Blocky vs Nginx Proxy Manager
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?
Blocky
Fast DNS proxy and ad-blocker for local networks
VS
Nginx Proxy Manager
Easy reverse proxy management with a web UI and free SSL
| Feature | Blocky | Nginx Proxy Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,844 | ★ 33,804 |
| First released | 2019 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Pi-hole, AdGuard Home | Cloudflare |
Why pick each one
Choose Blocky if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.8k GitHub stars
Choose Nginx Proxy Manager if…
- Beginner-friendly
- Free certificates built in
Frequently asked questions
Is Blocky or Nginx Proxy Manager better?
Neither is universally better. Nginx Proxy Manager has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Blocky and Nginx Proxy Manager free and open-source?
Yes. Blocky is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Nginx Proxy Manager under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Blocky and Nginx Proxy Manager with Docker?
Blocky: yes. Nginx Proxy Manager: yes.