Fastly Free Plan 2026: What's Included & What's Not
Honest breakdown of the free tier limits and features
Fastly pricing varies by team size and features, ranging from $1 to $6 per month in 2026. Your actual cost depends on the tier you choose, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: No free tier available
- Billing: Monthly and annual (save 15-20%)
- Hidden costs: Add ~35% for implementation, support, and training
Fastly offers a freemium model with limited features; upgrade to unlock more.
What's Included in the Free Plan
- $50/month recurring credit applied automatically
- 100 GB free bandwidth per month
- Full site delivery (CDN)
- TLS encryption included
- Instant purge (cache invalidation)
- Real-time analytics and logging
- Edge compute (Compute@Edge)
- API-first configuration
What's NOT Included (Paid Only)
- $50/month minimum spend
- Pay per GB of bandwidth delivered
- Pay per 10,000 HTTP/HTTPS requests
- Full CDN with instant purge
- Real-time log streaming
- WebSocket support
- No long-term contract required
Free Plan Limits
| Limit | Free Plan | Paid Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Bandwidth | ~100 GB/month (within $50 credit) | Unlimited/Higher |
| TLS domains | Limited | Unlimited/Higher |
| Support | Community and documentation | Unlimited/Higher |
You'll Need to Upgrade When...
- You exceed the user limit
- You need features like $50/month minimum spend or Pay per GB of bandwidth delivered
- You require premium support or SLA guarantees
- You need to remove branding or watermarks
- You need advanced integrations or API access
Hidden Restrictions on Free Plan
- Fastly branding may appear on your content or communications
- Support is limited to community forums or email with longer response times
- Export options may be restricted or include watermarks
- API access is typically limited or not available
- Advanced reporting and analytics require paid plans
Free vs Paid: Which Do You Need?
Free Plan is Enough If...
- You're an individual or very small team
- You need only basic features
- You don't mind usage limits
- Branding on output is acceptable
- Community support is sufficient
You Need Paid If...
- Your team is growing beyond limits
- You need advanced features
- Professional branding is required
- You need priority support
- Integrations/API access is critical
Free vs Usage (Pay-As-You-Go) Plan Comparison
| Free Tier $0 | Usage (Pay-As-You-Go) $50/month | |
|---|---|---|
| Features | 8 included | 9+ included |
| Support | Community/Email | Priority Support |
| Branding | Fastly branding | Your branding |
| Best For | Developers prototyping, low-traffic sites, and testing Fastly's platform before committing | Small to mid-size sites with variable traffic needing premium CDN performance without long-term contracts |
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Fastly free?
Yes, Fastly offers a freemium plan with 8 core features included. However, there are limits on bandwidth, tls domains that may require upgrading.
02 What's included in Fastly's free plan?
Fastly's free plan includes: $50/month recurring credit applied automatically, 100 GB free bandwidth per month, Full site delivery (CDN), TLS encryption included, Instant purge (cache invalidation), and 3 more features. Key limits include Bandwidth: ~100 GB/month (within $50 credit), TLS domains: Limited, Support: Community and documentation.
03 What's NOT included in Fastly's free plan?
The free plan excludes: $50/month minimum spend, Pay per GB of bandwidth delivered, Pay per 10,000 HTTP/HTTPS requests, Full CDN with instant purge, Real-time log streaming. You'll also have Fastly branding and limited support options.
04 When should I upgrade from Fastly's free plan?
Consider upgrading when: you hit user or storage limits, need features like $50/month minimum spend or Pay per GB of bandwidth delivered, require premium support, or want to remove branding. The cheapest paid plan starts at $50/month.
05 Is Fastly's free plan really free forever?
Yes, Fastly's free plan is available indefinitely with no time limit. However, feature and usage limits may restrict what you can do without upgrading to a paid plan.
Get Fastly pricing updates
We'll notify you when pricing changes or new free features are added.