Reverse proxy management
point domains at internal services
// official site: nginxproxymanager.com ↗
DEVOPS · FREE TIER
Nginx Proxy Managerfree
Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) is a web UI for managing nginx reverse proxies with Let's Encrypt SSL automation. Add a domain, point at a backend, click "Let's Encrypt" — done. Manages access lists, custom certs, redirection, streams. Built for self-hosters who want nginx power without nginx config files.
// What it is
A closer look.
Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) is a web UI for managing nginx reverse proxies with Let's Encrypt SSL automation. Add a domain, point at a backend, click "Let's Encrypt" — done. Manages access lists, custom certs, redirection, streams. Built for self-hosters who want nginx power without nginx config files.
For homelab and small-business operators wrangling 10-50 reverse-proxied apps, NPM is the dramatically simpler choice vs raw nginx.
// Use cases
What it's for.
Concrete scenarios where teams pick Nginx Proxy Manager over the SaaS alternative.
Automated SSL
Let's Encrypt cert provisioning + renewal
Multi-app hosting
manage dozens of vhost configs visually
Access control
basic auth, IP allow lists, OAuth via Authelia
Stream / WebSocket proxying
non-HTTP protocols supported
// Who it's for
Built for these teams.
If your team profile matches one of these, Nginx Proxy Manager is a strong fit out of the box.
Self-hosters
managing 10+ reverse-proxied apps
Homelab operators
running services behind nginx
Small business IT
providing internal app access via subdomains
Hosting providers
running customer subdomains
Non-experts
wanting nginx without learning nginx config
// Differentiators
Why teams pick Nginx Proxy Manager.
When evaluating self-hosted options for this category, here are the dimensions on which Nginx Proxy Manager consistently lands above the alternatives.
- ✓MIT license — fully open
- ✓Visual management — Caddy is simpler config, NPM is simpler UI
- ✓Mature — long-running project with strong community
- ✓Stream support — TCP / UDP forwarding, not just HTTP
- ✓Access lists — IP + basic auth + custom rules
- ✓Custom certs — bring-your-own-cert alongside Let's Encrypt
// Integrations
Connects to.
The stack you'll plug Nginx Proxy Manager into — services, protocols, and adjacent apps in the BluixApps catalog.
◇
SSL
Let's Encrypt automatic, ZeroSSL, custom upload
◈
DNS-01
wildcard certs via DNS provider plugins (Cloudflare, Hetzner, others)
◆
Auth
basic auth, Authelia / Authentik via custom config
▣
Logging
JSON-structured logs for analytics
▦
Backup
config + cert export
▩
Custom nginx config
advanced users can inject raw nginx directives
▼
Stream
TCP / UDP forwarding
// Adoption & deployment
Notable users & community
- 24k+ GitHub stars
- Active Reddit + Discord communities
- Featured in homelab guides worldwide
- Strong adoption among self-hosters
- Long-running OSS project
What we ship
- Docker compose: Nginx Proxy Manager + MariaDB
- Pinned
jc21/nginx-proxy-manager:2.12.0(release-tagged) - HTTPS via Let's Encrypt
- Admin user with default creds documented for first-login change
- Persistent volumes for certs + config + database
- Stream forwarding enabled
- Backup hook covers config + cert + database
// Tips & operations
Run it properly.
Operational guidance from running this in production — what to lock down, what surprises people.
// PERFORMANCE
Persist data volume
certs + config live here; mount from day one
// SECURITY
Wildcard certs via DNS-01
for *.yourdomain.com setups
// OPERATIONS
Custom nginx config
for advanced rules (rate limiting, custom headers)
// RELIABILITY
Stream proxy for non-HTTP
TCP forwarding for SSH, databases
// DEPLOYMENT
Backup before upgrades
export config + certs before NPM major version changes
// SCALING
Don't expose NPM admin externally
VPN / IP-restricted access only
256
// min ram (MB)
2
// min disk (GB)
81
// access port
http
// protocol
free
// bluixapps tier
// Alternatives in DevOps
Compare with
Project resources
Official sitenginxproxymanager.com ↗