SHSelfHostIndex

Nginx Proxy Manager 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?
NG Nginx Proxy Manager Easy reverse proxy management with a web UI and free SSL VS SH Shadowsocks-libev Lightweight encrypted SOCKS5 proxy
FeatureNginx Proxy ManagerShadowsocks-libev
CategoryReverse Proxy & GatewaysReverse Proxy & Gateways
LicenseMITGPL-3.0
LanguageTypeScriptC
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM256 MB32 MB
Deploymentdockerbare-metal, source, docker
GitHub stars★ 33,804★ 16,181
First released20192014
ReplacesCloudflarecommercial VPN proxies

Why pick each one

Choose Nginx Proxy Manager if…

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

Choose Shadowsocks-libev if…

  • Very efficient
  • Good for constrained devices
Shadowsocks-libev details

Frequently asked questions

Is Nginx Proxy Manager or Shadowsocks-libev better?

Nginx Proxy Manager is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Shadowsocks-libev if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Nginx Proxy Manager and Shadowsocks-libev free and open-source?

Yes. Nginx Proxy Manager is licensed under MIT and Shadowsocks-libev under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Nginx Proxy Manager and Shadowsocks-libev with Docker?

Nginx Proxy Manager: yes. Shadowsocks-libev: yes.

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