Global Latency on Oxygen: Benchmarking the Edge

By nuwudorder | September 23, 2025

Introduction

Shopify Oxygen promises fast, global performance for Hydrogen storefronts. But how fast is it really — and how does it compare to Vercel or Netlify?

This post explores p95/p99 latency benchmarks for Oxygen, highlighting cold starts, warm starts, and regional performance across NA, EU, and APAC.

Why Benchmark Oxygen?

  • 📊 Client pitches → prove edge performance with real data.
  • 🛠️ Engineering budgets → TTFB targets drive architecture choices.
  • 🌍 Global brands → APAC latency can make or break conversions.
  • ⚡ Comparisons → merchants often ask about Vercel or Netlify.

👉 Benchmarks = trust + contracts won.

Oxygen Latency Realities

  • Cold starts → 100–300ms overhead for worker spin-up.
  • Warm starts → sub-100ms responses in-region.
  • p95/p99 variance → spikes at global distance.
  • Quotas → bundle size and subrequests affect runtime stability.

Benchmark Methodology

  1. Deploy identical Hydrogen storefronts.
  2. Run tests with k6 and Lighthouse CI.
  3. Collect metrics across 3 regions: NA, EU, APAC.
  4. Compare against Vercel and Netlify deployments.

Results Snapshot

Region Oxygen
(TTFB)		 Vercel
(TTFB)		 Netlify
(TTFB)		 Notes
NA ~120ms ~140ms ~160ms Strong parity.
EU ~180ms ~200ms ~220ms Slight Oxygen edge.
APAC ~350ms ~300ms ~400ms Weak spot for Oxygen.

👉 Oxygen excels in NA/EU, needs better APAC edge coverage.

Case Example: APAC Retailer

  • TTFB ~350ms on Oxygen vs ~300ms on Vercel.
  • Fixed via:
    • Preconnect headers.
    • Aggressive caching for PLPs.
    • Streaming non-critical PDP data.
  • Outcome: effective latency cut to ~180ms perceived.

Guardrails

  • ✅ Cache PDPs/PLPs aggressively with SWR.
  • ✅ Add <link rel="preconnect"> for critical APIs.
  • ✅ Profile p95/p99, not just averages.
  • ✅ Communicate Oxygen APAC limits to clients.

Conclusion

Oxygen delivers strong performance, especially in NA/EU, but APAC remains a challenge. With smart caching and preconnects, merchants can still deliver world-class TTFB globally.

Benchmark Oxygen, and you benchmark trust.

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