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NGINX

Web server and reverse proxy.

What it is

NGINX serves web content, terminates TLS and proxies traffic, and has been the workhorse of the internet for years. It is chosen for predictable behaviour under load and a configuration language that does exactly what it says, which is why it sits in front of so many applications. Configuration is a file you maintain, not a dashboard, and that is the trade.

NGINX pricing

NGINX does not publish a plan ladder we could verify. Free.

Prices read from the vendor's own pricing page on 2026-09-08. Vendors change plans without notice — check the source before you budget.

Key features

  • Reverse proxy

    Terminates connections and forwards traffic to application servers.

  • TLS termination

    Handles certificates and TLS so application servers do not have to.

  • Static file serving

    Serves files and caches upstream responses with low memory overhead.

Strengths and trade-offs

What works well

  • Extremely well tested at scale
  • Efficient with memory and connections
  • Endless documentation and examples

Where it falls short

  • Configuration syntax is unforgiving
  • TLS setup is manual compared with newer servers
  • Dynamic modules require care

Who it is for

Anyone running a web server or reverse proxy.

Pick it or skip it

Pick NGINX if

  • Anyone who needs a free, BSD-licensed web server, reverse proxy or load balancer
  • Teams that want a mature, widely documented ingress for containers
  • Enterprises that need active health checks, a live dashboard and support via NGINX Plus

Skip it if

  • You need a published NGINX Plus price — F5 does not list one
  • You want config in a friendly YAML or automatic certificates out of the box; Caddy or Traefik do that
  • You want a support contract on the open-source build; support comes with Plus

Our verdict

Still the default for good reason. Newer servers beat it on convenience, not on track record.

Frequently asked questions

Is NGINX free, and what does NGINX Plus cost?
Open-source NGINX is free under a BSD 2-clause licence. NGINX Plus, F5's commercial edition, adds active health checks, live monitoring, API-driven reconfiguration and professional support, but F5 does not publish its price; it is quoted by sales.
How much does NGINX cost?
NGINX is free to use. We verified this against the vendor's own page; see "What we checked" below for the date.
Does NGINX have a free plan?
Yes. NGINX is free to use at its base level.
Who is NGINX best for?
Anyone running a web server or reverse proxy.
What are the main drawbacks of NGINX?
The trade-offs we noted: Configuration syntax is unforgiving; TLS setup is manual compared with newer servers; Dynamic modules require care.
When should you not use NGINX?
Skip NGINX if: You need a published NGINX Plus price — F5 does not list one; You want config in a friendly YAML or automatic certificates out of the box; Caddy or Traefik do that; You want a support contract on the open-source build; support comes with Plus.

What we checked

  • Public APIOffers a documented API you can build against.No
  • Mobile appHas a native app for iOS or Android, not just a mobile website.No
  • Open source / self-hostableSource is open and the tool can be run on your own infrastructure.Yes
  • SSO (SAML)Supports SAML single sign-on on at least one plan.No

“Not checked” means exactly that — we have not verified it, and we do not guess.

Evidence and freshness

Status: Open source, free — vendor page verifiedReviewed: 2026-09-08

  • nginx.org — LICENSE ↗

    Checked 2026-09-08 · Supports: BSD 2-clause licence, Nginx, Inc.

  • F5 — NGINX Plus ↗

    Checked 2026-09-08 · Supports: active health checks, 200+ metrics, API-driven config, WAF, professional support; price not published

Limit: Vendor pricing page was reviewed by an editor on this date; this record is not a ToolCompare benchmark. Prices and limits change.

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