Best IIS Application Request Routing (ARR) Alternatives in 2026
The top IIS Application Request Routing (ARR) alternatives are AWS Elastic Load Balancing, Google Cloud Load Balancing and Alibaba Cloud Server Load Balancer: 15 load balancing software our editors would look at instead of IIS Application Request Routing (ARR), in our ranking order.
IIS Application Request Routing (ARR): A free, self-hosted IIS module for HTTP routing, balancing, monitoring, and caching. Where it falls short: requires windows server running IIS and the IIS URL rewrite module.
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Best forAWS-native production workloads
Broad Layer 4 and Layer 7 load balancing for AWS production environments.
- Managed service
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
9.3/10★★★★★Visit AWS ELB -
Best forGlobal, multi-backend cloud applications
A managed load balancer for global, regional, Layer 4, and Layer 7 traffic.
- Managed service
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Google Cloud -
Best forAlibaba Cloud deployments
A broad Alibaba Cloud balancing service with Layer 4/7 routing and a low published entry price.
- Managed service
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Alibaba Cloud -
Best forAffordable global traffic steering
Affordable global traffic steering with health-based routing, analytics, and failover.
- Managed service
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Cloudflare -
Best forEnterprise teams wanting a free starting option
A broad Layer 4/7 load balancer with a free, capacity-limited starting option.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit Progress Kemp -
Best forAPI-heavy self-hosted environments
A capable commercial choice for API-heavy teams running self-hosted application infrastructure.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit NGINX Plus -
Best forFree, capable Linux self-hosting
A capable free choice for self-managed Layer 4 and Layer 7 traffic distribution.
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit HAProxy -
Best forEnterprise self-hosted traffic management
Broad traffic management for enterprises that need self-hosted control and advanced routing.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit HAProxy -
Best forSecurity-focused enterprise deployments
A security-focused ADC for enterprise teams managing complex application traffic.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit FortiADC -
Best forVMware-centric infrastructure
A broad enterprise load balancer with especially deep VMware integration.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Broadcom -
Best forMature data-center and cloud ADC use
A mature ADC for enterprises managing local, global, and hybrid application traffic.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Radware -
Best forHigh-performance multi-cloud ADC
A multi-cloud ADC for Layer 4/7 traffic management, security, and automation.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit A10 Networks -
Best forMicrosoft and Citrix application environments
A broad ADC for Microsoft and Citrix environments that need routing, failover, and security.
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
- TLS termination
8.0/10★★★★☆Contact Barracuda -
Best forAzure users needing high scale
A high-scale Azure balancer for TCP and UDP traffic, without Layer 7 routing.
- Managed service
- Global traffic management
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Azure -
Best forTencent Cloud applications
A capable Tencent Cloud load balancer with broad routing and persistence controls.
- Managed service
- Global traffic management
- Layer 7 routing
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Tencent Cloud
IIS Application Request Routing (ARR) Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to IIS Application Request Routing (ARR)?
AWS Elastic Load Balancing: #1 in our Load Balancing Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.3 out of 10. Broad Layer 4 and Layer 7 load balancing for AWS production environments.
Is there a free alternative to IIS Application Request Routing (ARR)?
Yes. Progress Kemp LoadMaster and HAProxy Community Edition have a free plan or a free tier.
IIS Application Request Routing (ARR) vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Managed service | Layer 7 routing | Global traffic management | Backend limit | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | IIS Application Request Routing (ARR) | Yes | None | No | Yes | — | — | 6.4 |
| 1 | AWS Elastic Load Balancing | No | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | 9.3 |
| 2 | Google Cloud Load Balancing | — | $0.01/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50 backends | 9.2 |
| 3 | Alibaba Cloud Server Load Balancer | No | $0.01/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | 200 backends | 9.1 |
| 4 | Cloudflare Load Balancing | No | $5/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | 20 backends | 9.0 |
| 5 | Progress Kemp LoadMaster | Yes | — | No | Yes | Yes | — | 8.9 |
| 6 | NGINX Plus | No | — | No | Yes | Yes | — | 8.8 |
| 7 | HAProxy Community Edition | Yes | None | No | Yes | — | — | 8.7 |
| 8 | HAProxy Enterprise | No | — | No | Yes | Yes | — | 8.6 |
| 9 | FortiADC | — | — | No | Yes | Yes | — | 8.5 |
| 10 | VMware Avi Load Balancer | — | — | No | Yes | Yes | — | 8.4 |
| 11 | Radware Alteon | — | — | — | Yes | Yes | — | 8.2 |
| 12 | A10 Thunder ADC | No | — | — | Yes | Yes | — | 8.1 |
| 13 | Barracuda Load Balancer ADC | No | — | No | Yes | Yes | — | 8.0 |
| 14 | Azure Load Balancer | No | — | Yes | No | Yes | 5000 backends | 7.9 |
| 15 | Tencent Cloud CLB | No | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | 100 backends | 7.9 |
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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