ctrld 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?
ctrld
Flexible DNS forwarding proxy with per-client policy
VS
Nginx Proxy Manager
Easy reverse proxy management with a web UI and free SSL
| Feature | ctrld | Nginx Proxy Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 866 | ★ 33,804 |
| First released | 2022 | 2019 |
| Replaces | NextDNS | Cloudflare |
Why pick each one
Choose ctrld if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Nginx Proxy Manager if…
- Beginner-friendly
- Free certificates built in
Frequently asked questions
Is ctrld or Nginx Proxy Manager better?
Nginx Proxy Manager is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider ctrld if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are ctrld and Nginx Proxy Manager free and open-source?
Yes. ctrld is licensed under MIT and Nginx Proxy Manager under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ctrld and Nginx Proxy Manager with Docker?
ctrld: check the project docs for container support. Nginx Proxy Manager: yes.