What about Cloudflare (CF) CDN prices and domestic nodes?

Today, I'm going to dig my heart out and talk to you about how to choose and use Cloudflare in 2025, in the eyes of an old webmaster who has stepped in the pits.
 
 

website ：https://www.cloudflare.com/

First, the free version

I first used Cloudflare for its free package. Basic protection, global acceleration nodes, automatic SSL certificates, these are just starting a personal blog or small tool station, has been considered generous. Especially when encountering ordinary traffic attacks, it can silently carry the site to prevent the direct collapse, equivalent to the site set a layer of transparent bulletproof vest.

But free things, there are always some unspeakable "sense of limitation". For example, only a few rules can be set up, the image optimization function is not touched, and there is no way to check the detailed attack logs. To put it bluntly, it's like a folding umbrella - enough for a light rain, but when it really meets a rainstorm, you can only look at the shoes and socks wet dry eyes.

Second, the professional version:

Later, the number of users of my tool station up, the free version began to overwhelm. After gritting my teeth and upgrading the professional version, I realized what is called "full functionality":

• WAF rules randomly created: before the CC attack brush interface can only be anxious, now write a few rules can accurately intercept the suspicious IP;

• Intelligent image optimization: automatically adapts to different networks and terminals, especially for stations with many overseas users, the loading speed is visible to the naked eye;

• Three-second shield protection: when encountering crawlers frantically sweeping content, popping a CAPTCHA can block most of the malicious traffic.

However, the professional version of the most I rely on is actually the resolution speed. The free version of the DNS records often have to wait half a day, the professional version of the basic ten minutes to take effect globally - people who have engaged in emergency failover understand that.

Third, the commercial version

Last year to help an e-commerce customer to migrate to the commercial version, I realized Cloudflare "enterprise-class" in the end strong in what:

• 100% online guarantee: the availability of the contract written in black and white commitment to the payment business is the pill;

• Customized certificate support: Customers use financial-grade private certificates, seamlessly saving the trouble of re-signing;

The cost is certainly not expensive, but compared to their previous loss of a single day of water lost by a DDoS paralyzed.

Fourth, the enterprise version

The really rich and powerful masters, such as multinational game companies or financial platforms, basically take the customized enterprise route. Private node deployment, global load balancing, in-depth analysis of threat intelligence ...... These features sound like money. I have contacted a customer, for the Asia-Pacific region to pull a separate dedicated line acceleration, the annual investment is enough for a few top-of-the-line Model S. Is it worth it? People say: "Users can not brush the payment page when scolded not the network, is my brand."

Five, kryptonite skills

Cloudflare's most "ingenious" feature is that there are always some features that make you want to add money as you use them.

• Argo intelligent routing: cross-country access to frequent stations open it, European and American users latency can be cut in half;

• Stream video hosting: more worrying than self-built transcoding servers, especially suitable for educational platforms;

• R2 cloud storage: get rid of AWS S3 traffic billing model, purely according to the capacity of billing for archiving party friendly.

But beware of back to the source traffic assassins! I once forgot to set cache rules, the results of massive image requests penetrate Cloudflare direct irrigation source station, the end of the month cloud vendors bill more than four digits - protection to save the money all compensate back!

Six, woolgathering party's wild ways (caution)

The market does have a third party through the Plesk hosting license to sell Cloudflare Professional Edition, the annual payment price is just a few cups of coffee money. I also tried, the binding process is not too complicated, the function can also be used. But after three months of use one day suddenly dropped, customer service threw a sentence: "The licensee terminated the cooperation." The data was not lost, but the vacuum of protection that day kept me on edge for a whole day.

Sincere advice: small blog to play can be, production environment do not bet on luck.

Seven, my stepping on the pit memo

1. Domestic access metaphysics:
   enterprise version of the following package is basically not to go to the domestic optimization node, the delay of users in northern China often soaring red. The solution? Either record cut Baidu cloud acceleration cooperation node, or do not have illusions about the domestic speed.

2. Cache settings are an art:
   Dynamic pages don't mess with cache rules! Before the wrong cache price query page, users see all yesterday's old data, the complaint phone was broken. Now my principle is: URLs with parameters, API paths, user session pages - all bypass the cache.

3. Don't overestimate the free protection:
   free version may directly limit the flow of traffic when encountering large traffic attacks, once I watched the dashboard display "blocked the attack", but the legitimate users are also stuck in a simply can't swipe - that's when I realized that the so-called "protection" and "protection" are not the same thing as 'protection' and "protection". It was only then that I realized that the difference between the so-called "protection" and "usability" is the distance of a professional version.

Lastly, let's get down to business.

Choosing a Cloudflare package is like choosing a car:

• Bicycle (free version): enough for grocery shopping at home, don't expect to race on the highway

• Family car (professional version): commuting to pick up children all-round, maintenance don't be too stingy

• Armored vehicle (enterprise version): knife mountain fire sea casually break, the premise is that the oil money is enough.