Real-world workflow
Use CaseCloudflare Email vs Resend for a Worker App
Compare Cloudflare Email Sending to Resend at indie Worker volumes — included 3,000, Paid floor, and why Resend Free’s 100/day cap ends the “$0 vs $0” story.
Steps
- Open the Cloudflare Email Cost Calculator. The preset already on Workers Paid is on — typical if the app is already a Worker.
- Enter your monthly transactional volume (welcome mail, password resets, invoices).
- At 2,500: Cloudflare should show $0 (inside 3,000 included). Check the Resend row — Free is $0 only if 2,500/30 stays under 100/day.
- At 10,000: Cloudflare overage is $2.45 in the dated card; Resend jumps to Pro $20 because Free cannot. Uncheck Workers Paid if you are still on Free Workers — Cloudflare becomes $7.45.
- If SES is an option in the same AWS account as the rest of the stack, open the Email Cost Calculator and compare the SES row ($1.00 at 10k, no free tier).
Watch out
- Resend Free is a daily cap, not just 3,000/month. A bursty Worker will need Pro even when the monthly total looks “free.”
- Verified-destination-only traffic (mail to yourself) is $0 on Cloudflare and should not be compared to Resend production sending.
- Inbound Routing being “unlimited” does not make outbound Sending free.
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
At 2,500 welcomes a month, who wins?
If you already pay Workers Paid and stay under 100 sends/day, Cloudflare included quota and Resend Free can both be $0 in the model. SES is $0.25. The interesting split is the daily cap, not the unit rate.
At 10,000 a month?
Cloudflare overage is $2.45 if you already pay Paid. Resend Free cannot cover ~333/day, so Pro is $20. SES is $1.00 a-la-carte.