Sozu vs sslh
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted reverse proxy & gateways options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Sozu | sslh |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | C |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,734 | ★ 5,117 |
| First released | 2016 | 2008 |
| Replaces | HAProxy, Nginx | HAProxy |
What are Sozu and sslh?
Sozu
Sozu is an open-source HTTP reverse proxy written in Rust that can be reconfigured at runtime without dropping connections. It is built for safety and zero-downtime configuration changes.
- Hot configuration reload
- Memory-safe Rust core
- Zero-downtime changes
- Runtime control API
sslh
sslh is an applicative protocol multiplexer that lets HTTPS, SSH, OpenVPN, and other services share the same TCP port. It inspects the first bytes of a connection and forwards it to the right server.
- Share one port across protocols
- SSH and HTTPS on port 443
- Tiny resource footprint
- Probe-based routing
Sozu vs sslh: key differences
Sozu is written in Rust, while sslh is built with C. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Sozu versus GPL-2.0 for sslh. Sslh is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Sozu. Sslh is the more established project (first released 2008), while Sozu arrived in 2016.
Why pick each one
Choose Sozu if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in Rust
Choose sslh if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.1k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Sozu or sslh better?
sslh is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Sozu if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Sozu and sslh free and open-source?
Yes. Sozu is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and sslh under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Sozu and sslh with Docker?
Sozu: yes. sslh: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Sozu or sslh?
sslh has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Sozu. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.