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Networking · head to head

Cloudflare vs Readyset

Cloudflare logo

Cloudflare

Networking

The web performance and security company

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Readyset logo

Readyset

Databases

Database caching and optimization that reduces infrastructure costs 30-70%

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cloudflare free tier limited to basic features (no advanced analytics or premium features); Readyset pricing requires contacting sales team, making cost planning difficult
  • They diverge on capability: Cloudflare covers Global CDN, Readyset covers Automatic Query Optimization.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cloudflare and Readyset actually diverge.

Attributes where Cloudflare and Readyset differ
AttributeCloudflareReadyset
Pricing modelfreemiumMonthly or annual subscription based on cache size
PlatformsWebCloud, Self-Hosted
CategoryNetworkingDatabases
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cloudflare

  • Global CDN
  • DDoS Protection
  • WAF
  • DNS
  • SSL/TLS
  • Load Balancing
  • Bot Management
  • Workers (Serverless)

Only in Readyset

  • Automatic Query Optimization
  • SQL-Level Caching
  • Live Incremental Updates
  • Zero-Touch Integration
  • Query Interception
  • AI Query Protection

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cloudflare

  • Global content delivery network (CDN) with 330+ data centres worldwidenot Readyset
  • DDoS protection and bot blockingnot Readyset
  • Web application security and rate limitingnot Readyset
  • DNS management and domain protectionnot Readyset
  • Static and dynamic content cachingnot Readyset
  • Serverless computing via Cloudflare Workersnot Readyset
  • Database and storage services (D1, R2)not Readyset
  • Performance optimisation for Core Web Vitalsnot Readyset

Readyset

  • Reducing database costs for AI workloads with unpredictable query patternsnot Cloudflare
  • Improving read performance for frequently accessed data without hardware upgradesnot Cloudflare
  • Protecting databases from performance degradation caused by agentic queriesnot Cloudflare
  • Scaling read-heavy applications without database scaling costsnot Cloudflare

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cloudflare

  • Free tier limited to basic features (no advanced analytics or premium features)
  • Pro tier ($20-25/month) caps at professional websites (higher tiers needed for enterprise scale)
  • Caches only anonymous API GET responses (authenticated requests and non-GET methods not cached)
  • Geographic coverage limited to announced 330+ cities (may not cover all regions globally)

Readyset

  • Pricing requires contacting sales team, making cost planning difficult
  • Specific pricing tiers not disclosed publicly
  • Requires cache size estimation for cost calculation
  • Limited to read query caching, does not address write performance

Pricing, plan by plan

Cloudflare

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cloudflare review.

Readyset

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • 7-day trial available
  • Readyset CloudFree
    • Fully-managed AWS deployment
    • High availability
    • VPC peering support
  • Readyset PrivateFree
    • Self-hosted on your servers
    • Complete control
    • Custom deployment

Which should you pick?

Choose Cloudflare if

  • You need global cdn.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want ddos protection.
Cloudflare review

Choose Readyset if

  • You need automatic query optimization.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-Hosted.
  • You also want sql-level caching.
Readyset review

Questions people ask

Is Cloudflare or Readyset better?
Neither clearly leads. Cloudflare starts at Free and Readyset at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cloudflare or Readyset?
Cloudflare starts at Free and Readyset at Free.
Does Cloudflare or Readyset run on more platforms?
Cloudflare runs on Web. Readyset runs on Cloud, Self-Hosted.
Can I use Cloudflare for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cloudflare best used for?
Cloudflare is most often used for global content delivery network (cdn) with 330+ data centres worldwide, ddos protection and bot blocking, web application security and rate limiting, dns management and domain protection. Of those, global content delivery network (cdn) with 330+ data centres worldwide and ddos protection and bot blocking are not what Readyset is typically brought in for.
What can Cloudflare do that Readyset cannot?
Cloudflare covers Global CDN, DDoS Protection, WAF, DNS. Readyset covers Automatic Query Optimization, SQL-Level Caching, Live Incremental Updates, Zero-Touch Integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cloudflare: Does Cloudflare have a free tier?

Yes, Cloudflare includes a free tier with generous allowances: 100k daily requests for Workers, 10 GB monthly storage for R2, and 1 GB for Workers KV.

Source
Readyset: Do I need to change my application code?

No, Readyset integrates transparently through query interception with zero code changes or schema modifications required.

Source
Cloudflare: How much does Cloudflare cost beyond the free tier?

Cloudflare uses pay-as-you-go pricing beyond free allocations, charging per million requests, per GB-month of storage, or per vCPU-second depending on the service.

Source
Readyset: Is there a free trial?

Yes, Readyset offers a free 7-day trial that lets you test different cache sizes before committing to a paid plan.

Source
Cloudflare: Does Cloudflare charge egress fees?

No, Cloudflare explicitly states no egress fees and no hidden costs; you only pay for the usage metrics specific to each service.

Source
Readyset: How does Readyset pricing work?

Readyset is available as a monthly or annual subscription charged based on the size of cache you need. Contact [email protected] for specific pricing.

Source
Cloudflare: What's the Enterprise pricing model for Cloudflare?

Cloudflare Enterprise offers custom pricing and volume discounts available through direct sales for organizations with specialized needs and large-scale usage.

Source
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