CLOUDFLARE has announced Workers KV Instant, a new mode for Workers KV that runs on the Quicksilver globally distributed key-value store. KV Instant provides the same API as the existing Workers KV but is powered by Quicksilver to deliver instant global availability and eliminates the cold-read penalties. It is targeted at infrequently updated configuration data that is read frequently, such as feature flags or global settings, and is designed to complement, not replace, the classic Workers KV.
Performance and usage details are a key focus. KV Instant advertises over 100x faster p99 reads compared with classic mode, with reads resolving in under two milliseconds at the 99th percentile and microsecond-scale p95 times. Writes are replicated edge-wide far more quickly, with 99% of writes appearing within around 250 milliseconds.
The API remains familiar to Workers KV users, with a few caveats: you must create the KV namespace in instant mode, metadata is not supported (getWithMetadata returns null; put cannot include metadata), and list operations return all matching keys without pagination.
Pricing is structured to favour reads, claiming about 60% lower cost for reads versus classic Workers KV, while storage and certain operation types are more expensive, with specifics including data storage at $100 per MB per month and Class A operations at $0.10 per operation. KV Instant is currently in private beta, with a sign-up option for interested users.