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nginx VS STunnel

Compare nginx VS STunnel and see what are their differences

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nginx logo nginx

A high performance free open source web server powering busiest sites on the Internet.

STunnel logo STunnel

Stunnel is a proxy designed to add TLS encryption functionality to existing clients and servers without any changes in the programs' code.
  • nginx Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-28
  • STunnel Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-24

nginx features and specs

  • High Performance
    Nginx is known for its ability to handle a large number of concurrent connections, which makes it an excellent choice for high-traffic websites.
  • Efficiency
    Nginx uses an event-driven architecture that can handle many connections in a single thread, making it resource-efficient.
  • Versatility
    Besides being a web server, Nginx can also function as a reverse proxy, load balancer, and HTTP cache, among other roles.
  • Security
    Nginx has robust security features including SSL/TLS support, which helps in protecting data transmitted between servers and clients.
  • Ease of Configuration
    Nginx's configuration syntax is considered straightforward and easier to understand compared to some alternatives like Apache.
  • Scalability
    Nginx can easily scale out by using multiple servers or CPUs, making it suitable for growing applications.
  • Low Memory Usage
    Its architecture allows for low-memory usage, which is beneficial for systems with limited resources.
  • Support for Multiple Protocols
    Nginx supports a variety of protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, POP3, and IMAP.

Possible disadvantages of nginx

  • Learning Curve
    The configuration syntax, while considered simple by many, can still present a steep learning curve for beginners.
  • Less Mature Ecosystem
    Compared to Apache, Nginx has fewer modules available, which can limit functionality for some specific use cases.
  • Less .htaccess Support
    Nginx does not support .htaccess files, which might be an inconvenience for users migrating from Apache who rely on this feature.
  • Error Logging
    Nginx's error logging is sometimes considered less user-friendly, making debugging and issue resolution more challenging.
  • Community Support
    While the community is growing, Nginx's user support community is still not as extensive as that of Apache.
  • Module Management
    Adding or removing modules in Nginx often requires recompiling the software, which can be inconvenient.

STunnel features and specs

  • Security
    STunnel provides encryption for data that might otherwise be sent over an unencrypted network through its use of SSL/TLS protocols, ensuring confidentiality and integrity of data in transit.
  • Versatility
    STunnel can be used with virtually any network protocol that does not inherently support TLS, allowing it to secure a wide range of applications without requiring code changes.
  • Open Source and Free
    As open-source software, STunnel is available for free, allowing anyone to use, modify, and distribute the software with access to the source code.
  • Cross-Platform
    STunnel is available for various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS, providing a consistent experience across different environments.
  • Minimal Configuration
    For many use cases, STunnel can be configured with a simple configuration file, which minimizes complexity and reduces the effort required to implement it.

Possible disadvantages of STunnel

  • Latency Overhead
    Because STunnel adds an encryption layer, there might be additional latency in data transmission as a result of the encrypting and decrypting process.
  • Configuration Complexity
    Though it can be easy for basic setups, more complex configurations can become challenging, requiring good knowledge of SSL/TLS protocols and certificate management.
  • Certificate Management
    The need to manage SSL/TLS certificates can add complexity, requiring understanding of certificate creation, distribution, and renewal processes.
  • Limited Functionality
    STunnel is specifically designed for adding TLS to network connections, which means it does not provide features like detailed access controls, logging, or advanced firewall capabilities.
  • Lack of Built-in Auth Protocols
    STunnel itself does not provide built-in authentication mechanisms beyond client and server certificate verification, necessitating additional solutions if more sophisticated authentication is required.

nginx videos

+ Add

Nginx vs Apache Webservers: Main Differences

More videos:

  • Review - Nginx Web Hosting - 5 Best Nginx Reverse Proxy That Support Millions of Web Traffic!
  • Review - NGINX as a Reverse Proxy (listening on port 80)

STunnel videos

+ Add

Make a VPN Server with a Raspberry Pi, OpenVPN and Stunnel

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Use TorGuard's Stealth VPN (Openconnect vs OpenVPN Stunnel)
  • Review - Blue Iris - Stunnel

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to nginx and STunnel)

nginx

STunnel

Web And Application Servers
100 100%
Web And Application Servers
0% 0
Security & Privacy
0 0%
Security & Privacy
100% 100
Web Servers
100 100%
Web Servers
0% 0
VPN
0 0%
VPN
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using nginx and STunnel. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare nginx and STunnel

nginx Reviews

Top 5 Open Source Load Balancers in 2024
While NGINX is renowned for its prowess as a web server, its load balancing capabilities are equally commendable. NGINX, also known as "engine x," stands as a multifaceted powerhouse, excelling as an HTTP and reverse proxy server, mail proxy server, and a generic TCP/UDP proxy server. Originally crafted by Igor Sysoev, NGINX has a storied history, having long powered...
Source: www.techtimes.com
13 Best XAMPP Alternatives
Nginx is an open-source, high-performance web server used by tech companies, including Pinterest, Airbnb, Cloudflare, and Zendesk. It has been called the new Apache for its ability to scale more efficiently than other web servers, and many developers prefer it because it’s easy to deploy. Nginx also integrates with many programming languages via FastCGI.
Source: thetechtian.com
7 Best Containerization Software Solutions of 2022
If your enterprise is undergoing digital transformation, the NGINX application platform can help you modernize your legacy applications and deliver new microservices‑based applications – with performance, reliability, security, and scale.
Source: techgumb.com
Apache, IIS, NGINX, GWS : What’s Your Choice?
Utilizing a specific type of virtual or physical server determines the type of web server software you use. If you prefer Microsoft, then you will prefer to use IIS (Internet Information Services / Server) by Microsoft as your primary web server application solution. If you use Linux distribution, you have other alternatives like Apache, NGINX and LiteSpeed.
Source: www.milesweb.in
10 Awesome Open Source Load Balancers
Nginx is a battle-tested piece of software written in C and initially introduced in 2004. Since then, it has grown to be an all-in-one reverse proxy, load balancer, mail proxy, and HTTP cache. It offers L7 load balancing support for HTTP, HTTPS, FastCGI, uWSGI, SCGI, Memcached, and gRPC backends. Nginx’s process worker model is highly scalable and deployed at large scales in...
Source: www.containiq.com

STunnel Reviews

We have no reviews of STunnel yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, nginx seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 60 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.

nginx mentions (60)

  • Deploying a Simple Flask API Using Gunicorn, Supervisor & Nginx
    Nginx: A reverse proxy to handle client requests and route them to Gunicorn. - Source: dev.to / 19 days ago
  • Setup K8s cluster on GCP VMs
    Welcome to nginx! If you see this page, the nginx web server is successfully installed and Working. Further configuration is required. For online documentation and support please refer to href="http://nginx.org/">nginx.org. Commercial support is available at href="http://nginx.com/">nginx.com. Thank you for using nginx. - Source: dev.to / 21 days ago
  • How to Set Up a Subdomain with Nginx and SSL on DigitalOcean
    I've always been passionate about contributing to the tech community, and this article is my way of sharing what I've learned. Before diving in, it's beneficial to have a basic understanding of deploying to a DigitalOcean droplet, whether through a CI/CD pipeline or manually uploading your JAR files and running the app on the server. In this guide, I’ll walk you through setting up Nginx, and Certbot, and securing... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Nginx vs Traefik: Which Reverse Proxy is Right for You?
    Before diving into the specifics of Nginx and Traefik, let’s quickly define what a reverse proxy is. A reverse proxy sits between the client (browser or other services) and your backend services (web servers or applications). It handles incoming requests, routes them to the appropriate backend service, and forwards the response to the client. Reverse proxies are typically used for:. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Dev.to on your own domain xyz.com.
    One of the most popular reverse proxies is nginx. Let's see how we can use it as I did in the video at the top. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
View more

STunnel mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing nginx and STunnel, you can also consider the following products

Apache Tomcat - An open source software implementation of the Java Servlet and JavaServer Pages technologies

PowerShell - Download WMF. Windows Management Framework contains the latest versions of PowerShell, DSC, WMI, and WinRM for older versions of Windows. PowerShell Module Browser. Search for PowerShell modules and cmdlets.

Apache HTTP Server - Apache httpd has been the most popular web server on the Internet since April 1996

AES Crypt - AES Crypt is an advanced file encryption utility that integrates with the Windows shell or runs from the Linux command prompt to provide a simple, yet powerful, tool for encrypting files using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).

Traefik - Load Balancer / Reverse Proxy

V2Ray - A platform for building proxies to bypass network restrictions.

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