Cloudflare Workers is $5/mo (Paid). Switchman is a self-hosted alternative at $0.99/mo. Here's when each makes sense.
| Switchman | Cloudflare Workers | |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-hosted, your infra | Managed SaaS (cloud only) |
| Data location | Your server, your disk | Cloudflare Workers's cloud |
| Free tier | 3 routes | Paid only |
| Pro pricing | $0.99/mo | $5/mo (Paid) |
| Dependencies | None (single binary + SQLite) | N/A (managed) |
| Setup time | ~30 seconds | Account signup |
| Dashboard | Built-in at /ui | Cloud dashboard |
| License | BSL 1.1 | Proprietary SaaS |
Switchman is a single Go binary with embedded SQLite. Install it with one command, and you are running in under a minute. Your data stays on your server.
curl -fsSL https://stockyard.dev/switchman/install.sh | sh
The decision between Switchman and Cloudflare Workers usually comes down to one question: do you need the breadth of features that Cloudflare Workers offers, or would a focused tool that stays out of your way be a better fit? Cloudflare Workers has spent years building an ecosystem around traffic router. Switchman does one thing well and gives you complete control of the underlying data.
The operational difference is significant. Cloudflare Workers requires you to trust their infrastructure, their security practices, and their business continuity. Switchman requires you to run a process and keep the data directory backed up. If your server dies, restore the binary and the SQLite file to a new server. The entire recovery procedure fits in a single paragraph because there is nothing else involved.
If you are currently using Cloudflare Workers and considering Switchman, start by running both in parallel. Install Switchman on a test server, point your workflow at it for a week, and compare the experience. Switchman's data directory is isolated — running a trial costs nothing beyond the compute. If Switchman does not fit, delete the binary and the data directory. There is nothing else to clean up.
Single binary. Free to start. $0.99/mo for Pro.