Quick answer
Turso - Turso is the better free tier for most builders, thanks to a bigger monthly read allowance and no credit card at signup.
How the free tiers compare
Both products give you a SQLite-flavored database for free, but they meter usage on different clocks. Cloudflare D1 resets its allowance every day: 5 million rows read and 100,000 rows written, with 5 GB of total storage. Turso resets once a month, with 500 million rows read, 10 million rows written, and the same 5 GB storage ceiling. Turso also adds a database count (100), a small sync budget for edge replicas, a day of point-in-time restore, and no credit card required to start.
Cloudflare D1 vs Turso free tier, side by side
| Cloudflare D1FTV 46 | TursoFTV 56 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rows readDifferent reset windows, so this is not a direct multiple. | 5 million per day | 500 million per month |
| Rows writtenDifferent reset windows. | 100,000 per day | 10 million per month |
| Storage | 5 GB total | 5 GB total |
| Databases | Not specified | 100 databases |
| Point-in-time restore | Not specified | 1 day |
| Sync budgetCovers edge replica syncing on Turso; D1 has no equivalent line item. | Not specified | 3 GB per month |
| Credit card required | Not specified | No |
After you outgrow the free tier
Cloudflare charges a flat $5 a month once you outgrow the Workers Free plan, and that unlocks D1 usage past the daily caps. Turso's first paid tier is also close to $5 a month but scales with usage instead of unlocking a flat allowance.
When to pick each one
Pick Cloudflare D1 when…
- You already run Workers or Pages and want a database in the same account without adding a vendor.
- You need per-tenant data isolation across many small SQLite databases rather than one shared instance.
- Your write volume stays well under 100,000 rows a day, so the daily reset does not pinch.
Pick Turso when…
- You want the larger monthly read budget instead of a tight daily cap.
- You are replicating a database to the edge and need the sync allowance.
- You want to confirm no credit card before you sign up.
Bottom line
Pick D1 if you are already inside the Cloudflare stack and your write volume is light. Pick Turso if you want more room before you hit a wall and want that confirmed up front with no card required.
Read the full listings: Cloudflare D1 and Turso. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.