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Best / Reverse proxy

Best open-source Reverse proxy

The best self-hosted reverse-proxy split in the c17.io catalog is Nginx Proxy Manager for click-ops TLS, Traefik for container discovery, Caddy for a Caddyfile with automatic HTTPS, and Zoraxy as another AGPL-3.0 Go proxy. A PaaS control plane stays on /best/self-hosted-paas. SSO in front of apps is /best/auth-identity.

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Ranked picks

  1. 1

    Nginx Proxy Manager

    MIT Docker UI for Nginx proxy hosts, SSL, and access lists.

    When to pick it: Click-ops TLS in front of homelab apps.

    34,440 stars in the catalog

  2. 2

    Traefik

    MIT cloud-native reverse proxy and ingress with automatic service discovery.

    When to pick it: Dynamic discovery instead of a host form — /compare/nginx-proxy-manager-vs-traefik.

    65,273 stars in the catalog

  3. 3

    Caddy

    Apache-2.0 HTTP server whose default is automatic HTTPS — /compare/caddy-vs-traefik.

    When to pick it: A small HTTPS server you can read.

    78,123 stars in the catalog

  4. 4

    Zoraxy

    AGPL-3.0 general-purpose HTTP reverse proxy written in Go.

    When to pick it: A fourth proxy shape if NPM/Caddy/Traefik are not the fit.

    5,524 stars in the catalog

How they compare

ToolLicenseSelf-hostBest for
Nginx Proxy ManagerMIT LicenseEasyClick-ops TLS in front of homelab apps.
TraefikMIT LicenseMediumDynamic discovery instead of a host form — /compare/nginx-proxy-manager-vs-traefik.
CaddyApache License 2.0EasyA small HTTPS server you can read.
ZoraxyGNU Affero General Public License v3.0MediumA fourth proxy shape if NPM/Caddy/Traefik are not the fit.

Related pages

FAQ

NPM or Traefik?
NPM if you want a Docker UI. Traefik if you want labels and discovery — /compare/nginx-proxy-manager-vs-traefik.
Caddy or Traefik?
Caddy if you want a Caddyfile. Traefik if you want ingress — /compare/caddy-vs-traefik.
Is this Coolify?
Coolify is git-push PaaS — /best/self-hosted-paas. A reverse proxy is the door in front. Pick one control plane for TLS on day one.
Are these free?
NPM and Traefik are MIT. Caddy is Apache-2.0. Zoraxy is AGPL-3.0. You pay the VPS. Template users never pay c17.

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