Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Apache Traffic Server VS Squid Proxy

Compare Apache Traffic Server VS Squid Proxy and see what are their differences

Apache Traffic Server logo Apache Traffic Server

Fast, scalable and extensible HTTP/S 2 and 1.1 compliant caching proxy server.

Squid Proxy logo Squid Proxy

Website Content Acceleration and Distribution. Thousands of web-sites around the Internet use Squid to drastically increase their content delivery. Squid can reduce your server load and improve delivery speeds to clients.
  • Apache Traffic Server Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29
  • Squid Proxy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30

Apache Traffic Server features and specs

  • High Performance
    Apache Traffic Server is designed for high-speed caching and can handle large volumes of traffic efficiently. Its architecture allows it to serve requests with low latency, making it suitable for high-traffic websites and applications.
  • Scalability
    It offers robust scalability features, allowing it to manage multiple terabytes of data and scale up to handle many clients simultaneously, which is beneficial for growing businesses and expanding infrastructure.
  • Extensibility
    Traffic Server supports plugins and extensions, enabling developers to customize and extend its functionality to suit specific needs, which adds flexibility for unique requirements.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, Apache Traffic Server offers a free solution with a strong community support, allowing users to collaborate and contribute to its development and troubleshoot issues.
  • SSL Termination
    It provides the capability to handle SSL termination, which offloads the burden from backend servers, improving overall security and performance for HTTPS traffic.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Traffic Server

  • Complex Configuration
    The configuration of Apache Traffic Server can be complex, especially for beginners, which might require a steep learning curve and extensive documentation reading or seeking community help.
  • Limited Windows Support
    Traffic Server is primarily developed for Unix-based systems and has limited support for Windows, which can be a limitation for organizations that primarily operate in a Windows environment.
  • Community Support
    While it benefits from open-source community support, it may not have the same level of professional support or comprehensive documentation as some commercial alternatives, potentially leading to slower resolution of issues.
  • Resource Intensive
    When handling large amounts of traffic, Apache Traffic Server can become resource-intensive, which may necessitate higher hardware investments to maintain optimal performance.

Squid Proxy features and specs

  • Caching
    Squid Proxy supports caching, which can reduce bandwidth usage and improve access speeds by storing frequently accessed resources locally.
  • Access Control
    Squid Proxy provides detailed access control features, allowing administrators to manage who can access certain resources and when they can do so.
  • Content Filtering
    With Squid Proxy, it is possible to block access to specific websites or content types, making it useful for environments where content control is necessary.
  • SSL Support
    Squid Proxy supports HTTPS decryption and encryption, which allows it to handle secure content delivery efficiently.
  • Load Balancing
    Squid Proxy can distribute the load among multiple servers, improving reliability and performance.
  • Customizable
    Squid Proxy is highly configurable with a wide range of options and settings, making it flexible to meet specific needs.
  • Open Source
    Squid Proxy is open-source software, meaning it is freely available and can be modified to fit specific requirements without licensing costs.

Possible disadvantages of Squid Proxy

  • Complex Configuration
    Setting up and configuring Squid Proxy can be complicated, requiring a good understanding of networking and proxy concepts.
  • Performance Overhead
    Because of its extensive feature set, Squid Proxy can introduce additional latency compared to a simpler proxy solution.
  • Resource Intensive
    Squid Proxy can be resource-intensive, requiring significant CPU and memory, especially for large-scale deployments.
  • Maintenance
    Regular updates and maintenance are necessary to keep Squid Proxy secure and running efficiently, which can be time-consuming.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its complexity, new users may face a steep learning curve when first getting started with Squid Proxy.
  • Compatibility Issues
    There can be compatibility issues with certain web protocols and applications, requiring additional configuration or workarounds.

Apache Traffic Server videos

Transparent HTTP proxying with Apache Traffic Server

More videos:

  • Review - Yahoo's Adventure with Apache Traffic Server - Shu Kit Chan, Vijay Prashanth Hosahithlu

Squid Proxy videos

Squid proxy server||proxy server||block unauthorized websites||Open Source||linux

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Traffic Server and Squid Proxy)
Proxy Server
29 29%
71% 71
Proxy
24 24%
76% 76
DevOps Tools
29 29%
71% 71
Tool
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Apache Traffic Server and Squid Proxy. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache Traffic Server seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 6 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Traffic Server mentions (6)

  • API Caching: Techniques for Better Performance
    Apache Traffic Server — A free, fast, and scalable HTTP caching system that improves network efficiency. It supports forward and reverse proxy caching and is configurable to run simultaneously on either or both options. It also provides authentication and basic authorization through plugins. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Wikipedia now has up to 1000X reduction of ATS disk read latency at the p999
    Apache Traffic Server: https://trafficserver.apache.org/ Here’s how they use it along with Varnish: https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Caching_overview. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • How does Content delivery/distribution network work?
    The LARGE majority of CDNs use either Apache Traffic Server (https://trafficserver.apache.org/) or Nginx for their cache webserver, so the mechanisms used are pretty easy to find if you look through the docs. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Using Nginx as an Object Storage Gateway
    Apache Traffic Server (no relation to Apache itself) would be an excellent option: https://trafficserver.apache.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • Build a CDN in about 5 hours
    We have choices. We could use Varnish (scripting! Edge side includes! PHK blog posts!). We could use Apache Traffic Server (being the only new team this year to use ATS!). Or we could use NGINX (we're already running it!). The only certainty is that you'll come to hate whichever one you pick. Try them all and pick the one you hate the least. - Source: dev.to / almost 4 years ago
View more

Squid Proxy mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Squid Proxy yet. Tracking of Squid Proxy recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Traffic Server and Squid Proxy, you can also consider the following products

3proxy - 3proxy freeware proxy server for Windows and Unix. HTTP, SOCKS, FTP, POP3

CCProxy - Want to share Internet connection? Get every computer online through a single Internet connection?

TinyProxy - A lightweight http(s) proxy daemon

FreeProxy - Feature summary from website:* Internet connection sharing with demand dialling

WinGate - WinGate is highly capable web proxy software for Windows: caching, intercepting, forward and reverse proxy with https inspection and SSL offload, SOCKS server, email

gate.js - gate - Performance & scalable I/O forward & reverse HTTP proxy based on node.