NPS vs Apache Traffic Server
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
Apache Traffic Server
Fast, scalable caching proxy server
| Feature | NPS | Apache Traffic Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 34,157 | ★ 1,972 |
| First released | 2019 | 2009 |
| Replaces | ngrok | Varnish, Squid |
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 Apache Traffic Server if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is NPS or Apache Traffic Server better?
NPS is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Apache Traffic Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are NPS and Apache Traffic Server free and open-source?
Yes. NPS is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Apache Traffic Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run NPS and Apache Traffic Server with Docker?
NPS: yes. Apache Traffic Server: yes.