NGINX Plus
NGINX Plus: A capable commercial choice for API-heavy teams running self-hosted application infrastructure. Ranked #6 of 31 in Load Balancing Software by our editors (8.8/10); pricing: Pricing on request · 30-day trial; best for API-heavy self-hosted environments.
At a glance
- Editor score8.8 / 10
- PricingPricing on request · 30-day trial
- Best forAPI-heavy self-hosted environments
- Free planNo
- Layer 7 routingYes
- Facts checked20 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Layer 4 and Layer 7 balancing with advanced traffic routing
- Dynamic API configuration without reloads and active health checks
- High availability, TLS management, and 200+ monitoring metrics
Where it doesn't
- Commercial software rather than an open-source option
- Subscription pricing requires contact with sales
- Not offered as a managed service
Our verdict on NGINX Plus
NGINX Plus is F5’s commercial application delivery software for organizations operating applications, APIs, Kubernetes environments, and AI workloads. It combines Layer 4 and Layer 7 load balancing with reverse proxying, API gateway functions, active health checks, TLS termination, monitoring, and high availability. The software runs on supported Linux distributions, bare metal, virtual machines, containers, Kubernetes, and public clouds including AWS, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure. It is best suited to teams that want direct control over traffic management in self-hosted or cloud infrastructure.
Pricing follows a subscription licensing model, with a 30-day trial available and sales contact required for licensing. The platform fits a broad infrastructure and identity ecosystem: listed integrations include F5 BIG-IP, AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, NS1, Auth0, Amazon Cognito, Microsoft Entra ID, Keycloak, OneLogin, Okta, and Ping Identity. Its API gateway functions include routing, authentication, and rate limiting, while TCP and UDP support extends beyond HTTP application traffic. This combination makes NGINX Plus a practical fit for teams managing mixed application and API workloads across multiple environments.
The standout capability is the combination of active health checks, failover, state synchronization, and API-driven configuration without reloads. Real-time monitoring with 200+ metrics adds operational visibility, and TLS termination with certificate management centralizes important edge functions. Organizations seeking commercial support, advanced routing, and high availability should consider NGINX Plus. Teams specifically seeking open-source software, a managed load-balancing service, or transparent self-service pricing should choose an alternative that matches those requirements.
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NGINX Plus pricing
NGINX Plus fact sheet
| Free plan | No |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Managed service | No |
| Layer 7 routing | Yes |
| Layer 4 routing | Yes |
| Global traffic management | Yes |
| TLS termination | Yes |
| Backend limit | Not verified |
| Free trial | 30 days |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Linux |
| Support | Phone, Tickets, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Enterprise, Mid-market (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 12 integrations: F5 BIG-IP, AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft Azure, NS1, Auth0 … See all → |
| Pricing | Pricing on request · 30-day trial |
| Website | f5.com |
| Facts checked | 20 Sep 2026 |
NGINX Plus integrations
NGINX Plus lists 12 integrations on its own site.
- F5 BIG-IP
- AWS
- Google Cloud Platform
- Microsoft Azure
- NS1
- Auth0
- Amazon Cognito
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Keycloak
- OneLogin
- Okta
- Ping Identity
See all NGINX Plus integrations →
Alternatives to NGINX Plus
- AWS Elastic Load BalancingBroad Layer 4 and Layer 7 load balancing for AWS production environments.9.3
- Google Cloud Load BalancingA managed load balancer for global, regional, Layer 4, and Layer 7 traffic.9.2
- Alibaba Cloud Server Load BalancerA broad Alibaba Cloud balancing service with Layer 4/7 routing and a low published entry price.9.1
See all NGINX Plus alternatives →
NGINX Plus vs the competition
- NGINX Plus vs AWS Elastic Load Balancing
- NGINX Plus vs Google Cloud Load Balancing
- NGINX Plus vs Alibaba Cloud Server Load Balancer
- NGINX Plus vs Cloudflare Load Balancing
- NGINX Plus vs Progress Kemp LoadMaster
- NGINX Plus vs HAProxy Community Edition
Compare NGINX Plus with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
NGINX Plus is ranked in 3 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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