---
title: Comparing Nginx Proxy Manager, Zoraxy, and Traefik: Top Reverse Proxy Options for DevOps and Software Engineers in 2026
created: 2026-01-11
updated: 2026-01-11
type: summary
tags: ["devops", "management", "notes", "proxy", "telegram"]
external: http://go/ui/posts/1835/
---

Given your background as a DevOps and software engineer at a company like Block, you likely value tools that balance **ease of management** with **technical transparency**.

For a reverse proxy that prioritizes a Web UI, hot reloads, and streamlined subdomain management, the following three options are the industry leaders in 2026.

### 1. Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) — The Industry Standard

Nginx Proxy Manager is the most popular choice for those who want a "UI-first" experience. It wraps a standard Nginx engine in a clean, functional interface.

* **UI Experience:** High. It is designed specifically to manage hosts, subdomains, and SSL certificates through a browser.
* **Hot Reload:** Supported. When you save a change in the UI, it regenerates the Nginx configuration and reloads the service automatically without dropping connections.
* **Subdomain Management:** Extremely simple. You can assign a subdomain to an internal IP/port in about three clicks.
* **Best For:** Stability and the "standard" Nginx experience without manual `.conf` editing.

### 2. Zoraxy — The Modern Contender

Zoraxy has rapidly gained popularity (late 2025/2026) among tech professionals for being a Go-based, high-performance alternative to NPM.

* **UI Experience:** Exceptional. It features a more modern, responsive dashboard than NPM and includes built-in network tools (ping, traceroute, and a port scanner).
* **Hot Reload:** Native. Since it's written in Go, its routing table updates are near-instantaneous and handled in-memory.
* **Subdomain Management:** Includes a "Virtual Directory" and "Subdomain Proxy" feature that is more flexible than NPM, allowing for complex path-based routing alongside subdomains.
* **Unique Feature:** Built-in **Wake-on-LAN** and **Global Area Network** (ZeroTier-like) controllers.

### 3. Traefik (with Dashboard) — The DevOps Choice

As a DevOps engineer, you might prefer Traefik if you are running containerized workloads (Docker/Kubernetes). Unlike NPM, Traefik is "infrastructure-as-code" first, but its dashboard is powerful for visualization.

* **UI Experience:** Primarily read-only for monitoring. While there are projects to make it more "editable" via UI, its true power is **Service Discovery**.
* **Hot Reload:** Automatic. It watches the Docker socket or Kubernetes API; if you spin up a new container with specific labels, Traefik assigns the subdomain and SSL instantly without any manual input.
* **Best For:** Environments where you want your proxy to "self-configure" based on your deployment manifests.

---

### Comparison at a Glance

| Feature | Nginx Proxy Manager | Zoraxy | Traefik |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **Primary Focus** | Simplicity & UI | Features & Performance | Automation & Microservices |
| **Core Engine** | Nginx (C) | Custom (Go) | Custom (Go) |
| **Config Style** | Web UI / Database | Web UI / JSON | Docker Labels / YAML |
| **SSL Support** | Let's Encrypt / Custom | Let's Encrypt / ZeroSSL | ACME (Automatic) |
| **Subdomain Ease** | 10/10 | 10/10 | 9/10 (via labels) |

---

### Recommendation

* If you want a **dedicated management console** where you can logically group and view all your subdomains at a glance (aligned with an **ISTJ**'s preference for order), **Nginx Proxy Manager** is the safest and most documented choice.
* If you want **more technical metadata** and integrated network diagnostic tools within the same UI, **Zoraxy** is the superior "power user" choice.

Would you like me to provide a Docker Compose snippet to help you spin up one of these for testing?

[Detailed Nginx vs. Traefik vs. Caddy Comparison](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DdBJs6NfzI)

This video provides a high-level breakdown of the three most common reverse proxy architectures, which is useful for comparing the "logic" behind how each handles routing and configuration reloads.
