acme.sh 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.
Not the right match-up?
acme.sh
Pure shell ACME client for TLS certificates
VS
Apache Traffic Server
Fast, scalable caching proxy server
| Feature | acme.sh | Apache Traffic Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Shell | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 47,426 | ★ 1,972 |
| First released | 2016 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Certbot | Varnish, Squid |
Why pick each one
Choose acme.sh if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 47.4k GitHub stars
- Written in Shell
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 acme.sh or Apache Traffic Server better?
acme.sh is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Apache Traffic Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are acme.sh and Apache Traffic Server free and open-source?
Yes. acme.sh is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Apache Traffic Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run acme.sh and Apache Traffic Server with Docker?
acme.sh: check the project docs for container support. Apache Traffic Server: yes.