Migrating from Next.js + Netlify to TanStack + Cloudflare

We have just completed a significant infrastructure update for the project, and I wanted to share the reasoning behind it. The short version: we moved from Next.js + Netlify to TanStack + Cloudflare. The longer version involves bandwidth limits, slow deployments, and a local development experience that was starting to hurt productivity.

Why We Had to Move

For a while, Next.js on Netlify worked well enough. The site rendered, builds passed, and users got their pages. But as usage grew, the cracks started to show:

• Netlify's free tier became a bottleneck. We started hitting quota limits, and without a paid membership, every resource counted.
• Deployments were slow. After each update, we had to wait roughly a minute before changes went live. That may not sound like much, but it adds up quickly when you are iterating several times a day.
• Local preview was painful. Next.js local dev server startup and hot reload were slower than we wanted, especially on older hardware. The feedback loop felt heavy.

At some point, waiting and worrying about quotas became more expensive than just switching stacks.

Why TanStack + Cloudflare

We evaluated a few options and decided on TanStack Start / Router paired with Cloudflare Workers / Pages.

• TanStack gives us a leaner, more explicit routing and data layer. There is less magic under the hood, which means faster local startup and easier debugging.
• Cloudflare's edge network puts the deployment closer to users. Cold starts are minimal, and response times are consistently low across regions.
• Generous free tier. For a project our size, Cloudflare's free offering removes the constant anxiety about hitting limits.
• Faster iteration. Deployments propagate quickly. We no longer stare at a build queue for a minute after pushing a fix.

The Migration Experience

The move was not without work. We had to rewrite routing, rethink data fetching, and adjust how server-side logic was handled. But the result is a cleaner architecture that maps more directly to the project's actual needs.

Some things that improved immediately:

• Local dev server starts in seconds instead of tens of seconds.
• Deployments are visible almost instantly after push.
• We stopped receiving "you are at 80% of your quota" emails.

What Is Next

This migration is not a one-off experiment. Going forward, all new features and projects will be built on the TanStack + Cloudflare stack. It is the right combination of speed, cost control, and developer experience for where we are right now.

If you are running a small-to-medium project and feeling the same pressure from hosting limits, it is worth taking a serious look at the edge-first approach.