Cloudflare Workers AI - Edge AI Inference Platform
đ Basic Information
Provider Name: Cloudflare Workers AI
Official Website: https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/workers-ai/
Developer Docs: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers-ai/
Headquarters: San Francisco, USA
Founded: 2010 (Cloudflare), 2023 (Workers AI)
đĸ Provider Introduction
Cloudflare Workers AI is a serverless AI inference platform launched by Cloudflare, enabling developers to run machine learning models on Cloudflare’s global network. Unlike traditional AI inference services, Workers AI deploys AI models across 300+ edge data centers worldwide, providing low-latency, high-availability AI inference services.
Core Features
- đ Global Edge Deployment: Run AI models in 300+ cities worldwide for minimum latency
- đ Generous Free Tier: 10,000 neurons daily without credit card requirement
- đ¤ Rich Model Library: 50+ open-source models covering text generation, image processing, speech recognition, and more
- ⥠Serverless Architecture: No GPU management, pay-per-use pricing, ultra-low cost
- đ Developer Friendly: REST API and Workers bindings, OpenAI SDK compatible
- đ§ Cloudflare Ecosystem Integration: Deep integration with Workers, Pages, AI Gateway, Vectorize, and more
Recommendation: âââââ (Edge AI Pioneer! Low latency with generous free tier!)
Technical Advantages
- Edge Computing Benefits: Execute AI inference at the nearest data center to users, significantly reducing latency
- Serverless Architecture: Auto-scaling, no resource reservation, true pay-as-you-go
- Global Network: Leverages Cloudflare’s global network infrastructure for high availability
- Cost Optimization: $0.011/1000 neurons, 80%+ cheaper than traditional cloud services
- Developer Experience: Seamless integration with Cloudflare Workers, deployable in just a few lines of code
đ Available Services
Cloudflare Workers AI primarily provides API development interface services:
API Services
Features:
- 10,000 neurons free daily quota
- 50+ open-source models (LLM, image, speech, etc.)
- REST API and Workers bindings
- OpenAI SDK compatible
- Global edge deployment with low latency
đ Getting Started
Account Registration
Cloudflare Workers AI uses the Cloudflare account system, with simple and quick registration.
Requirements
| Requirement | Necessary | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Account Registration | â Required | Free Cloudflare account |
| Email Verification | â Required | Email verification needed |
| Phone Verification | â Not Required | Optional |
| Credit Card | â Not Required | No credit card for free tier |
| Identity Verification | â Not Required | Not required |
Registration Steps
Visit Cloudflare Website
Go to Cloudflare Sign Up and click “Sign Up”.
Create Account
- Enter your email address
- Set a password
- Click “Create Account”
Verify Email
- Check verification email in your inbox
- Click the verification link to complete
Access Workers & Pages
- Log in to Cloudflare Dashboard
- Find “Workers & Pages” in the left menu
- If first time, need to set a subdomain (free)
Get API Token
- Go to “API Tokens” page
- Click “Create Token”
- Choose “Edit Cloudflare Workers” template or customize permissions
- Create and save the Token
Important Notes:
- API Token is shown only once, save it securely
- Free quota resets daily, no credit card required
- Monitor usage in Dashboard
đĄ General Notes
â Best Practices
Leverage Edge Advantages:
- Workers AI deploys globally at the edge, ideal for low-latency applications
- Combine with Cloudflare Workers to build full-stack edge applications
Monitor Usage:
- Check neuron usage in Dashboard
- Set usage alerts to avoid exceeding free tier
Use AI Gateway:
- Combine with Cloudflare AI Gateway for caching, logging, retry features
- Further reduce costs and improve reliability
Choose Appropriate Models:
- Select models based on task requirements
- Smaller models consume fewer neurons
â ī¸ Important Reminders
- Free Tier Limit: 10,000 neurons daily, charges $0.011/1000 neurons when exceeded
- Neuron Calculation: Different models consume different amounts of neurons, see model documentation
- Daily Reset: Free quota resets at UTC 00:00 daily
- Model Availability: Some models may not be available in certain regions, check official docs
đ§ FAQ
Q: What are “Neurons”?
A: Neurons are Cloudflare Workers AI’s billing unit. Different models consume different amounts of neurons per inference, typically related to model size and input/output length. For example, a simple request to a small LLM might consume 5-10 neurons.
Q: Is the free tier sufficient?
A: For small to medium applications and testing, 10,000 neurons daily is sufficient. For example, using small LLMs can process approximately 1,000-2,000 requests.
Q: How do I check my usage?
A: Log in to Cloudflare Dashboard, you can view AI usage and neuron consumption in the Workers & Pages section.
Q: How is Workers AI different from other AI services?
A: The biggest difference is edge deployment. Workers AI runs in 300+ data centers globally, providing lower latency. Traditional AI services are usually concentrated in a few regions.
Q: Can I use my own models?
A: Workers AI now supports LoRA (Fine-tuned adapters) and one-click deployment from Hugging Face, allowing you to run customized model adapters. For more advanced needs, you can submit a Cloudflare Custom Requirements form to request private model support.
đ Related Links
- Official Website: https://www.cloudflare.com/developer-platform/workers-ai/
- Developer Docs: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers-ai/
- Model Catalog: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers-ai/models/
- Pricing: https://developers.cloudflare.com/workers-ai/platform/pricing/
- API Reference: https://developers.cloudflare.com/api/operations/workers-ai-post-run
- Discord Community: https://discord.cloudflare.com
- Blog Post: https://blog.cloudflare.com/workers-ai/
- Status Page: https://www.cloudflarestatus.com/
đ Service Comparison
| Feature | Free Tier | Paid Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $0.011/1000 neurons |
| Daily Quota | 10,000 neurons | Unlimited |
| Model Count | 50+ | 50+ |
| Edge Deployment | â | â |
| Global Available | â | â |
| Technical Support | Community | Enterprise (Optional) |
đ Update Log
- January 2024: Added more open-source model support, including Llama 2, Mistral, etc.
- September 2023: Official launch of Workers AI with 10,000 neurons free daily
- 2023: Beta testing phase, gradually opening to developers
đ§ Support & Feedback
- Official Support: Submit support tickets through Cloudflare Dashboard
- Community Forum: https://community.cloudflare.com/
- Discord: https://discord.cloudflare.com
- Issue Reporting: Through Dashboard or community forum