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Posted on Mar 7 • Originally published at selfhosting.sh

Nginx vs Zoraxy: Which Proxy to Self-Host?

#selfhosted #networking #homelab #linux

Quick Verdict

Zoraxy is the better choice for homelab reverse proxy setups. It has a web management UI, automatic HTTPS, and Docker container discovery built-in. Nginx is the more powerful and battle-tested web server, but requires manual configuration for everything. Unless you need Nginx's specific capabilities (static file serving, complex rewrite rules, or you're already familiar with it), Zoraxy is faster to set up and easier to manage.

Overview

Nginx is the world's most popular web server and reverse proxy. It powers roughly a third of all websites on the internet. Configuration is file-based (nginx.conf), and it excels at both serving static content and proxying traffic to backend services.

Zoraxy is a modern, homelab-focused reverse proxy written in Go with a built-in web management interface. It provides automatic HTTPS via Let's Encrypt, Docker container auto-discovery, GeoIP blocking, and a web file manager — all configured through a browser.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Nginx	Zoraxy
Web UI	None (config files)	Full management panel
Automatic HTTPS	No (needs Certbot)	Built-in Let's Encrypt
Configuration	Text files	Web UI
Static file serving	Excellent	Basic (web file manager)
Docker discovery	No	Yes (via Docker socket)
GeoIP blocking	Via module	Built-in
Load balancing	Advanced (upstream blocks)	Basic
Rewrite rules	Powerful regex-based	Limited
WebSocket	Yes (manual config)	Yes (automatic)
HTTP/3	Yes (via quic module)	Yes
VPN integration	No	ZeroTier built-in
Health checks	Basic	Built-in
Docker image	`nginx:1.28.2`	`zoraxydocker/zoraxy:v3.3.1`
RAM usage	~10-30 MB	~50-100 MB (up to 1 GB with FastGeoIP)

Installation Complexity

Nginx ships with a default "Welcome to Nginx" page but requires manual configuration for reverse proxying:

services:
  nginx:
    image: nginx:1.28.2
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    volumes:
      - ./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro
      - ./certs:/etc/nginx/certs:ro
    restart: unless-stopped

You must write nginx.conf with upstream blocks, server blocks, and SSL configuration. SSL certificates require Certbot or another ACME client.

Zoraxy works out of the box with a web UI:

services:
  zoraxy:
    image: zoraxydocker/zoraxy:v3.3.1
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
      - "8000:8000"
    volumes:
      - zoraxy-config:/opt/zoraxy/config
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
    extra_hosts:
      - "host.docker.internal:host-gateway"
    restart: unless-stopped

Open port 8000, and configure everything through the web UI. SSL certificates are provisioned automatically.

Performance and Resource Usage

Nginx is one of the most efficient web servers ever built. It handles tens of thousands of concurrent connections with minimal memory. For pure reverse proxying and static file serving, nothing beats Nginx's efficiency.

Zoraxy uses more memory — ~50-100 MB baseline, and up to ~1 GB if you enable the FastGeoIP feature (which loads the entire GeoIP database into memory). For a homelab with a few dozen services, both are more than adequate.

Metric	Nginx	Zoraxy
Idle RAM	~10 MB	~50 MB
Per-connection overhead	Very low	Low
Static file throughput	Excellent	N/A (not its purpose)

Community and Support

Nginx has the largest community of any web server. Every hosting tutorial, DevOps guide, and self-hosting walkthrough includes Nginx configuration examples. Stack Overflow has millions of Nginx answers. F5 (which acquired Nginx) provides commercial support for Nginx Plus.

Zoraxy has a much smaller community — ~3K GitHub stars — but it's actively developed (latest release January 2026) with a responsive maintainer. Documentation is growing. The trade-off is fewer community resources when you hit an edge case.

Use Cases

Choose Nginx If...

You need to serve static files alongside reverse proxying
You want the most battle-tested reverse proxy
You need complex URL rewriting or regex-based routing
You're already familiar with Nginx configuration
You want maximum community support and documentation
You need advanced caching (proxy_cache)

Choose Zoraxy If...

You want a web UI for managing proxy routes
You want automatic HTTPS without external tools
You want Docker container auto-discovery
You need GeoIP blocking
You prefer browser-based configuration
You're setting up a homelab from scratch

Final Verdict

For homelab self-hosting, Zoraxy offers a better out-of-the-box experience with its web UI, automatic HTTPS, and container discovery. Nginx is the more capable tool — faster, more mature, and infinitely more documented — but that power comes with manual configuration for every feature.

If you're comfortable with Nginx config files and want maximum control, use Nginx. If you want a modern homelab proxy that works immediately with minimal effort, Zoraxy is the better starting point. For the best of both worlds (Nginx engine + web UI), consider Nginx Proxy Manager instead.

FAQ

Is Zoraxy based on Nginx?

No. Zoraxy is written in Go and uses Go's standard library HTTP server and reverse proxy implementation. It's an entirely different codebase from Nginx.

Can Zoraxy replace Nginx for web serving?

Not really. Zoraxy includes a basic web file manager but isn't designed as a web server for static sites. Use Nginx, Caddy, or a CDN for static content serving.

Does Nginx have a web UI option?

Nginx itself doesn't have a web UI. Nginx Proxy Manager adds one on top of Nginx — it's the most popular way to get a GUI for Nginx reverse proxying. See our NPM guide.

Can I migrate from Zoraxy to Nginx later?

Yes, but there's no automated migration tool. You'd need to recreate your proxy routes as Nginx server blocks. The routes are straightforward to translate — the SSL certificates can be reused if stored on disk.

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