NGINX
HTTP and reverse proxy server, mail proxy server, and generic TCP/UDP proxy server.
NGINX vs Traefik
Two self-hosted Web Servers apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| NGINX | Traefik | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | HTTP and reverse proxy server, mail proxy server, and generic TCP/UDP proxy server. | HTTP reverse proxy and load balancer that makes deploying microservices easy. |
| GitHub stars | 32,051 | 65,470 |
| Forks | – | 6.3k |
| Open issues (incl. PRs) | – | 981 |
| Commits (12 months) | 318 | 895 |
| Last activity | 2026-11-05 | 2026-10-30 |
| Latest release | release-1.31.8 (2026-10-21) | v3.8.0-rc.1 (2026-10-30) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | MIT |
| Language / platform | C, deb, Docker | Go, Docker |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~512 MB, 1 vCPU | ~512 MB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $3.5/mo | $3.5/mo |
| Categories | Web Servers | Web Servers |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Traefik is more popular on GitHub: 65.5k stars vs 32.1k for NGINX.
- Traefik had more commits in the last 12 months (895 vs 318).
- Traefik published a release more recently (v3.8.0-rc.1 on 2026-10-30; NGINX's latest is release-1.31.8 on 2026-10-21).
- NGINX is licensed under BSD-2-Clause, Traefik under MIT.
- NGINX is written in C; Traefik in Go.
- Deployment options listed upstream: NGINX: deb, Docker; Traefik: Docker.
Summary: Traefik leads on GitHub popularity and commit activity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-05. It does not rate features or quality.
Frequently asked questions
Is NGINX or Traefik more popular?
Traefik has more GitHub stars (65,470 vs 32,051 for NGINX, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, NGINX or Traefik?
Traefik had more commits over the last 12 months (895 vs 318). The last recorded activity was 2026-11-05 for NGINX and 2026-10-30 for Traefik. Our health labels: NGINX is “Active”, Traefik is “Active”.
What licenses do NGINX and Traefik use?
NGINX: BSD-2-Clause. Traefik: MIT.
Can I run NGINX and Traefik with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. The upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option for NGINX and Traefik. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Traefik
HTTP reverse proxy and load balancer that makes deploying microservices easy.
Browse all self-hosted Web Servers apps.