ProxySQL vs HeliosProxy

ProxySQL9.2Visit HeliosProxy8.7Visit

Higher score ProxySQL #2 in Database Proxy Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit ProxySQL

vs

HeliosProxy #5 in Database Proxy Software 8.7/10 Open source ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit HeliosProxy

• ProxySQL fits best

  Free, mature MySQL/PostgreSQL proxying

• HeliosProxy fits best

  Advanced PostgreSQL proxy engineering

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	ProxySQL 9.2/10 Visit ↗	HeliosProxy 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.7
Ranking	#2 in Database Proxy Software	#5 in Database Proxy Software
Best for	Free, mature MySQL/PostgreSQL proxying	Advanced PostgreSQL proxy engineering
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Open source
Free plan	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Support	Email, Community, Docs · 24/7	Docs, Community
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features ProxySQL 4/4 · HeliosProxy 4/4
Connection pooling	✓	✓
Query routing	✓	✓
Load balancing	✓	✓
Automatic failover	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Supported databases	MySQL protocol, PostgreSQL protocol, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Percona Server for MySQL, ClickHouse	PostgreSQL-compatible databases
Maximum connections	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Connection pooling, multiplexing, routing, and read/write splitting Failover, load balancing, caching, rewriting, and sharding support Prometheus metrics, REST API, and web administration included	Session, transaction, and statement connection pooling modes Routing, load balancing, health monitoring, and automatic failover WASM plugins, traffic replay, and major-version upgrade orchestration
Cons	Self-hosted deployment requires your team to operate the software Commercial support, consulting, training, and managed services are quote-based Its feature breadth may be more than a simple proxy deployment needs	Self-hosted deployment requires customer-managed infrastructure Database support centers on PostgreSQL-compatible backends Advanced capabilities may require PostgreSQL proxy engineering expertise
Our verdict	ProxySQL is an open-source, protocol-aware database proxy for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and compatible systems. It provides a single database endpoint while handling connection multiplexing, pooling, query routing, read/write splitting, load… Read the review →	HeliosProxy is an open-source PostgreSQL data-plane for routing database connections and traffic between clients and PostgreSQL-compatible backends. It is designed for teams operating self-hosted PostgreSQL environments that need more… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• ProxySQL — where it wins

  • Connection pooling, multiplexing, routing, and read/write splitting
  • Failover, load balancing, caching, rewriting, and sharding support
  • Prometheus metrics, REST API, and web administration included

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-hosted deployment requires your team to operate the software
  • Commercial support, consulting, training, and managed services are quote-based
  • Its feature breadth may be more than a simple proxy deployment needs

• HeliosProxy — where it wins

  • Session, transaction, and statement connection pooling modes
  • Routing, load balancing, health monitoring, and automatic failover
  • WASM plugins, traffic replay, and major-version upgrade orchestration

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-hosted deployment requires customer-managed infrastructure
  • Database support centers on PostgreSQL-compatible backends
  • Advanced capabilities may require PostgreSQL proxy engineering expertise

• ProxySQL9.2/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source proxy for routing, pooling, balancing, and managing database traffic.

  Visit ProxySQLFull verdict →
• HeliosProxy8.7/10 · Open source

  A deep self-hosted PostgreSQL proxy for teams building advanced traffic and failover control.

  Visit HeliosProxyFull verdict →