Speeding Up Websites Using World's Fastest CDN for Free

Using the World’s Fastest Free CDN

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are essential for modern web performance. They distribute your content across global servers, reducing latency and improving load times. This guide focuses on jsDelivr, one of the fastest and most reliable free CDN services, and how to use it with GitHub.

What is a CDN?

A CDN (Content Delivery Network) is a distributed network of servers that delivers web content to users based on their geographic location. When a user requests content, the CDN serves it from the nearest server, significantly reducing load times.

Benefits of Using a CDN

  • Faster load times: Content served from nearby servers
  • Reduced bandwidth costs: CDN handles traffic instead of your server
  • Improved reliability: Redundant servers ensure uptime
  • Better SEO: Page speed is a ranking factor
  • Global reach: Serve users worldwide efficiently
  • DDoS protection: Distributed architecture absorbs attacks

Top 5 Fastest CDNs in 2021

Based on performance benchmarks and reliability:

1. jsDelivr

  • Speed: Industry-leading
  • Cost: Completely free
  • Features: GitHub integration, NPM packages, automatic minification
  • Best for: Open source projects, public files
  • Global PoPs: 750+ locations

2. Cloudflare

  • Speed: Excellent
  • Cost: Free tier available
  • Features: DDoS protection, SSL, analytics
  • Best for: Full website hosting
  • Global PoPs: 200+ locations

3. Amazon CloudFront

  • Speed: Very fast
  • Cost: Pay-as-you-go
  • Features: AWS integration, edge computing
  • Best for: Enterprise applications
  • Global PoPs: 310+ locations

4. Google Cloud CDN

  • Speed: Very fast
  • Cost: Pay-as-you-go
  • Features: GCP integration, smart caching
  • Best for: Google Cloud users
  • Global PoPs: 140+ locations

5. Fastly

  • Speed: Excellent
  • Cost: Usage-based pricing
  • Features: Real-time purging, edge computing
  • Best for: Large-scale deployments
  • Global PoPs: 65+ locations

Why jsDelivr?

jsDelivr stands out for several reasons:

  1. Completely free: No hidden costs or limits
  2. No registration: Start using immediately
  3. GitHub integration: Direct linking to repos
  4. NPM packages: Access millions of libraries
  5. Automatic optimization: Minification and compression
  6. SSL by default: Secure HTTPS delivery
  7. 100% uptime SLA: Multiple CDN providers as backup

Getting Started with jsDelivr

Method 1: Using GitHub Repository

Host your files on GitHub and serve them via jsDelivr.

Step 1: Create a GitHub Repository

# Create a new repository
mkdir my-cdn-files
cd my-cdn-files
git init

# Add your files
# Example: style.css, script.js, images/

Step 2: Push to GitHub

git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git remote add origin https://github.com/username/my-cdn-files.git
git push -u origin main

Step 3: Access via jsDelivr

jsDelivr URL format:

https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/repo@version/file

Examples:

Latest version:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/my-cdn-files/style.css">

Specific commit:

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/my-cdn-files@abc1234/script.js"></script>

Specific tag/release:

<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/my-cdn-files@v1.0/logo.png">

Specific branch:

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/my-cdn-files@dev/script.js"></script>

Method 2: Using GitHub Releases

For better version control, use GitHub releases.

Step 1: Create a Release

  1. Go to your GitHub repository
  2. Click Releases > Create a new release
  3. Choose a tag (e.g., v1.0.0)
  4. Add release notes
  5. Attach your files (optional)
  6. Click Publish release

Step 2: Access Files

<!-- Access files from specific release -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/repo@v1.0.0/style.css">

<!-- jsDelivr automatically serves latest release -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/repo@latest/style.css">

Method 3: Using NPM Packages

If your project is published to NPM:

<!-- Access NPM package via jsDelivr -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/package-name@version/file.js"></script>

<!-- Example: jQuery -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/jquery@3.6.0/dist/jquery.min.js"></script>

<!-- Latest version -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/jquery/dist/jquery.min.js"></script>

Practical Examples

Hosting CSS Library

Repository structure:

my-css-framework/
├── dist/
│   ├── framework.css
│   ├── framework.min.css
│   └── framework.min.css.map
├── README.md
└── package.json

Usage:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/my-css-framework@1.0/dist/framework.min.css">

Hosting JavaScript Library

<!-- Full version -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/my-library@2.0/dist/library.js"></script>

<!-- Minified version -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/my-library@2.0/dist/library.min.js"></script>

Hosting Images and Assets

<!-- Logo -->
<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/assets@main/images/logo.png">

<!-- Icon font -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/icon-font@1.0/css/icons.css">

Complete Website Example

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title>My Site</title>
    
    <!-- CSS from your GitHub repo -->
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/my-site-assets@v1.2/css/styles.min.css">
    
    <!-- Popular library from NPM -->
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.1/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css">
</head>
<body>
    <!-- Content -->
    
    <!-- Your JavaScript -->
    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/my-site-assets@v1.2/js/app.min.js"></script>
    
    <!-- Popular library from NPM -->
    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.1/dist/js/bootstrap.bundle.min.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Advanced Features

Automatic Minification

jsDelivr can minify files automatically:

<!-- Original file -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/repo/script.js"></script>

<!-- Automatically minified -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/repo/script.min.js"></script>

Load Multiple Files

Combine multiple files into one request:

<!-- Combine multiple files -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/combine/npm/jquery@3.6,npm/bootstrap@5.1"></script>

Version Aliasing

Use version ranges:

<!-- Latest 1.x.x version -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/package@1"></script>

<!-- Latest 1.2.x version -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/package@1.2"></script>

<!-- Exact version -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/package@1.2.3"></script>

SRI (Subresource Integrity)

Generate integrity hashes for security:

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/jquery@3.6.0/dist/jquery.min.js"
        integrity="sha256-/xUj+3OJU5yExlq6GSYGSHk7tPXikynS7ogEvDej/m4="
        crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

Get SRI hashes at jsdelivr.com search page.

Best Practices

1. Use Version Pinning

<!-- Good: Specific version -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/repo@v1.2.3/file.js"></script>

<!-- Avoid: Latest (can break your site) -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/repo@latest/file.js"></script>

2. Use Minified Files

<!-- Use .min.js for production -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/library/dist/library.min.js"></script>

3. Implement Fallbacks

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/jquery@3.6.0/dist/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script>
    // Fallback if CDN fails
    if (typeof jQuery == 'undefined') {
        document.write('<script src="/local/jquery.min.js"><\/script>');
    }
</script>

4. Use SRI for Security

<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/package@1.0.0/file.js"
        integrity="sha384-..."
        crossorigin="anonymous"></script>

5. Set Appropriate Cache Headers

jsDelivr automatically sets cache headers, but verify your files have proper metadata in GitHub.

Performance Optimization

Preconnect to CDN

<link rel="preconnect" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net">
<link rel="dns-prefetch" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net">

Preload Critical Resources

<link rel="preload" 
      href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/repo@v1/critical.css" 
      as="style">

Lazy Load Non-Critical Assets

<script defer src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/username/repo@v1/non-critical.js"></script>

Monitoring and Analytics

Check CDN Status

jsDelivr provides status page: status.jsdelivr.com

Monitor Performance

Use browser DevTools:

  1. Open Network tab
  2. Filter by jsDelivr URLs
  3. Check load times and sizes
  4. Verify caching

Test Global Performance

Use tools like:

Troubleshooting

Files Not Loading

  • Check URL format: Ensure proper username/repo/version
  • Verify file exists: Check GitHub repository
  • Wait for cache: Can take a few minutes for new files
  • Check CORS headers: jsDelivr sets proper CORS headers automatically

Outdated Content

  • Use specific versions: Don’t rely on @latest
  • Purge cache: Contact jsDelivr support if needed
  • Use new tag/release: Push new version to GitHub

Performance Issues

  • Use minified files: Reduce file sizes
  • Combine files: Reduce HTTP requests
  • Check file sizes: Optimize large assets before uploading
  • Monitor status: Check jsDelivr status page

Conclusion

jsDelivr combined with GitHub provides a powerful, free CDN solution for hosting and delivering web assets globally. With its excellent performance, easy setup, and zero cost, it’s perfect for:

  • Open source projects
  • Personal websites
  • Small to medium applications
  • Development and testing

Start using jsDelivr today to improve your website’s performance and user experience worldwide.

Quick Reference

GitHub URL Format:

https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/user/repo@version/file

NPM URL Format:

https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/package@version/file

Combining Files:

https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/combine/npm/package1,npm/package2