SHSelfHostIndex

Gateway API 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?
GA Gateway API Next-generation Kubernetes traffic routing standard VS NG Nginx Proxy Manager Easy reverse proxy management with a web UI and free SSL
FeatureGateway APINginx Proxy Manager
CategoryReverse Proxy & GatewaysReverse Proxy & Gateways
LicenseApache-2.0MIT
LanguageGoTypeScript
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM128 MB256 MB
Deploymentkubernetes, helmdocker
GitHub stars★ 2,965★ 33,804
First released20202019
ReplacesKubernetes IngressCloudflare

Why pick each one

Choose Gateway API if…

  • Released under the Apache-2.0 license
  • Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
  • Active community (3k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Go
Gateway API details

Choose Nginx Proxy Manager if…

  • Beginner-friendly
  • Free certificates built in
Nginx Proxy Manager details

Frequently asked questions

Is Gateway API 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 Gateway API if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Gateway API and Nginx Proxy Manager free and open-source?

Yes. Gateway API is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Nginx Proxy Manager under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Gateway API and Nginx Proxy Manager with Docker?

Gateway API: check the project docs for container support. Nginx Proxy Manager: yes.

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