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Cloudflare for Startups: Up to $350k in Credits and Services

Cloudflare for Startups provides early-stage companies with up to $350,000 in credits for one year. The program includes core security, networking, and usage-based services. Founders can apply if their startup meets funding and age criteria.

Last checked 25 October 2026 against 4 official pages · 3 min read

$350k
Maximum credits
1 year
Credit duration
$10k
Bootstrapped tier
$5M+
Tier 1 funding

What the program offers

Cloudflare for Startups gives qualifying startups credits to use on Cloudflare’s developer platform and global network. Credits cover usage-based services; core security and networking features are included at no cost for all tiers.

  • Tier 3: $10,000 credits, community access, developer docs, Discord
  • Tier 2: $100,000 credits, account manager (case-dependent), technical sessions
  • Tier 1: $350,000 credits, priority technical support, bi-weekly Solutions Architect office hours

Who qualifies

To qualify, your startup must meet all of the following:

Founded within the last 10 years, funded up to Series B, funded within the last 12 months, building a technology product, has a valid public website, active on LinkedIn, X (Twitter), or GitHub, first-time applicant, for-profit business with a business email matching your domain.

  • Bootstrapped or self-funded startups under $1M raised qualify for Tier 3
  • Startups under $5M raised and funded by an affiliated partner qualify for Tier 2
  • Startups with $5M+ raised qualify for Tier 1

What credits cover

Credits apply to usage-based services. Core security and networking features are included at no cost regardless of tier.

Usage-based services deducted from your credit balance:

Compute: Workers, Workers for Platforms, Durable Objects, Workflows

Storage & Data: Workers KV, D1, Queues, Vectorize, R2 (up to $10,000)

Delivery: Pages, Images, Stream, Cache Reserve, Argo Smart Routing

What is included at no cost

Core security and networking features included for every tier:

Domains & Plans: Three enterprise domains, unlimited Business and Pro plans

Security: DDoS and bot protection, WAF with 1,000 custom rules, Security Analytics, SSL certificates, Page Shield

Network & Reliability: CDN and DNS, Load Balancing (2 origins), Rate Limiting (1 rule), 100% SLA

Product-specific caps and exclusions

Credits have product-specific caps:

R2 Object Storage: Covered up to a $10,000 cap

AI Gateway: Temporarily not covered by credits

Excluded services: Registrar fees, Enterprise Feature Add-Ons, Magic Transit, Enterprise Spectrum, Dedicated IPs, China Network

How long credits last and extensions

Credits are valid for one year or until fully consumed, whichever comes first. Cloudflare does not approve extensions.

Who is not a good fit

The program is not open to educational institutions, personal blogs, consultancies, service-based agencies, MSPs, or resellers. Government entities and civic projects may qualify for other Cloudflare programs like the Athenian Project or Project Galileo.

What happens when you graduate

Cloudflare will send three reminders before graduation. Options upon graduation:

Move to a self-serve plan via the dashboard

Downgrade to a Free plan (Enterprise domains revert automatically)

Stay on Enterprise by contacting Cloudflare before graduation

Support available by tier

All tiers include priority ticket support and chat. Additional support varies:

Tier 3: Developer documentation and Discord community

Tier 2: Account manager (case-dependent)

Tier 1: Bi-weekly Solutions Architect office hours

Terms of service highlights

Credits are non-transferable, non-refundable, and may not be sold. Startups must use a business email and grant Cloudflare the right to use their company name and logo for marketing. The program does not include a service level agreement.

Step by step

  1. 1

    How to request advanced features

    Some features require manual enablement.

  2. 2

    How to upgrade domains

    Upgrade domains via the Cloudflare dashboard. Select the domain and change it to the desired plan. Three Enterprise domain upgrades are included. Paid plans may show a payment prompt, but eligible charges are covered by credits while active.

Frequently asked questions

Can I upgrade my credits if I hit the cap?
Active members may request an upgrade if approaching their cap. Upgrades are reviewed case-by-case based on usage and scaling needs.
How will I be notified of approval or rejection?
Check spam folders if you haven’t heard back after a week.
Can I apply more than once or transfer credits?
The program is a one-time opportunity per startup. Credits cannot be transferred. Multiple distinct startups may apply separately.
What if my application is rejected?
Cloudflare provides a reason for rejection. If you believe you qualify, you can provide supporting information and request a re-evaluation.
What happens if I exceed the product caps?
Overages are automatically billed to the payment method on file. Monitor your dashboard for usage and remaining credits.
Are there any hidden costs or fees?
Credits cover eligible services as outlined. Taxes on credit value are your responsibility.

Official sources

Rules and amounts change. Check these before you apply.

How this guide was made: StartupReader wrote it with AI from the official pages above, read on 25 October 2026. Every figure and name in it was checked automatically against those pages, and anything they don't support was left out. It's re-checked every month. It isn't affiliated with the program. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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