Cloudflare to bring Astro web framework team on board, commits to keeping project open source
Matthew Prince, co-founder and chief executive of Cloudflare, said investing in open-source tools is essential for a healthy and open internet.
Bengaluru: Connectivity cloud company Cloudflare has announced that the team behind the popular Astro will be joining the company, even as new Cloudflare research warns that legacy technology stacks are limiting artificial intelligence adoption and increasing cybersecurity risks.
Astro, developed by The Astro Technology Company, is an open-source JavaScript framework designed for building fast, content-driven websites. Cloudflare said the project will remain open source under its stewardship, with continued community participation central to Astro’s long-term development.
The framework is widely adopted by enterprises and media organisations for its performance-first approach. Unlike traditional JavaScript-heavy architectures, Astro loads only the critical code required to render a page, improving speed, search visibility and user experience. It is used by brands such as Unilever, Visa and NBC News, and underpins platforms including Webflow and Wix, many of which operate on Cloudflare’s global network.
The move comes alongside the release of Cloudflare’s 2026 App Innovation Report, which identifies what it calls a “technical glass ceiling” created by legacy application infrastructure. According to the report, organisations that modernise their applications are three times more likely to see measurable returns on AI investments than those relying on outdated systems.
The study highlights that application modernisation has become a prerequisite for effective AI integration. As many as 93% of surveyed technology leaders identified software upgrades as the single most important factor in improving AI capabilities, while more advanced organisations are shifting focus from AI adoption to deeper integration across their application portfolios.
Matthew Prince, co-founder and chief executive of Cloudflare, said investing in open-source tools and modern infrastructure is critical to maintaining a secure and competitive Internet ecosystem. He warned that organisations delaying modernisation are increasingly exposed to cyber threats, as attackers exploit vulnerabilities in legacy systems.
The report also draws a strong link between security and growth, noting that organisations aligning cybersecurity upgrades with application modernisation are significantly more likely to reach advanced levels of AI maturity. At the same time, it flags growing complexity in enterprise technology stacks as a major challenge, prompting leading organisations to consolidate tools and reduce redundant systems.
Astro recently introduced the beta release of Astro 6, adding support for additional JavaScript runtimes and faster build performance. Cloudflare said it will continue to support the open-source ecosystem around Astro through the Astro Ecosystem Fund, alongside industry partners including Netlify, Wix, Webflow and Sentry.
Together, the integration of the Astro team and the report’s findings underline Cloudflare’s focus on performance, security and AI readiness as interconnected priorities shaping the future of web development and enterprise infrastructure.
