Estimate Your Website's Backend Usage.
Calculate your estimated daily Worker requests and explore whether Cloudflare Workers Free may suit your website's workload. Transparent planning with zero sales hype.
Website Traffic & Usage Parameters
Adjust the sliders below to model your expected daily traffic and dynamic operations.
Select Your Hosting Architecture Preference
Choose eligible Cloudflare Workers Free hosting and receive 18% off the qualifying EdgeLab service fee on purchases above $500.
Applied to our Business Plus package ($899 base fee):
*Note: The first 3 months of running cost remain included. Standard running cost of $25/month begins after 3 months. This discount is an EdgeLab agency promotion, not a discount provided by Cloudflare. Free hosting has limits, and external provider costs (such as databases or third-party APIs) may still apply.
Understanding What Counts as a Worker Request
Cloudflare counts incoming requests that invoke Worker code. Here is how EdgeLab architects keep requests efficient:
Static Asset Caching
Static files (images, CSS, pre-rendered HTML) served directly from the CDN edge cache generally do not count as Worker invocation requests.
Direct WhatsApp Routing
Click-to-chat WhatsApp links bypass backend servers entirely, generating zero Worker requests while delivering instant mobile conversions.
Backend Form Handling
Submitting a lead form handled by a backend worker endpoint invokes Worker code once per submission. Spam protection prevents abuse.
Subrequests & Databases
Database queries (Cloudflare D1, Supabase, Neon) or external API calls made from inside a Worker do not count as additional incoming Worker requests.
CPU & Resource Limits
CPU execution time limits (10ms on Free vs 30s configurable on Paid) and memory allowances are governed separately from the daily request count.
SSR vs Static Generation
Full server-side dynamic rendering (SSR) on every page load consumes requests, whereas Next.js static site generation (SSG) delivers blazing speed with minimal backend requests.
Cloudflare Workers: Free vs. Paid
Authority comparison based on official Cloudflare platform documentation. Helps non-technical business owners understand architectural trade-offs.
| Feature | Workers Free | Workers Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited for | Small websites, prototypes, personal portfolios, and lightweight APIs | Business-critical applications, commercial e-commerce, and higher workloads |
| Request allowance | 100,000 requests per day (resets daily at 00:00 UTC) | 10,000,000 requests/month included in base $5/month plan |
| Request overage | Requests return error (HTTP 1027) once daily quota is exhausted | $0.50 per additional 1,000,000 requests (never abruptly dropped) |
| CPU allowance | 10ms CPU execution time per request | Configurable up to 30,000ms (30s) standard CPU time |
| Subrequests | Up to 50 subrequests per single invocation | Up to 1,000 subrequests per single invocation |
| Database product | A separate database product (e.g. D1 Free or external DB) may be required | A database may still be separately required based on schema requirements |
| AI usage (Workers AI) | External AI usage is not automatically free; basic neurons allowance applies | External AI usage is not automatically included; billed per model consumption |
| External provider costs | May apply (third-party APIs, transactional email, domain registration) | May apply (third-party APIs, transactional email, domain registration) |
| Suitable use | Low-traffic and lightweight workloads that comfortably fit within daily limits | Higher traffic velocity, greater CPU needs, or missions requiring paid SLAs |
| Upgrade requirement | Upgrade or optimise caching when workload approaches 100k requests/day | Monitor monthly request volumes and optimize database queries |
Best suited for
Request allowance
Request overage
CPU allowance
Subrequests
Database
AI usage
External costs
Suitable use
Upgrade requirement
Cloudflare and Cloudflare Workers are trademarks of Cloudflare, Inc. EdgeLab is an independent digital agency providing web architecture and development. EdgeLab is not officially endorsed or partnered with Cloudflare. The 18% promotional offer is provided solely by EdgeLab.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common architectural questions regarding serverless backend hosting.
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