RocketMVPRocketMVP
Important for many MVPs

Rate Limiting for MVPs

Protect your API from abuse and ensure fair usage with request rate controls.

1-2 days
Typical Timeline
$200 - $800
Typical Cost

When to Include

  • Public-facing API
  • User authentication endpoints
  • Expensive operations (AI, email)
  • Resource usage limits needed

When to Skip

  • Internal tools only
  • Very early MVP with trusted users

Technology Options

TechnologyProsCons
Upstash Rate Limit
Serverless Redis-based rate limiting
  • Easy setup
  • Serverless
  • Good free tier
  • Vendor dependency
  • Costs at scale
express-rate-limit
Simple rate limiting middleware
  • Simple
  • No external deps
  • Customizable
  • Single server only
  • Memory-based
Redis + Custom
Build rate limiting with Redis
  • Full control
  • Distributed
  • Flexible algorithms
  • More code
  • Requires Redis
Cloudflare
Edge-based rate limiting
  • No code changes
  • Global
  • DDoS protection
  • Less granular
  • Cloudflare dependency

Implementation Steps

1
Identify endpoints needing rate limits
2
Define rate limit rules (requests per window)
3
Choose rate limiting algorithm (sliding window, token bucket)
4
Implement rate limiting middleware
5
Add rate limit headers to responses
6
Handle rate limit exceeded gracefully
7
Set up monitoring and alerting
8
Document limits for API consumers

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • No rate limiting on auth endpoints (brute force risk)
  • Same limits for all endpoints
  • Not communicating limits via headers
  • Rate limiting by IP only (shared IPs)
  • Too strict limits frustrating users
  • Not exempting internal services

Frequently Asked Questions

What rate limits should I set?

Start generous: 100 req/min for general API, 5-10/min for auth, lower for expensive operations. Monitor and adjust based on actual usage.

How do I rate limit authenticated vs. anonymous users?

Different limits by user tier. Anonymous: strict IP-based. Authenticated: per-user, more generous. Premium: even higher or unlimited.

Sliding window vs. fixed window?

Sliding window is fairer but more complex. Fixed window is simpler but allows bursts at window boundaries. Most MVPs are fine with fixed.

Related Features

API Development

RESTful or GraphQL APIs for mobile apps, third-party integrations, and frontend-backend communication.

Learn more

Need Help Implementing Rate Limiting?

We'll build it right the first time. Rate Limiting is included in our $3,999 MVP package.

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