Any cost to run Cloudflare tunneling?

Any cost to run Cloudflare tunneling?


Short answer: you can use Cloudflare Tunnel for free, but depending on what extra features or add-ons you want, there can be additional costs.
Here’s a breakdown:

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What is Cloudflare Tunnel / Argo Tunnel​

Cloudflare Tunnel (formerly Argo Tunnel) allows you to expose services on your internal/private network to the Cloudflare edge network without opening inbound firewall ports. Cloudflare Docs+1
You run a lightweight agent (cloudflared) that makes outbound connections into Cloudflare’s network, so your origin doesn’t need a public IP. Cloudflare Docs

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The “free” tier and what it covers​

• In 2021, Cloudflare announced that the core “tunneling” capability (i.e. establishing those outbound-only connections) would be free for all users. The Cloudflare Blog
• The “Free Plan” of Cloudflare includes many baseline features (SSL, DDoS protection, CDN, etc.) and supports tunnels at no additional cost. Cloudflare+1
• The “TryCloudflare” offering lets you spin up a tunnel quickly (for testing/development) free of charge. TryCloudflare
• Cloudflare’s docs remain consistent that you can use Cloudflare Tunnel in many cases without paying extra, as long as you're not using the more advanced paid features. Cloudflare Docs+1

In short: the core function of Cloudflare Tunnel is free under many use cases.

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When costs may apply​

While the base tunnel is free, there are a few scenarios and add-ons where costs may apply:

Feature / Scenario	Possible Cost or Condition
Argo Smart Routing / Traffic acceleration	This was historically a paid enhancement over the base tunnel. The Cloudflare Blog+2Cloudflare Community+2
Load Balancing	If you want to route across multiple tunnels or origins with failovers, load balancing is a paid add-on. Cloudflare+1
High-volume / enterprise usage / SLA / support	At enterprise scales, custom plans or support contracts may kick in, possibly with usage-based billing.
Zero Trust / Cloudflare Access / related paid services	If you layer on access policies, identity controls, or other Zero Trust features, those may require upgrading beyond the free plan.
Overages on other Cloudflare products	If your site uses bandwidth, Workers, logs, or other features, those might incur additional costs (though not specifically for the tunnel). Cloudflare+1

Also, note: while the tunnel is free, you still need to host and operate your origin server (e.g. VM, physical server, etc.), which has its own costs.

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If you like, I can check the most up-to-date Cloudflare pricing in your region (US) and see if there are any recent changes (2025) to the free tunnel policy.

 

[Flynn]

Short answer: you can run your whole Pi-through-Cloudflare setup for $0/mo if you stick to the basics. The moment you add premium knobs (Load Balancer failover, Argo routing, Spectrum for SSH/MQTT, paid Zero-Trust tiers, Workers at scale), costs kick in. Here’s a clear breakdown with current headline prices and a few “pick-your-kit” bundles.

The free core (what most homelabs need)​

• Cloudflare Tunnel (cloudflared): included on Free, Pro, Business, Enterprise. No port-forwarding; outbound-only tunnel from your Pi. (Cloudflare Docs)
• Cloudflare DNS + Proxy (“orange cloud”): included on Free.
• Zero Trust / Access (free tier): $0 for teams ≤50 users (perfect for gating /admin or SSH in front of the tunnel). (Cloudflare)

Common paid add-ons (à la carte)​

Feature	What it buys you	Typical price (headline)
Pro plan (per domain)	Stronger WAF rules, image optimizations, some extra analytics.	$25/mo. (Cloudflare)
Load Balancing	Health checks + failover across multiple origins/Pis; DNS-based traffic steering.	Starts at $5/mo (+ request-based usage). (Cloudflare)
Argo Smart Routing	Faster/steadier routes across CF’s backbone.	Starts at $5/mo + usage (≈$0.10/GB). (Cloudflare)
Zero Trust paid tiers	Beyond 50 users and additional ZT features.	See Zero Trust pricing page (Free for ≤50; paid options beyond). (Cloudflare)
Spectrum (L4 proxy) for SSH/RDP/other TCP/UDP	DDoS protection + global accel for non-HTTP (e.g., native SSH).	Available on Pro/Business/Ent with data allowances (e.g., Pro: 5 GB incl., then $1/GB; Business: 10 GB incl.). (Cloudflare)
Workers (edge functions)	Run code at the edge for rewrites, auth helpers, etc.	Free (100k req/day). Paid starts $5/mo with clear overages (e.g., $0.30/million requests, $0.02/million CPU-ms). (Cloudflare Docs)

Three practical cost profiles​

1. Bare-bones homelab (most Pi users) — $0/mo​

   • Plan: Free
   • Products: DNS + Proxy + Tunnel + Zero Trust (≤50 users)
   • What you get: Public HTTPS to your Pi through Cloudflare without port-forwarding, basic WAF, identity gate for admin paths.
   • When you’ll outgrow it: you want health-checked failover across multiple Pis, faster backbone routing, or native TCP/UDP (Spectrum).

2. Resilient dual-Pi + failover — about $5–$30/mo​

   • Plan: Free or Pro ($25) depending on WAF needs
   • Add-ons: Load Balancer (from $5/mo, plus tiny usage fees) for health checks + automatic failover between two cloudflared connectors (or two Pis). Optionally Argo (+$5/mo + usage) for speed. (Cloudflare)
   • Notes: This is the sweet spot for “always up” homelab or a small public app.

3. Native SSH/MQTT via CF (no browser) — $25–$35+/mo + data​

   • Plan: Pro ($25) or Business if you need higher caps.
   • Add-on: Spectrum. On Pro, Spectrum for SSH includes 5 GB/month, then $1/GB overage (Business: 10 GB incl.). (Cloudflare)
   • When to choose: You insist on native SSH clients through Cloudflare’s L4 proxy (instead of SSH-over-browser or Zero-Trust app).

Notes that affect your monthly bill (and how to keep it predictable)​

• Tunnel is free and unlimited for typical use; you only pay when you layer in premium add-ons. (Cloudflare Docs)
• Load Balancer billing: There’s a base $5/mo and then small usage charges tied to health-checks/DNS answers; for most small sites this stays close to the base fee. Pricing is shown directly in the dashboard when you enable it. (Cloudflare)
• Argo can be a few dollars a month for light traffic; it’s usage-based (GB across the backbone). If you don’t care about the speed bump, skip it. (Cloudflare)
• Zero Trust: if you’re under 50 users, the Free tier is enough to protect your admin routes and even SSH via browser (no Spectrum needed). (Cloudflare)
• Workers: many people stay on free; when you need more, $5/mo buys a lot (10M requests included, per CF docs) with transparent overages. (Cloudflare Docs)
• Pro vs Free: Pro ($25/mo) brings better WAF and performance extras; if you’re exposing public content and want stronger bot/attack filtering, Pro is the low-friction upgrade. (Cloudflare)
• Business plan: needed for some enterprise features at higher limits; it lists “Access starting at $3/user” and the same “starting at $5/mo” for LB/Argo add-ons on that tier. (Cloudflare)

Quick chooser​

• “I just want my Pi on the internet behind CGNAT with login protection” → $0/mo (Free + Tunnel + Zero Trust Free). (Cloudflare Docs)
• “I want two Pis with automatic failover” → ≈$5/mo (add Load Balancer). (Cloudflare)
• “I need native SSH/L4, not a browser” → $25/mo+ (Pro + Spectrum; watch the $1/GB after included data). (Cloudflare)
• “I want to run edge code for header rewrites/auth helpers” → start Free Workers, bump to $5/mo if you exceed free quotas. (Cloudflare Docs)

If you tell me which combo you want (free core, dual-Pi with failover, or SSH/L4), I’ll map your exact monthly estimate using your expected traffic (GB) and request volume so there are no surprises.