NPS vs Tor Browser
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?
NPS
Lightweight proxy server for intranet penetration
VS
Tor Browser
An invisible shield for your browsing experience
| Feature | NPS | Tor Browser |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | GPL-3.0 | free |
| Language | Go | |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 34,157 | ★ 4,989 |
| First released | 2019 | 2022 |
| Replaces | ngrok | — |
Why pick each one
Choose NPS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 34.2k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Choose Tor Browser if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Active community (5k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is NPS or Tor Browser better?
Neither is universally better. NPS has the larger community, while Tor Browser is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are NPS and Tor Browser free and open-source?
Yes. NPS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Tor Browser under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run NPS and Tor Browser with Docker?
NPS: yes. Tor Browser: yes.