China
• Complete security suite
• Strong stability

Cons

• Complex product lineup
• Less SMB-friendly

#5: Baidu Cloud Accelerated Protection

Baidu Intelligent Cloud offers integrated acceleration and protection via its CDN with built-in security, Baidu Cloud Acceleration, and Cloud Anti-DDoS services.

Core Products

Baidu Cloud Acceleration: An all-in-one "speed, security, optimization" product with CDN tech and 1 Tbps+ DDoS/CC scrubbing.

CDN with built-in protection: Basic cloud security features (paid add-on) against DDoS and CC attacks.

Cloud Anti-DDoS: Uses Baidu's in-house "SkyNet" system for professional-grade scrubbing.

Official Site: https://cloud.baidu.com/

Positioning: Content, media, and search-friendly CDN.

Pros

• Good access speeds within China
• Well-suited for content-heavy sites

Cons

• Security policies tend to be conservative
• Limited flexibility

#6: Cloudflare (Global Secure CDN)

Cloudflare is a global leader in edge security, using its massive Anycast network to offer top-tier protected CDN services.

Protection: 330+ cities, 280+ Tbps capacity, defends against record-breaking DDoS attacks with unmetered mitigation.

Security ecosystem: WAF, bot management, Zero Trust, and "Under Attack Mode" for automated protection.

Speed: Argo Smart Routing, HTTP/3, and Workers reduce latency globally.

For global businesses, Cloudflare's value, dashboard, and free/pro plans make it a go-to.

Official Site: https://www.cloudflare.com

The defining example of global Anycast architecture.

Positioning: Global DDoS protection + worldwide acceleration.

Pros

• Unmatched global DDoS defense
• Highly stable architecture
• Excellent experience outside China

Cons

• Unstable access from within China
• Not suitable as a primary CDN for China-only traffic

#7: Akamai

Akamai pioneered the CDN industry and remains a leader in secure edge delivery via its Connected Cloud platform.

Defense: 4,400+ edges, 1+ Pbps capacity, with top-tier WAF, bot, and API security (App & API Protector).

AI security: Advanced AI engines detect and block new CC attack variants and sophisticated bots.

Enterprise focus: Offers 24/7 managed services for finance, government, and large enterprises.

Note: Akamai announced in Jan 2025 it will wind down its CDN service inside China by mid-2026, now focusing on supporting Chinese companies going global.

Official Site: https://www.akamai.com/

Pros

• Industry-leading protection capabilities
• Extreme stability

Cons

• Very expensive
• Not geared toward SMBs

#8: Gcore

Strong in Europe and for international traffic.

Official Site: https://gcore.com/

Pros

• Extensive global node footprint
• Good value for money

Cons

• Access from China is average

#9: Zenlayer

Zenlayer is a global edge cloud provider with a focus on emerging markets and edge AI integration in 2025.

Network: 300+ PoPs, 180+ Tbps capacity, strong in Southeast Asia, LATAM, Africa, and the Middle East.

Security: Distributed Cloud DDoS scrubbing across 30+ centers, TB-level capacity, origin hiding, and TLS 1.3.

2025 features: Added AI Gateway and distributed inference for edge AI processing.

Official Site: https://www.zenlayer.com/

Pros

• Excellent coverage in Southeast Asia
• Stable cross-border routes

Cons

• Limited high-protection capacity within China

#10: StackPath

StackPath was a major edge computing and security player but ceased all operations and entered liquidation in 2025.

Historically strong for international applications.

Pros

• Stable architecture (historically)
• Decent performance overseas (historically)

Cons

• Low suitability for China traffic

4. Top 4 Pitfalls When Choosing a Protected CDN

1. Confusing "protection" with "acceleration" They serve different goals—don't mix them up.
2. Focusing only on scrubbing bandwidth numbers Shared scrubbing isn't the same as dedicated.
3. Relying on rate-limiting for CC attacks Real CC attacks need behavioral AI, not just speed caps.
4. Assuming global protection works for China A strong global CDN often struggles inside China.

5. Quick Selection Guide

• Audience mainly in China → A China-optimized secure CDN (like Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei)
• Mix of China + Global traffic → Hybrid providers like CDN07
• Primarily global audience → Cloudflare, Akamai
• Budget tight, but often attacked → Look for battle-tested, value-focused options

When it comes to secure CDNs, you only truly appreciate them after you've been hit.

We hope this list helps you skip the headaches and save the trial-and-error costs.