How much does Cloudflare for Startups give?
Up to $350,000 in credits for one year, in three tiers: $10k for bootstrapped or self-funded startups with under $1M raised, $100k for startups with under $5M raised and an affiliated partner, and $350k for startups with $5M+ raised and an affiliated partner.
Core security and networking features come at no cost on every tier, including three enterprise domains, DDoS and bot protection, and a WAF with 1,000 custom rules.
The three tiers
- Tier 3, $10k: bootstrapped or self-funded, under $1M raised. Includes community, events, developer docs and the Discord community.
- Tier 2, $100k: under $5M raised and funded by an affiliated partner. Adds an account manager (case-dependent) and technical sessions with Cloudflare experts.
- Tier 1, $350k: $5M+ raised and funded by an affiliated partner. Adds an account manager, priority technical support and bi-weekly Solutions Architect office hours.
Source: Cloudflare for Startups page (cloudflare.com/forstartups)
What are the requirements for Cloudflare for Startups?
A for-profit startup founded within the last 10 years and funded up to Series B, building a technology product, with a live public website, a business email on its own domain, a public presence on LinkedIn, X or GitHub, and no earlier approval into the program.
Cloudflare says the program is not open to educational institutions, personal blogs, consultancies, service-based agencies, MSPs or resellers, and the Startup Plan may not be used by existing enterprise customers.
Cloudflare's seven criteria
- Founded within the last 10 years (incorporated no more than 10 years ago)
- Funded up to Series B, with the page adding "Funded within the last 12 months"
- Building a technology product
- A valid, publicly accessible website
- Active on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) or GitHub
- First-time applicants only
- A for-profit business with a business email matching your domain, no personal email addresses
Source: Cloudflare for Startups page (cloudflare.com/forstartups)
What do Cloudflare startup credits cover, and what do they not?
Credits cover usage-based services such as Workers, Durable Objects, Workflows, Workers AI, KV, D1, Queues, Vectorize and R2. They do not cover Registrar fees, AI Gateway (for now), enterprise feature add-ons or premium network services.
Some features have to be switched on by Cloudflare first. Advanced Certificate Manager, SSL for SaaS, Advanced Rate Limiting and extra Load Balancing origins are requested by email, and Bot Management, API Shield, Apex Proxying and extra Zero Trust seats go through a support ticket.
Caps and exclusions
- R2 Object Storage: covered up to a $10,000 cap
- Workers AI: covered up to $2,500 for Tier 3, $10,000 for Tier 2 and $50,000 for Tier 1
- AI Gateway: temporarily not covered by credits
- Registrar: domain registration and renewal fees are not eligible for credit deductions
- Magic Transit, Enterprise Spectrum, Dedicated IPs and the China Network need a dedicated contracted plan
Source: Cloudflare for Startups page (cloudflare.com/forstartups)
How long do Cloudflare startup credits last and what happens after?
Credits last one year or until used up, whichever comes first, and Cloudflare says it cannot approve extensions. Afterwards you pick a self-serve plan, fall back to Free, or negotiate Enterprise, and your card on file is billed once the credits expire.
Cloudflare sends three reminders to your application email before graduation. Enterprise domains you do not move to a paid self-serve plan automatically revert to the Free plan.
You must create a Cloudflare account and put a valid payment method on file to join, and the terms say Cloudflare will bill that card when the credits expire unless you sign a prepaid contract.
Source: Cloudflare for Startups page (cloudflare.com/forstartups)
How do I apply to Cloudflare for Startups and how long does approval take?
Apply through the form linked from the Cloudflare for Startups page (cloudflare.com/lp/startups). Cloudflare says review typically takes up to 48 hours and you get a confirmation email, and a rejection always comes with a reason.
If you have heard nothing after a week, email startups@cloudflare.com. The program is a one-time opportunity per startup and credits cannot be transferred between accounts, but a founder with several distinct startups can apply for each with different account IDs and email addresses.
Source: Cloudflare for Startups page (cloudflare.com/forstartups)
Cloudflare for Startups used to be $5,000 to $250,000. What changed?
Cloudflare recently raised Tier 3 from $5,000 to $10,000 and Tier 1 from $250,000 to $350,000. Members who joined under the old limits can ask for an upgrade case by case, and an upgrade does not reset the one-year expiry.
Upgrades are not automatic: Cloudflare reviews each request on product usage, architecture scaling needs and overall program engagement. To ask, email startups@cloudflare.com with your account ID and a short summary of how you use Cloudflare.
Source: Cloudflare for Startups page (cloudflare.com/forstartups)
