Cloudflare
The edge, the CDN, and increasingly the backend
Cloudflare is where I push everything that benefits from being close to the user: static assets, API edge caching, Workers for request manipulation, R2 for object storage without egress fees, and D1 or Durable Objects when the workload fits. The CDN, WAF, and DDoS protection are table stakes, the developer platform is the differentiator.
Years
Projects
Proficiency
My take
Why I use Cloudflare
Cloudflare's edge network is the fastest path to your users on the open internet, and the developer platform (Workers, R2, D1, KV, Durable Objects) lets me push compute and state to the edge without standing up a parallel ops practice. Zero egress on R2 alone has flipped the economics on several projects.
Want the broader stack philosophy? Read about how Sri picks tools or browse engineering insights.
Honest assessment
Strengths & tradeoffs
No tool is perfect. Here's what shines and what to watch for.
Strengths
- Massive global edge footprint (300+ cities)
- Workers cold starts are effectively zero
- R2 has zero egress fees, big wins for media-heavy workloads
- Excellent DDoS, WAF, and bot management included
- Free tier is unusually generous
Tradeoffs (honestly)
- Workers runtime is V8 isolates, not full Node compatibility
- D1 and Durable Objects are still maturing operationally
- Multi-region writes need careful Durable Object design
- Observability is improving but trails AWS/GCP at the deep end
Fit assessment
When to reach for Cloudflare
Pick the right tool for the job.
Best fits
Edge caching and CDN for any user-facing app
WAF and DDoS protection at the network edge
Workers for request rewriting, A/B testing, edge auth
R2 for media, backups, and AI training data
Static site hosting via Cloudflare Pages
Not ideal for
Heavy CPU or long-running compute (use AWS/GCP)
Workloads that need full Node.js compatibility without polyfills
Strongly consistent multi-region transactional databases
Common use cases
Resources
Learn more
Curated official docs, tutorials, and writing on Cloudflare.
Services
Where I apply Cloudflare
Engagements where this technology shows up regularly.
Cloud Infrastructure
Modern cloud infrastructure designed for reliability, cost-efficiency, and developer velocity. From Kubernetes deployments to serverless architectures, I build platforms that teams love to ship on.
Performance Optimization
Systematic performance improvement that users can feel. I identify bottlenecks, implement optimizations, and establish practices for maintaining performance over time.
Security Engineering
Pragmatic security that protects without slowing you down. I help teams build secure-by-default systems and develop security practices that integrate smoothly with fast development cycles.
Case Studies
Cloudflare in production
Real engagements where this technology shaped the outcome.
E-Commerce Speed Optimization
End-to-end performance optimization for a high-traffic e-commerce site that directly improved conversion rates and revenue.
Media Streaming Architecture
Redesigned the streaming architecture for a media company to handle viral content spikes and global distribution efficiently.
Browse the full case study archive.
Stack
Pairs well with Cloudflare
Tools and platforms I commonly combine with this one.
Cloud Platforms
More in this category
Hyperscalers and frontend clouds where I deploy production systems.
Need help with Cloudflare?
Whether you're starting fresh or optimizing an existing implementation, I can help you get the most out of this technology. Read more in insights or get in touch.