LibreSpeed vs Shadowsocks-libev
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?
| Feature | LibreSpeed | Shadowsocks-libev |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | free | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, one-click | bare-metal, source, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,025 | ★ 16,181 |
| First released | 2022 | 2014 |
| Replaces | — | commercial VPN proxies |
Why pick each one
Choose LibreSpeed if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Mature project with 15k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is LibreSpeed or Shadowsocks-libev better?
Neither is universally better. Shadowsocks-libev has the larger community, while LibreSpeed is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are LibreSpeed and Shadowsocks-libev free and open-source?
Yes. LibreSpeed is licensed under free and Shadowsocks-libev under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run LibreSpeed and Shadowsocks-libev with Docker?
LibreSpeed: yes. Shadowsocks-libev: yes.