nginx-proxy vs Traefik
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Runs nginx in Docker and auto-configures it to route web traffic to your other containers.
Open source · MIT
A reverse proxy and load balancer that configures itself from your container or orchestrator.
The short answer
Choose nginx-proxy if you need…
- People running several web apps on one Docker host who want one public port 80 entry point
- Developers who want new containers picked up automatically without manual nginx edits
- Self-hosters who already use Docker and understand DNS pointing a domain at a server
Choose Traefik if you need…
- Teams running many microservices in Docker, Swarm, or Kubernetes
- Operators who change services often and do not want to edit proxy routes each time
- People who want automatic HTTPS certificates via Let's Encrypt
- Projects that need built-in metrics, access logs, or a REST API for the proxy
Side-by-side
| nginx-proxy | Traefik | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 19.9k | 65.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Run with Docker | Run with Docker |
| Main language | Python | Go |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
nginx-proxy
nginx-proxy is a Docker container that runs nginx alongside docker-gen. docker-gen watches for containers starting and stopping, writes reverse proxy configs for nginx, and reloads nginx, so you can host several web apps behind one entry point without editing nginx config by hand. You route traffic by setting a VIRTUAL_HOST environment variable on each app's container. The README describes it as officially maintained by ZeroSSL.
Traefik
Traefik is an HTTP reverse proxy and load balancer. It sits in front of your web services and sends incoming traffic to the right one. Instead of writing routes by hand, it reads information from systems like Docker, Kubernetes, or Consul and updates its routing automatically as services start, stop, or scale.
Best for
nginx-proxy
- People running several web apps on one Docker host who want one public port 80 entry point
- Developers who want new containers picked up automatically without manual nginx edits
- Self-hosters who already use Docker and understand DNS pointing a domain at a server
Traefik
- Teams running many microservices in Docker, Swarm, or Kubernetes
- Operators who change services often and do not want to edit proxy routes each time
- People who want automatic HTTPS certificates via Let's Encrypt
- Projects that need built-in metrics, access logs, or a REST API for the proxy
Strengths
nginx-proxy
- Proxied containers only need an environment variable to be routed, with no manual nginx config
- Provides Debian, Alpine and dockergen image variants to fit different setups
- Clear README warning about pinning versions for stable production use
Traefik
- Updates its configuration automatically without restarts, according to the README
- Ships as a single binary or an official Docker image
- Supports many backends including Docker, Kubernetes, Consul, and ECS
Not ideal for
nginx-proxy
- People not using Docker, since the project is built around Docker containers and the Docker socket
- Teams that need a fully hand-tuned nginx setup, because configs are generated automatically
- Anyone wanting production use with the latest tag, since the README explicitly advises against it
Traefik
- A single static website or one app on one server, where a simpler web server may be enough (the README is aimed at dynamic microservice setups)
- People who want a fully managed service with no configuration (the README describes it as configured by pointing it at an orchestrator, but you still need to set it up)
Trade-offs
nginx-proxy
- Requires read access to the Docker socket, which is a security-sensitive setup to understand
- Proxied containers must expose ports and share a Docker network with the proxy, or routing fails
- Port numbers in VIRTUAL_HOST are not supported, so extra configuration is needed for custom ports
Traefik
- Its many options and providers mean a real setup takes time to learn, and the README points to external docs for detail
- The README is truncated here, so specifics of performance or limits are not covered
- Major version upgrades can include breaking changes, so the migration guide must be read
Getting started
nginx-proxy
Start nginx-proxy with Docker (pinned to 1.11 tag)
docker run --detach \ --name nginx-proxy \ --publish 80:80 \ --volume /var/run/docker.sock:/tmp/docker.sock:ro \ nginxproxy/nginx-proxy:1.11Traefik
Run the official Docker image with a sample config
docker run -d -p 8080:8080 -p 80:80 -v $PWD/traefik.toml:/etc/traefik/traefik.toml traefikGet the sources
git clone https://github.com/traefik/traefikFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between nginx-proxy and Traefik?
nginx-proxy: Runs nginx in Docker and auto-configures it to route web traffic to your other containers. Traefik: A reverse proxy and load balancer that configures itself from your container or orchestrator. nginx-proxy suits people running several web apps on one docker host who want one public port 80 entry point, while Traefik suits teams running many microservices in docker, swarm, or kubernetes.
Are nginx-proxy and Traefik free?
nginx-proxy: Free and open source. Traefik: Free and open source.
Is nginx-proxy or Traefik more popular?
Traefik has more GitHub stars (65.4k) than nginx-proxy (19.9k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to nginx-proxy and Traefik?
Other options people compare them with include Nginx Proxy Manager, nginxconfig.io, OpenWA.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.