Squid is a classic caching proxy, but many teams now prefer newer reverse proxies and accelerators that are easier to scale and manage. If you need caching, load balancing, or edge routing, these alternatives are worth considering.
Updated January 18, 2026: This list reflects widely used proxy and caching options today.
What to look for in a Squid alternative
- Performance: low latency and high throughput.
- Caching: flexible cache rules and purge options.
- Routing: reverse proxy and load balancing support.
- Observability: logs, metrics, and monitoring.
10 best Squid proxy alternatives
1. NGINX (Open Source)
NGINX is a fast reverse proxy and load balancer with optional caching.
2. Varnish Cache
Varnish is purpose-built for HTTP caching and performance acceleration.
3. HAProxy
HAProxy is a high-performance load balancer with strong reliability.
4. Apache Traffic Server
Traffic Server is a scalable caching proxy for large deployments.
5. Envoy Proxy
Envoy is a modern, cloud-native proxy with rich observability.
6. Traefik
Traefik is popular in container environments for automatic routing.
7. Caddy
Caddy is a simple reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS.
8. Privoxy
Privoxy is a non-caching proxy focused on privacy and filtering.
9. Tinyproxy
Tinyproxy is lightweight and ideal for small deployments.
10. NGINX Plus
NGINX Plus adds enterprise features like advanced health checks and support.
Final thoughts
If you need caching, Varnish or Traffic Server are strong choices. For reverse proxy and load balancing, NGINX, HAProxy, or Envoy are excellent modern alternatives.
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