SHSelfHostIndex

Duck DNS 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?
DU Duck DNS Duck DNS is a free Dynamic DNS service VS NG Nginx Proxy Manager Easy reverse proxy management with a web UI and free SSL
FeatureDuck DNSNginx Proxy Manager
CategoryReverse Proxy & GatewaysReverse Proxy & Gateways
LicensefreeMIT
LanguageShellTypeScript
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM512 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, one-clickdocker
GitHub stars★ 375★ 33,804
First released20232019
Replaces—Cloudflare

Why pick each one

Choose Duck DNS if…

  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • One-click install on common self-host platforms
  • Written in Shell
Duck DNS details

Choose Nginx Proxy Manager if…

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Duck DNS 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 Duck DNS and Nginx Proxy Manager free and open-source?

Yes. Duck DNS is licensed under free and Nginx Proxy Manager under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Duck DNS and Nginx Proxy Manager with Docker?

Duck DNS: yes. Nginx Proxy Manager: yes.

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