The Edge Network That Powers the Internet
Cloudflare started as a CDN and DDoS protection service but has evolved into a comprehensive edge computing platform. Their network spans 300+ cities worldwide, putting compute and content closer to users than any other provider.
What sets Cloudflare apart is their generous free tier - you can host unlimited static sites, use their CDN, and get DDoS protection without paying anything. Workers provides serverless edge computing, D1 offers SQLite at the edge, and R2 provides S3-compatible storage with zero egress fees.
We use Cloudflare as our default for static sites and as a CDN/DNS layer for virtually every project. For applications needing more compute, we pair Cloudflare with Vercel or Railway.
Technical Specifications
Why Choose Cloudflare?
The features that make Cloudflare the go-to platform for static sites, edge computing, and global performance.
Global Edge Network
Content and compute delivered from 300+ cities worldwide, putting your application closer to users than any other provider.
Generous Free Tier
Enterprise-grade performance accessible to everyone. Cloudflare's free tier is among the most generous in the industry.
Zero Egress Fees (R2)
R2 object storage has no bandwidth charges. Massive savings compared to AWS S3 for applications serving files to users.
Built-in Security
DDoS protection, WAF, and SSL included at all tiers. Enterprise-grade security without enterprise pricing.
Workers Edge Compute
JavaScript/TypeScript edge functions running globally with sub-millisecond cold starts.
D1 Serverless Database
SQLite at the edge - serverless database without cold starts, integrated with Workers.
Key Cloudflare Services
The core Cloudflare services we leverage for edge-first solutions.
Hosting
- Pages (Static/JAMstack)
- Workers Sites
- Stream (Video)
- Images (Optimization)
Compute
- Workers (Edge Functions)
- Durable Objects (Stateful)
- Queues (Messaging)
- Cron Triggers
Storage
- R2 (Object Storage)
- KV (Key-Value)
- D1 (SQLite)
- Hyperdrive (DB Proxy)
Security
- DDoS Protection
- WAF
- Bot Management
- SSL/TLS
Perfect For
- Static websites and JAMstack applications
- Edge computing with Workers
- CDN and global content delivery
- DDoS protection and web security
- Free or low-cost hosting requirements
- Global performance optimization
Consider Alternatives When
- Complex server-side applications (use Railway or Render)
- Database-heavy applications (limited to D1/edge solutions)
- Long-running processes (Worker CPU limits apply)
- Full-stack frameworks requiring SSR (Vercel is better for Next.js)
Our Default for Static Sites
Cloudflare is our go-to platform for static sites and our CDN/DNS layer for virtually every project we deploy.
Static Marketing Sites
Astro + Cloudflare Pages for maximum performance
CDN & DNS
Every project gets Cloudflare CDN and DNS
Security Layer
DDoS protection and WAF for all deployments
R2 File Storage
Zero egress fees for user-facing file storage