Without a CDN, every visitor fetches your site from one origin server, so someone far away waits longer. A CDN caches static files (images, scripts, styles) close to users, cutting load times and easing the load on your main server.
CDNs also add resilience and security, absorbing traffic spikes and helping fend off certain attacks. For a small local site they're optional, but for anything reaching a wide or distant audience they're close to standard, and often cheap or free at small scale.
Updated July 2026
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