# Edge: tools in this layer of The Stack

> Between your users and your backend. 5 tools, from Nicolas Dao's defaults to what he would never use (Cloudless Labs, Sydney).

- Web page: https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/layers/edge/

## My default

- [Cloudflare Turnstile](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/cloudflare-turnstile/index.md), Anti-bot for forms: Anti-bot for every form: a CAPTCHA replacement most visitors never notice, free and unlimited. With a Worker and Resend, it's a contact form with no form service at all.
- [Cloudflare Workers](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/cloudflare-workers/index.md), Edge primitive: The edge primitive. It sits between your users and your real backend, and it's very, very good at that.

## Use when it fits

- [Astro on Cloudflare Workers](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/astro-on-workers/index.md), Server-rendered content sites: The framework I'd pick for content sites that need server rendering. Static by default, server-rendered where a page needs it, and owned by Cloudflare, so Workers is its home.
- [Cloudflare Durable Objects](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/cloudflare-durable-objects/index.md), Live shared state at the edge: A tiny server with its own SQLite database, addressed by name. One referee for everyone connected to the same thing. Unbeatable for live, shared, short-lived state.
- [Next.js on Cloudflare Workers (OpenNext)](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/nextjs-on-workers/index.md), Server-rendered Next.js: Server-rendered Next.js without Vercel. The OpenNext adapter runs a normal Next.js build on Workers: SSR, ISR, server actions, middleware and image optimisation.

## Related

- [An API for my app](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/use-cases/api/index.md): a job that picks or avoids tools from this layer
- [An AI chat or LLM feature](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/use-cases/ai-chat/index.md): a job that picks or avoids tools from this layer
- [Something live that many people watch at once](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/use-cases/realtime/index.md): a job that picks or avoids tools from this layer
- [A traffic spike I can see coming](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/use-cases/flash-sale/index.md): a job that picks or avoids tools from this layer
- [A website, SPA or PWA](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/use-cases/website/index.md): a job that picks or avoids tools from this layer
- [Device and IoT data](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/use-cases/iot/index.md): a job that picks or avoids tools from this layer
- [Logs without a shocking bill](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/use-cases/logging/index.md): a job that picks or avoids tools from this layer
- [Sign-in and identity](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/use-cases/sign-in/index.md): a job that picks or avoids tools from this layer
- [Every layer, use case and tool in one file](https://cloudlesslabs.com/stack/brief.md)
- [Map of every Markdown file on cloudlesslabs.com, with what each one answers](https://ask.cloudlesslabs.com)