Cloudflare
Cloudflare sits in front of much of what we host — as a CDN, a security layer and, increasingly, a place to run code at the edge with Workers and Pages.
- Type
- Global network + edge compute
- Includes
- CDN, DNS, WAF, Workers, Pages
- Strengths
- Speed, security, edge logic
- Good for
- Own-infrastructure builds
What Cloudflare is
Cloudflare is a global network offering CDN, DNS, DDoS protection and a web application firewall, plus an edge compute platform (Workers, Pages, R2, D1). It puts content and code physically close to visitors across hundreds of locations.
How Cloudflare works
For the people running the site, Cloudflare is mostly invisible — which is the point. It sits in front of the site as a global network, so pages load fast wherever visitors are, attacks and bad bots are filtered before they reach the origin, and a traffic spike is absorbed by caching rather than taking the site down. What the team notices is a site that is quick and stays up on its busiest day.
For developers, it is two things at once: a mature network layer (CDN, DNS, WAF, DDoS protection, image resizing) and an edge compute platform (Workers, Pages, R2, D1). We use the network in front of almost anything we host, and reach for Workers and Pages when a project wants to own its own cost-effective infrastructure. The trade is that the edge runtime has its own constraints — it is not a full Node server — so some heavier workloads sit better on Vercel or a VPS.
Where it earns the shortlist
Cloudflare earns the shortlist in two ways. As a network layer — CDN, DNS, security and DDoS protection — it goes in front of a large share of what we host, regardless of where the app itself runs. As a hosting platform, Workers and Pages are a strong, cost-effective home for static sites and edge logic when a client wants their own infrastructure rather than a fully managed host. Reach for it for speed and security everywhere, and for own-infrastructure edge builds.
- CDN, DNS and security in front of any hosting
- Edge compute with Workers, and static hosting with Pages
- Cost-sensitive builds that want their own infrastructure
When teams choose it — and when they don’t
Choose Cloudflare when
You want speed and security in one layer
CDN, DNS, WAF and DDoS protection in front of any hosting.
The build wants its own infrastructure
Pages and Workers host static sites and edge logic cost-effectively.
Logic belongs at the edge
Workers run code close to visitors with no traditional server to maintain.
Traffic is global or spiky
Edge caching absorbs spikes and serves every region fast.
Look elsewhere when
You run Node-heavy workloads
The edge runtime has limits; some apps sit better on Vercel or a VPS.
You want the smoothest Next.js flow
For preview deploys and first-class Next.js integration, Vercel leads.
It is a traditional WordPress site
A tuned managed or VPS environment is the natural home for the origin.
Pricing, in plain terms
Cloudflare’s core network — CDN, DNS and basic security — is free on most plans, which is a large part of why it sits in front of so much of what we host. Pages hosting and a generous Workers tier are free to start, with paid plans priced on usage and features as needs grow. For most sites the Cloudflare bill is small or nil; heavier edge-compute usage is billed on volume, and we size it to the project.
The SmartaStudio take
Cloudflare is the layer we put in front of almost everything — the speed and security it adds for little or no cost are hard to argue with, whatever the app runs on. As an actual host, Pages and Workers are excellent for static sites and edge logic when a client wants to own their infrastructure. The honest caveat is the edge runtime’s constraints: Node-heavy apps and the smoothest Next.js workflow still belong on Vercel or a VPS. We often use Cloudflare for the network and something else for the app — and that is by design.
Not sure Cloudflare is the right call?
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Build with Cloudflare?
Tell us about the project and we will confirm whether this is the right platform for it — and scope the build if it is.