I'm helping create a simple one-page portfolio and digital CV using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It will include an About section, links to social profiles, a contact form handled by Google Apps Script, and embedded showreel videos hosted on YouTube. The site may also include calls to action such as "Inquire for rates" or "Contact for project availability" so potential clients or employers know the person is available for work. There will be no storefront, shopping cart, checkout, or payment processing, although accepted payment methods might be listed as general information. Would this kind of professional portfolio be allowed on Cloudflare Pages' free tier, or could it violate restrictions related to commercial use? I'm also curious whether alternatives such as GitHub Pages treat portfolio sites differently. I'd like to avoid compliance problems before creating sites for myself or others.
4 Answers
I’ve used the free tier for several personal projects, blogs, and professional portfolio sites without issues. A portfolio that helps someone find freelance or employment opportunities is a common use case. The important thing is not to treat the service as free storage for large media libraries or as the infrastructure for a full commercial application.
The more relevant concern in Cloudflare’s terms is usually not commercial activity itself, but using the service to deliver a disproportionate amount of non-HTML content such as videos, audio, or large image files. A normal HTML/CSS/JS portfolio fits the intended use. Since the showreels are embedded from YouTube, YouTube serves the video rather than Cloudflare. The Google Apps Script form backend is separate as well. Terms can change, so check the current self-serve terms before launching, but this setup doesn’t sound problematic.
You can also keep the frontend on Pages and add a Cloudflare Worker later if the site needs lightweight server-side functionality, such as fetching or transforming JSON data. For the setup described here, though, plain static files plus the external form and video providers should be enough. I’d review the provider’s current terms rather than relying on general advice or AI summaries.
That use case should generally be fine. A professional portfolio is essentially a way to present someone’s work and availability, not an online store or SaaS platform. Saying “inquire for rates” doesn’t turn the site into a transaction system, and merely listing payment methods is informational. If you want to be extra cautious, keep any actual billing and agreements off the site.
Thanks, that distinction between commercial use and hosting large media files is really helpful.