Apache Traffic Server vs Tinyproxy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted reverse proxy & gateways options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Apache Traffic Server | Tinyproxy |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | C |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 16 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | bare-metal, source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,987 | ★ 6,006 |
| First released | 2009 | 1998 |
| Replaces | Varnish, Squid | Squid |
What are Apache Traffic Server and Tinyproxy?
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
Tinyproxy
Tinyproxy is a small, fast HTTP and HTTPS forward proxy daemon designed for low resource usage. It is well suited for embedding in resource-constrained environments or as a simple outbound proxy.
- Tiny memory footprint
- HTTP and HTTPS proxying
- Access control lists
- Filtering support
Apache Traffic Server vs Tinyproxy: key differences
Apache Traffic Server is written in C++, while Tinyproxy is built with C. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Apache Traffic Server versus GPL-2.0 for Tinyproxy. Tinyproxy is the lighter option, starting around 16 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Apache Traffic Server. Tinyproxy is the more established project (first released 1998), while Apache Traffic Server arrived in 2009. Tinyproxy has the considerably larger community, at 6,006 GitHub stars versus 1,987.
Why pick each one
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++
Choose Tinyproxy if…
- Extremely lightweight
- Simple configuration
Watch out for
- No caching
- Forward proxy only
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Traffic Server or Tinyproxy better?
Tinyproxy 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 Apache Traffic Server and Tinyproxy free and open-source?
Yes. Apache Traffic Server is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Tinyproxy under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache Traffic Server and Tinyproxy with Docker?
Apache Traffic Server: yes. Tinyproxy: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Apache Traffic Server or Tinyproxy?
Tinyproxy 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.