Small Pics vs Cloudflare Images
Cloudflare Images is tightly integrated with the Cloudflare ecosystem. Small Pics is a standalone image transform service that works with any stack. Here is how they compare on pricing, flexibility, and features.
| Feature | Small Pics | Cloudflare Images |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat tiers (origins + transforms) | Metered: transforms, storage, deliveries |
| Starting price | $9/mo (Lite) | Free (5,000 transforms/mo) |
| Transform charges | Included in plan | $0.50/1k unique transforms |
| Per-request charges | None | $1/100k deliveries (stored images only) |
| Storage charges | None (bring your own origin) | $5/100k stored images |
| Requires Cloudflare | No | Yes for transforms and custom domains |
| Output formats | AVIF, WebP, JPEG, PJPG, PNG, GIF, JPEG XL | AVIF, WebP, JPEG, baseline JPEG |
| Custom domains | Included (5 to 120 per plan) | Via Cloudflare zones |
| Image sources | S3, R2, DO Spaces, Hetzner, any HTTP | Upload or URL fetch |
| Imgix compatibility | Built-in, per source | No |
| Craft CMS plugin | Imager X transformer | Imager X transformer (third party) |
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card | Free tier (5,000 transforms) |
How does Small Pics compare to Cloudflare Images?
The biggest difference is ecosystem lock-in. Cloudflare image transformations only run on a domain proxied through Cloudflare. Small Pics works with any hosting provider, any CDN, and any origin storage. If you are already all-in on Cloudflare, their image service integrates seamlessly. If you use a mixed stack, Small Pics gives you that flexibility.
On features, both services handle responsive image transforms well. Small Pics outputs AVIF by default and also outputs JPEG XL. Small Pics also has built-in Imgix parameter compatibility, which makes migration from Imgix straightforward. Cloudflare Images uses its own API and URL syntax.
How does pricing work?
Cloudflare Images has a free tier that covers 5,000 unique transformations per month. Beyond that, you pay $0.50 per 1,000 transformations, $5 per 100,000 stored images, and $1 per 100,000 image deliveries. Which meters apply depends on how you use the service. If you transform images that live on your own origin, you are billed for transformations only. The storage and delivery meters apply to images you upload into Cloudflare Images.
Small Pics uses flat tiers. The Lite plan is $9/mo for 2,500 origin images and 17,500 transforms. The Starter plan is $19/mo for 5,000 origins and 35,000 transforms. There are no delivery charges, no storage charges, and no bandwidth fees. If you exceed your plan, overages are $5 per 1,000 origins (with 7,000 transforms) or $3 per 7,000 transforms.
On transformations alone, Cloudflare is cheaper at most volumes. Small Pics Lite at $9/mo covers 17,500 transforms; the same 17,500 transformations on Cloudflare cost $6.25. The picture changes once you store images in Cloudflare Images, because every delivery is then billed. At 2,500 stored images and 17,500 transformations, Cloudflare passes $9/mo at roughly 260,000 image deliveries per month, and keeps climbing with traffic. Small Pics does not meter deliveries at all, so the same site costs $9/mo whether it serves 260,000 images or 26 million.
Do you need to be on Cloudflare?
For transformations, yes. They run on a Cloudflare zone with transformations enabled, which means your domain has to be proxied through Cloudflare. If you host on Vercel, Netlify, AWS, or anywhere else, you cannot use them without moving your DNS. Stored images are the exception: they can be served from imagedelivery.net with no zone at all, though putting them on your own domain again requires a proxied zone under the same account.
Small Pics has no platform requirements. You point it at your image source (S3, R2, DO Spaces, Hetzner, or any HTTP endpoint) and serve transforms through your own custom domain or a Small Pics subdomain.
How does metered billing add up?
In Cloudflare Images, a unique transformation is a unique combination of source image and transform options, counted once per calendar month. Sizes count separately, formats do not. A single origin image served as a thumbnail, mobile, tablet, desktop, and retina version is 5 transformations, whether it goes out as AVIF or WebP. Multiply that across 1,000 origin images and you have 5,000 transformations, exactly the free tier.
The delivery meter is the one that scales with traffic. It applies to images stored in Cloudflare Images, and it counts every request, so a viral post or a seasonal peak lands on your bill. It does not apply if you keep your images on your own origin and transform them in place.
Small Pics counts origin images and transforms separately. The number of times an image is delivered to end users does not affect your bill on any plan. Traffic spikes cost nothing extra.
When is Small Pics the better fit?
Small Pics is a better fit in three situations. First, when your stack is not on Cloudflare: transformations need a proxied Cloudflare zone, and Small Pics needs nothing from your DNS. Second, when traffic is high or spiky and your images live in Cloudflare Images, because the delivery meter counts every request and Small Pics has no per-request charge at any volume. Third, when you are migrating off Imgix, because Small Pics reads Imgix URL parameters directly and Cloudflare uses its own syntax.
Predictability is the other reason teams pick flat tiers. One number per month, no per-image accounting, no bill that moves when a post takes off.
When should you use Cloudflare Images instead?
If your entire stack is on Cloudflare and your image volume is small (under 5,000 unique transformations per month), Cloudflare Images is free and deeply integrated. You get the benefit of Cloudflare's massive global CDN network with zero additional services to manage. Even past the free tier, transformations of images on your own origin are metered cheaply and carry no delivery charge, so a Cloudflare-hosted site with moderate transform volume will often pay less than $9/mo.
Cloudflare Images is also a good choice if you want a combined storage and transform service. You can upload images directly to Cloudflare rather than managing your own origin bucket. Small Pics is a transform layer only: you bring your own storage.
The short version: if you are on Cloudflare, transform-heavy but light on traffic, and happy inside one vendor, Cloudflare Images is hard to beat on price. If you are off Cloudflare, serving a lot of image requests, or coming from Imgix, Small Pics is the better fit.
See also: Small Pics vs ImageBoss, Small Pics vs Gumlet.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to be on Cloudflare to use Cloudflare Images?
- It depends which half you use. Transformations require an active Cloudflare zone with transformations enabled, so your domain has to be proxied through Cloudflare. Stored images can be served from imagedelivery.net without a zone, but serving them from your own domain needs a proxied zone under the same account. Small Pics works with any stack, any CDN, and any origin.
- How does Cloudflare Images count billable transformations?
- Each unique combination of source image and transform options counts once per calendar month. Different sizes count separately, so 100x100 and 200x200 are two transformations. Formats do not multiply: if format=auto serves AVIF to some browsers and WebP to others, that is still one transformation. Repeat requests for the same transformation in the same month are free.
- Is the Cloudflare Images free tier enough for most sites?
- The free tier covers 5,000 unique transformations per month. That is roughly 1,000 origin images at 5 responsive sizes, since formats do not count separately. On the free plan, going over returns error 9422 rather than a charge. Paid usage is $0.50 per 1,000 transformations beyond the first 5,000.
- Does Small Pics charge for image deliveries?
- No. Small Pics bills on origin images and transforms only. There are no per-delivery fees, no bandwidth charges, and no per-request costs. Cloudflare charges $1 per 100,000 deliveries, but only for images stored in Cloudflare Images. If you transform images from your own origin, you are billed for transformations only.
- Can I use Small Pics with Cloudflare as my CDN?
- Yes. Small Pics works behind any CDN, including Cloudflare. You can use Cloudflare for DNS and caching while Small Pics handles image transforms. The two are not mutually exclusive.
- Does Small Pics support AVIF and WebP like Cloudflare Images?
- Yes. Small Pics serves AVIF by default and also supports WebP, JPEG, PJPG, PNG, GIF, and JPEG XL. You control the output format with the fm parameter. Cloudflare Images targets AVIF, WebP, progressive JPEG, and baseline JPEG; PNG and GIF pass through as inputs rather than being format targets.
- How do overages work on Small Pics?
- Small Pics sends an email warning before overages kick in. Additional origins cost $5 per 1,000 (with 7,000 transforms). Additional transforms cost $3 per 7,000. No service interruptions, no account suspensions.
- Which service has better global performance?
- Cloudflare has one of the largest CDN networks in the world. If your site is already on Cloudflare, latency will be excellent. Small Pics uses global edge caching, which performs well but on a smaller network.