HAProxy Community Edition
Summary
HAProxy Community Edition is free, self-hosted software for reverse proxying TCP and HTTP applications, with high availability and load balancing. It runs on Linux and is included with most mainstream Linux distributions; cloud platforms also often deploy it by default. The project describes it as suited to very high-traffic websites and uses an event-driven architecture with light multithreading on SMP machines. Supported protocols include TCP and HTTP, with QUIC and HTTP/3 features listed in recent versions. Security measures include chroot, privilege drops, fork prevention, strict protocol validation and checks for impossible states. The project site reports up to 2 million SSL requests per second and 100 Gbps forwarded traffic on AWS Graviton2. HAProxy 3.4 is listed as in development, with 3.4.6 the latest release shown for that branch. Its 3.4 notes include dynamic backends, HTTP/2 flood protections, ACME improvements, experimental QMUX and an OpenTelemetry filter. Even-numbered LTS branches are maintained for five years; odd-numbered stable branches for 12 to 18 months. Downloads include source repositories and release tarballs.
Who it is for
HAProxy Community Edition suits Linux users who need a self-hosted proxy or load balancer for TCP and HTTP applications. Its stated focus on high traffic may interest operators of busy websites.
What is good
- Free TCP and HTTP proxying.
- Supports both Layer 4 and Layer 7 routing.
- Listed security measures include strict protocol validation.
- Even-numbered LTS branches receive five years of maintenance.
What to know first
- Runs on Linux and is self-hosted.
- HAProxy 3.4 is listed as in development.
- Managed service is not offered.
Verdict
HAProxy Community Edition provides a free Linux option for proxying and load balancing, with multiple security measures and protocol support. Consider its self-hosted deployment model and branch maintenance periods when choosing it.
HAProxy Community Edition plans and pricing
All plansCompared on reverse proxy software
- Free plan
- Yeshaproxy.org
- Managed service
- Nohaproxy.org
- Layer 7 routing
- Yeshaproxy.org
- Layer 4 routing
- Yeshaproxy.org
- TLS termination
- Yeshaproxy.org
Facts
- Purpose
- HAProxy is a free, fast reverse proxy offering high availability, load balancing, and proxying for TCP and HTTP applications.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Target workloads
- The project says HAProxy is particularly suited for very high traffic websites.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Architecture
- HAProxy uses an event-driven architecture and light multithreading on SMP machines.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Performance
- The site reports a test result of up to 2 million SSL requests per second and 100 Gbps forwarded traffic on AWS Graviton2.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Latest features
- HAProxy 3.4 adds dynamic backends, HTTP/2 flood protections, ACME improvements, experimental QMUX, and an OpenTelemetry filter.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Protocols
- The project supports TCP and HTTP-based applications, and its listed recent versions include QUIC and HTTP/3 features.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Security
- Listed defensive measures include chroot, privilege drops, fork prevention, strict protocol validation, and checks for impossible states.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Maintenance
- Even-numbered LTS branches are maintained for five years, while odd-numbered stable branches are maintained for 12 to 18 months.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Current releases
- As of the site’s displayed release list, HAProxy 3.4 is in development and 3.4.6 is the latest listed release in the 3.4 branch.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Download
- The official site provides source repositories, release tarballs, snapshots, and documentation by version.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Linux availability
- HAProxy is shipped with most mainstream Linux distributions and is often deployed by default in cloud platforms.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project points users to commercial support contracts and professional services from HAProxy Technologies.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The 3.4 release notes list an OpenTelemetry filter and ACME certificate features including DNS-01 challenges.haproxy.org · 2 Oct 2026
Company
- Headquarters
- Newton, Massachusetts, United Stateshaproxy.org · 28 Sept 2026
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Sources
- haproxy.org· checked 2 Oct 2026