3proxy vs Apache Traffic Server
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted reverse proxy & gateways options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | 3proxy | Apache Traffic Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 90 · Excellent | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 16 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source, docker | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,479 | ★ 1,988 |
| First released | 2002 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Squid | Varnish, Squid |
What are 3proxy and Apache Traffic Server?
3proxy
3proxy is a small, free proxy server supporting HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS, FTP, and other protocols in a single package. It is designed for low resource consumption and flexible access control.
- HTTP, SOCKS, and FTP proxy
- Per-user access control
- Bandwidth limiting
- Logging and accounting
Apache Traffic Server
Apache Traffic Server is a high-performance, scalable caching proxy server used as a forward and reverse proxy. It was originally developed by Inktomi and later donated to Apache.
- Forward and reverse caching
- High concurrency
- Plugin API
- HTTP/2 and TLS support
3proxy vs Apache Traffic Server: key differences
3proxy is written in C, while Apache Traffic Server is built with C++. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for 3proxy versus Apache-2.0 for Apache Traffic Server. 3proxy is the lighter option, starting around 16 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Apache Traffic Server. 3proxy is the more established project (first released 2002), while Apache Traffic Server arrived in 2009. 3proxy has the considerably larger community, at 5,479 GitHub stars versus 1,988.
Why pick each one
Choose 3proxy if…
- Multi-protocol in one binary
- Very small footprint
Watch out for
- Sparse documentation
- Manual configuration
Choose Apache Traffic Server if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is 3proxy or Apache Traffic Server better?
3proxy is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Apache Traffic Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are 3proxy and Apache Traffic Server free and open-source?
Yes. 3proxy is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Apache Traffic Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run 3proxy and Apache Traffic Server with Docker?
3proxy: yes. Apache Traffic Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, 3proxy or Apache Traffic Server?
3proxy has the smaller minimum footprint at 16 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Apache Traffic Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.