Cloud & hosting

Cloudflare startup program: tiers, credits and eligibility

Open applicationLast verified 15 October 2026

Credit amount (provider's words)

Up to $350,000 in credits (Tier 1); Tier 2 $100k; Tier 3 $10k (no minimum funding)

As stated by Cloudflare; not a guarantee. Cloudflare decides who is approved.

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The Cloudflare startup program gives one year of credits for Cloudflare's developer platform, including Workers, R2, D1 and Workers AI, in three tiers from $10,000 to $350,000. Bootstrapped teams with under $1M raised can get Tier 3 without a partner, while the $100,000 and $350,000 tiers need funding from a Cloudflare-affiliated partner.

Cloudflare for Startups gives one year of credits for its developer platform (Workers, R2, D1, Workers AI and more) in three tiers set by funding, plus enterprise-grade security and networking at no cost. Bootstrapped teams can get $10k without a partner; the $100k and $350k tiers need funding from a Cloudflare-affiliated partner.

What you get

Tier 3: $10k credits (bootstrapped/self-funded, under $1M raised)
Tier 2: $100k credits, account manager (case-dependent) and technical sessions
Tier 1: $350k credits, account manager, priority technical support and bi-weekly Solutions Architect office hours
Free for all tiers: three Enterprise domains, unlimited Business/Pro plans, DDoS/bot protection, WAF with 1,000 custom rules, CDN/DNS, 100% SLA features
Product caps: R2 up to $10,000; Workers AI up to $2,500 / $10,000 / $50,000 by tier

Eligibility

Founded within the last 10 years; funded up to Series B (funded within the last 12 months)
Building a technology product, with a live public website and an active LinkedIn, X or GitHub presence
For-profit, with a business email matching your domain; first-time applicants only
Tier 2 needs under $5M raised and Tier 1 needs $5M+ raised — both funded by an affiliated partner
Not open to educational institutions, personal blogs, consultancies, agencies, MSPs or resellers; existing enterprise customers excluded

How the Cloudflare startup program works

Credit types and validity

Tier 3: $10,000 credits (bootstrapped/self-funded, under $1M raised)
Tier 2: $100,000 credits, account manager (case-dependent) and technical sessions (under $5M raised, affiliated partner)
Tier 1: $350,000 credits, account manager, priority technical support and bi-weekly Solutions Architect office hours ($5M+ raised, affiliated partner)
No-cost for all tiers: three Enterprise domains, unlimited Business/Pro plans, DDoS/bot protection, WAF with 1,000 custom rules, CDN/DNS
Product caps: R2 up to $10,000; Workers AI up to $2,500 / $10,000 / $50,000 by tier

How the credits are applied and when they expire

Create a Cloudflare account with a valid payment method, then apply on cloudflare.com/startups with a business email matching your website. Once credits are confirmed, eligible usage-based features are deducted from your balance automatically or covered at no cost, and invoices show the breakdown. Credits last one year or until used up, with no extensions; tier upgrades don't reset the 12-month window. Registrar fees and AI Gateway aren't covered, and after expiry Cloudflare bills the card on file unless you sign a prepaid contract.

Approval time

Usually up to 48 hours; email startups@cloudflare.com if no reply after a week

For founders in India

No India-specific terms are published. Indian bootstrapped startups can target Tier 3 ($10,000) without a partner; a valid payment method on the Cloudflare account is required.

How to apply, step by step

Create a Cloudflare account and add a valid payment method (required by the terms)
Click 'Apply now' on cloudflare.com/startups and complete the form with a business email matching your website
Review usually takes up to 48 hours; confirmation comes by email
If you hear nothing after a week, email startups@cloudflare.com; rejected applicants get a reason and can ask for re-evaluation

Documents and details to keep ready

Business email on your company domain
Live company website and public social profile (LinkedIn, X or GitHub)
Cloudflare account ID with a payment method on file
Affiliated-partner funding details (Tiers 1–2)

Common reasons applications are declined

Founded more than 10 years ago or funded beyond Series B
No live public website, no active LinkedIn/X/GitHub presence, or no business email matching your domain
Not for-profit, or a previous applicant (first-time applicants only)
Educational institutions, personal blogs, consultancies, agencies, MSPs or resellers, and existing enterprise customers

Tips before you apply

Make sure your website is live and you have an active LinkedIn, X or GitHub profile before applying
Check whether your investor is a Cloudflare-affiliated partner; that's required for Tiers 1 and 2
Pay domain registrations separately: Registrar fees are never deducted from credits
If rejected, read the reason Cloudflare provides and ask for re-evaluation once you've fixed it

Terms to know

Credits last one year or until used up; no extensions
Not covered: AI Gateway (temporarily), Registrar fees, premium network services; overages are billed to your card
One-time per startup; credits are non-transferable and have no cash value

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Cloudflare startup program give?

Tier 3 gives $10,000, Tier 2 gives $100,000 and Tier 1 gives $350,000 in credits for one year, plus no-cost security and networking features across all tiers.

Can bootstrapped startups join Cloudflare for Startups?

Yes. Tier 3 is for bootstrapped or self-funded startups that have raised under $1M; Tiers 1 and 2 require funding from a Cloudflare-affiliated partner.

How long do Cloudflare startup credits last?

One year or until fully consumed, whichever comes first. There are no extensions, and an approved tier upgrade does not reset the 12-month window.

What is not covered by the credits?

Domain registration and renewal fees, AI Gateway (temporarily) and premium network services are not covered; overages are billed to your card.

How long does the review take?

Usually up to 48 hours, with confirmation by email. If you hear nothing after a week, email startups@cloudflare.com.

What if my application is rejected?

Cloudflare says its team always provides a reason for the decision, and you can ask for re-evaluation.

Checked against Cloudflare's own pages on 15 October 2026. Official sources:

www.cloudflare.com/startups/

Spotted an outdated detail? Tell us through the contact page.

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