Head-to-head · Reverse Proxy Software
HAProxy Community Edition vs Apache Traffic Server
HAProxy Community Edition leads on 0 checks, Apache Traffic Server on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreHAProxy Community Edition · 9.1/10
- Free planonly HAProxy Community Edition
- Most featuresApache Traffic Server · 4 of 5
HAProxy Community Edition scores higher on our rubric for reverse proxy software: 9.1 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #6.
HAProxy Community Edition is the better fit for high-performance L4 and L7 traffic management. Apache Traffic Server is the better fit for caching-focused HTTP reverse proxying.
- HAProxy Community Edition fits best
High-performance L4 and L7 traffic management
- Apache Traffic Server fits best
Caching-focused HTTP reverse proxying
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Side by side
| Feature | HAProxy Community Edition 9.1/10 Visit ↗ | Apache Traffic Server 8.4/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.1 | 8.4 |
| Ranking | #2 in Reverse Proxy Software | #6 in Reverse Proxy Software |
| Best for | High-performance L4 and L7 traffic management | Caching-focused HTTP reverse proxying |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Starting price | Free plan | Open source |
| Free plan | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Self-hosted | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Linux | macOS, Linux |
| Support | Community, Docs | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features HAProxy Community Edition 1/5 · Apache Traffic Server 4/5 | ||
| TLS termination | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web application firewall | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Response caching | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| WebSocket support | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Rate limiting | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Specs | ||
| Deployment model | Not checked yet | Self-hosted |
| Configuration method | Not checked yet | Both |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | HAProxy Community Edition is a free, open-source reverse proxy and software load balancer for TCP and HTTP applications. It is designed for teams running self-managed infrastructure on Linux, including containers, virtual machines, and… Read the review → |
Apache Traffic Server is an open-source, self-hosted HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2 proxy server designed for high-volume traffic. It supports both forward and reverse proxy operation, making it relevant to enterprises, internet service providers,… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
HAProxy Community Edition — where it wins
- Handles both TCP proxying and HTTP reverse proxying
- Supports TLS termination, health checks, and session persistence
- Includes routing, rate limiting, monitoring, and high availability
Where it doesn't
- Requires self-managed deployment and operations
- Runs on Linux and self-hosted infrastructure
- Global traffic management is outside the community edition
Apache Traffic Server — where it wins
- Supports HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2 in forward and reverse proxy modes
- Combines response caching, TLS termination, WebSockets, and rate limiting
- Plugin API extends HTTP processing and protocol capabilities
Where it doesn't
- Self-hosted deployment requires administrators to manage installation and configuration
- Rate limiting is provided through a plugin rather than a single built-in policy feature
- Platform support is listed for macOS and Linux
- HAProxy Community Edition9.1/10 · Free plan
A capable reverse proxy for teams managing high-volume TCP and HTTP traffic themselves.
Visit HAProxyFull verdict → - Apache Traffic Server8.4/10 · Open source
A self-hosted proxy for teams that need caching, TLS termination, and extensibility.
Visit siteFull verdict →
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- Cloudflare Tunnel vs Apache Traffic Server
All reverse proxy software comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update