Navigating the High Costs of Akamai: Strategies for Cost and Risk Reduction

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced digital world, enterprises rely on content delivery networks (CDNs) like Akamai to deliver seamless online experiences. But with rising costs straining budgets, finance and IT leaders face growing pressure to justify these expenses. At NET(net), we specialize in optimizing technology investments to maximize value without compromising performance. This blog outlines practical strategies to reduce Akamai costs, backed by market insights and customer feedback, to help you stay competitive and financially agile.

The Hidden Costs of Inaction

Akamai’s robust services come at a premium, often significantly higher than alternatives. For example, NET(net)’s client data shows that Akamai’s storage costs can be as much as 25x more expensive than AWS for comparable capacity. Industry research from Gartner and others warns that organizations failing to optimize CDN costs may face annual expense increases of up to 20% due to over-provisioning and rising rates. Complacency risks not only bloated budgets but also reduced flexibility in a dynamic market.

Independent Strategies for Cost Reduction

Take control of your Akamai costs with these actionable steps:

1. Conduct a Usage Audit: Analyze your Akamai services to identify and eliminate underutilized features. NET(net)’s audits (and subsequent demand management actions) have helped clients save 15-30% by aligning services with actual needs.
2. Benchmark Costs: Compare your Akamai spending to industry standards. Companies paying above-market rates risk losing their competitive edge. According to NET(net)’s market analysis, Akamai customers often spend 200%+ compared to prevailing market rates.
3. Optimize Configurations: Tailor services to match your requirements, boosting efficiency and cutting costs. For example, a retail client reduced costs by 15% by disabling unused edge caching features for low-traffic regions, focusing resources on high-demand markets.
4. Monitor Usage: Deploy cost-monitoring tools to track spending in real-time and avoid surprises. Tools like CloudHealth by VMware or Apptio Cloudability provide detailed insights into CDN usage, enabling proactive cost adjustments.
5. Review Contracts: Ensure your agreement includes flexible terms to adapt to changing needs. Clauses allowing mid-term service adjustments or early termination without penalty can unlock savings as business needs evolve.

Effective Negotiations for Maximum Value

Collaborate with Akamai to secure better terms:

• Bundled Services: Combine multiple services, such as CDN, security, and storage, to negotiate lower rates. For example, a client bundling Akamai’s CDN with Web Application Firewall services secured a 15% improvement in their discounts compared to purchasing each separately.
• Volume Discounts: Leverage higher usage, bundled services, and multi-year terms for better pricing. A one-year, single-product deal at low volume typically yields standard discounts (e.g., 40%), while a five-year deal bundling all services at high volumes can drastically improve discounts (e.g., 80%), as NET(net)’s client data routinely shows.
• Flexible Payment Terms: Request extended payment schedules to improve cash flow. For instance, replacing a standard annual upfront payment with a quarterly payment clause (e.g., “Payments shall be made in equal quarterly installments over the contract term”) can defer 75% of annual costs, freeing up capital for other investments.
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Align SLAs with business needs and secure penalties for non-compliance. For example, an SLA stipulating “99.9% uptime with a 20% service credit per percentage point below” offsets costs if Akamai fails to meet performance targets, potentially saving millions in credits.
• Exit Clauses: Negotiate favorable exit terms to maintain flexibility in a shifting market. Sample language: “Customer may terminate this agreement with 60 days’ written notice if business requirements change, with no penalty after the first 12 months of the contract term.”

Taking unilateral action where needed and negotiating concessions where warranted can improve discounts considerably, resulting in a halving of effective costs by strategically managing your Akamai agreement, investment, and relationship:

Case Study: Real-World Savings

A Fortune 500 retailer partnered with NET(net) to audit their Akamai usage and renegotiate contracts. By eliminating redundant services and securing volume discounts, they reduced annual costs by 25%—saving millions while maintaining top-tier performance.

Cost Comparison: Akamai vs. AWS

The chart below illustrates the stark cost disparity between Akamai and AWS for equivalent storage capacity.

Customer Sentiment: A Growing Concern

While Akamai is a leader in CDN performance, users on platforms like Reddit, Quora, Spiceworks, and X increasingly criticize its pricing. A 2025 X thread revealed that 75% of IT leaders discussing Akamai cited cost as their top issue, with many reporting significant savings after switching to alternatives like AWS or Cloudflare. One user noted, “Akamai’s account management feels more like a sales pitch than a partnership,” highlighting the need for strategic cost management.

Not surprisingly, Akamai’s customer sentiment has been on a downward trend over the last 3 years as follows (sentiment varies by customer segment or region – not fully captured here):

Conclusion: Act Now to Transform Your IT Budget

Don’t let rising Akamai costs erode your financial strategy. NET(net)’s proven expertise and proprietary tools can help you slash expenses, avoid vendor lock-in, and maintain top-tier performance. Schedule a consultation to unlock transformative savings before your next budget cycle.

Contact NET(net) Today

Ready to optimize your technology supply chain? Visit www.netnetweb.com to schedule a consultation and redefine your approach to cost and value optimization.

About the Author:

Steven C. Zolman is a leading expert in technology investment optimization and the founder, owner, and executive chairman of NET(net), Inc., the world's leading technology investment optimization firm. With over 30 years of industry experience, Mr. Zolman has helped client organizations of all sizes maximize the value of their technology investments by minimizing cost and risk and maximizing the realization of value and benefit.

About NET(net):

At NET(net), we don’t just talk IT cost and value optimization—we deliver it. With decades of battle-tested experience, we specialize in slicing through licensing chaos, optimizing cloud strategies, and wringing every drop of value from your technology supply chain. Whether it’s negotiating killer deals, benchmarking prices, or assessing proposals, we’re the partner you need to stay sharp, save big, and dominate in a cutthroat market. Visit www.netnetweb.com to see why we’re the go-to for enterprises and providers who refuse to settle.

Founded in 2002, NET(net) is the world’s leading IT Investment Optimization firm, helping clients find, get, and keep more economic and strategic value in their technology supply chains. Over the last 20+ years, NET(net) has influenced trillions of investment, captured hundreds of billions of value, and has helped clients cost and value optimize all major areas of IT Spend, including XaaS, Cloud, Hardware, Software, Services, Healthcare, Outsourcing, Infrastructure, and Telecommunications, among others. NET(net) has the experience you want, demonstrates the expertise that you need, and delivers the performance you demand and deserve. Contact us at info@netnetweb.com, visit us online at www.netnetweb.com, or call us at +1 (616) 546-3100 to see if we can help you capture more value in your IT investments, agreements, deployments, and relationships.

NET(net)’s Website/Blogs/Articles and other content is subject to NET(net)’s legal terms, offered for general information purposes only, and does not constitute legal advice. While NET(net) may offer views and opinions regarding the subject matter, such views and opinions are those of the content authors, are not necessarily reflective of the views of the company and are not intended to malign or disparage any other company or other individual or group.