Linode (Akamai Cloud) Performance: Benchmarks, Latency & Limits 2026
Linode VPS runs Shared, Dedicated EPYC and High Memory plans from $5, with 40 Gbps inbound and free DDoS. Instances don't autoscale; provisioning takes ~80s.
Linode (Akamai Cloud) Performance verdict
Linode, now Akamai Cloud, is a fixed-instance VPS.
Shared CPU runs from a $5 Nanode at 1 vCPU and 1 GB up to $1,152 at 192 GB. Dedicated CPU sits on 5th-gen AMD EPYC up to 256 vCPU, alongside High Memory plans, all with 40 Gbps inbound networking, NVMe storage and free DDoS protection.
Use Shared CPU for bursty, cost-sensitive workloads and Dedicated CPU on AMD EPYC for steady, latency-sensitive ones. Instances do not autoscale, so plan horizontal scale up front with a NodeBalancer plus several instances, or LKE if you want Kubernetes. Watch the account-wide transfer pool and the $0.005/GB overage. Given the mixed CPU fleet reviewers flag, benchmark the exact host you land on before you commit.
- Compute Instances do not autoscale. You scale up by resizing, or out with a NodeBalancer or Linode Kubernetes Engine.
- Shared-CPU plans share cores and should stay under 80% sustained CPU, so use Dedicated CPU for steady load. Independent reviewers also flag a wide mix of CPUs, so identical plans can land on faster or slower hosts.
- Akamai publishes no Compute Instance SLA percentage on its accessible pages, so confirm uptime commitments directly.
- Cheapest plan
- $5/mo
- Inbound network
- 40 Gbps
- Dedicated CPU
- AMD EPYC
- Provisioning (independent)
- ~80 s
- Autoscaling
- None
This page covers how Linode performs and scales, and what it costs. Region coverage lives on its own page.
Size your Linode (Akamai Cloud) service and autoscaling
- on Nanode 1 GB you scale manually, so set 3 instances to hold 70% CPU.
- That is about $15/mo at 3 × $5 (Linode (Akamai Cloud) prorates compute by the second).
Estimated from Linode (Akamai Cloud)'s published instance prices and autoscaling rule (ceil(current x observed / target)). Verify against your own workload.
Linode (Akamai Cloud) network and provisioning benchmarks
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Provisioning time (independent) | ~80 s | VPSBenchmarks, Oct 2025 |
| Inbound network | 40 Gbps (all plans) | Akamai pricing |
| Outbound network | 1, 12 Gbps by plan | Akamai pricing |
| Block storage | NVMe SSD (independent) | VPSBenchmarks |
| Dedicated CPU | 5th Gen AMD EPYC | Akamai pricing |
| Independent ranking | 2nd, 3rd Best VPS (2023) | VPSBenchmarks awards |
Linode (Akamai Cloud) scaling and capacity
| Capability | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Instance autoscaling | None on Compute Instances | Resize or add nodes manually |
| Shared-CPU usage | <80% sustained | 100% for short bursts only |
| Horizontal scale | NodeBalancer $10/mo | Load-balance multiple instances behind one entry point |
| Kubernetes (LKE) | HA $60/mo, Enterprise $300/mo | Per-cluster control plane; scales nodes |
| Transfer pool | Account-wide | Pooled across all instances; not shut off on overage |
| Transfer overage | $0.005 / GB | $5/TB, billed at end of period |
Compute Instance plans
| Plan | vCPU / RAM | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Nanode 1 GB (Shared) | 1 vCPU / 1 GB | $5/mo |
| Linode 4 GB (Shared) | 2 vCPU / 4 GB | $24/mo |
| Linode 16 GB (Shared) | 6 vCPU / 16 GB | $96/mo |
| Linode 192 GB (Shared max) | 32 vCPU / 192 GB | $1,152/mo |
| Dedicated G8 4x2 (AMD EPYC) | 2 vCPU / 4 GB | $0.07/hr |
| Dedicated G8 512x256 (max) | 256 vCPU / 512 GB | $8.64/hr |
| High Memory 24 GB | 2 vCPU / 24 GB | $60/mo |
Linode (Akamai Cloud) reliability and architecture
- Akamai does not publish a Linode Compute Instance SLA percentage on its accessible pages; the SLA page returned not-found during sourcing, so confirm uptime commitments directly with Akamai
- DDoS protection is included on every Linode at no additional charge, backed by Akamai's security network
- Dedicated CPU plans run on 5th-generation AMD EPYC processors for high-consistency, latency-sensitive workloads
- Every plan has 40 Gbps inbound networking, and block storage is powered by NVMe SSDs
- Instances can be resized to a different plan at any time without a rebuild, and transfer pools across the whole account
- Independent reviewers rate Linode's large instance and datacenter choice and fast UI as strengths, but flag a wide mix of CPUs, fast and slow, old and new, as a weakness
Linode (Akamai Cloud) performance benchmarks, independently measured
- VPSBenchmarks, an independent VPS lab, tested eight Linode plans, Shared (1-8 GB), Dedicated (4-8 GB) and Premium (4-8 GB), with provisioning measured at about 80 seconds
- Independent awards placed Linode 2nd Best VPS under $5 and under $40, and 3rd Best under $25, in 2023
- The lab's noted weakness is a wide mix of CPUs, fast and slow, old and new, so identical plans can land on different-speed hosts
- Detailed sysbench and Geekbench scores are published as interactive charts rather than text, so the provisioning time and awards are the hard extractable numbers
- Linode compute is integrated into Akamai's global network, so the same platform serves CDN and security alongside compute
Linode (Akamai Cloud) Performance FAQ
What compute plans does Linode offer?
Four families. Shared CPU runs from a $5 a month Nanode at 1 vCPU and 1 GB up to $1,152 at 32 vCPU and 192 GB. Dedicated CPU on 5th-gen AMD EPYC starts at $0.07 an hour and reaches 256 vCPU and 512 GB. High Memory plans, RAM-heavy with dedicated CPUs, start at $60 a month, and Premium plans sit above. Every plan includes 40 Gbps inbound networking, NVMe block storage and free DDoS protection.
Does Linode autoscale?
Not at the Compute Instance level. You resize an instance to a larger plan at any time with no rebuild, or scale horizontally by putting several instances behind a $10 a month NodeBalancer. Linode Kubernetes Engine, whose HA control plane is $60 a month per cluster, scales nodes for you. Shared-CPU cores should stay under 80% sustained, so move to Dedicated CPU for consistent load.
How fast is Linode? What do independent benchmarks show?
VPSBenchmarks, an independent lab, tested eight Linode plans and measured an 80-second provision, giving Linode 2nd Best VPS under $5 and under $40, and 3rd under $25, in 2023. It rates the large instances, datacenter choice and fast UI as strengths. It also flags a wide mix of CPUs, fast and slow, old and new, so identical plans can land on different-speed hosts.
What is Linode's network and storage performance?
Every plan gets 40 Gbps inbound and 1 to 12 Gbps outbound depending on size, with NVMe-backed block storage. Transfer is a single account-wide monthly pool shared across all instances, and overage bills at $0.005/GB, so $5 per TB, at the end of the period rather than shutting the service off. Dedicated CPU plans bundle 0 TB of transfer and draw from the pool.
What SLA does Linode offer?
Akamai publishes no Linode Compute Instance SLA percentage on its public pages, and the SLA page returned not-found during sourcing, so confirm uptime commitments directly with Akamai. DDoS protection is included at no charge on every instance, backed by Akamai's security network, and the compute runs integrated into Akamai's global infrastructure.
Sources & verification
| Source | What was checked | Last checked |
|---|---|---|
| Linode Official | Official product page | July 10, 2026 |
| Akamai Cloud Computing How To Choose A Compute Instan | Cloud Computing How To Choose A Compute Instance Plan | July 10, 2026 |
| Akamai Cloud Pricing | Pricing and plans | July 10, 2026 |
| Akamai Why Akamai Global Infrastructure | Why Akamai Global Infrastructure | July 10, 2026 |
| Vpsbenchmarks Hosters Linode | Independent reference | July 10, 2026 |
Every fact on this Linode (Akamai Cloud) page is tied to a named source and a verification date. Freshness-sensitive figures trace to the sources above; verify against the vendor before relying on them.
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