Traefik Hub vs NGINX
Traefik Hub is a cloud-native API gateway and management platform that is built for modern multi-cloud, hybrid, and legacy migration scenarios. Unlike NGINX, Traefik Hub enables advanced API management, streamlines Day-2 operations, and provides robust observability in a single, extensible solution.
Key Features Compared
Key Criteria
NGINX
Architecture & Focus
20+ year-old architecture
Primarily a reverse proxy/web server
Cloud-native features added retroactively, often needing extra components
Single, stateless binary
Cloud-native from inception (K8s, Nomad, VMs)
Built for modern multi-cloud & hybrid scenarios
Kubernetes Integration
Requires separate NGINX Ingress Controller & Gateway Fabric
Annotation sprawl for routing
Migration path needed for future K8s Gateway API support
Native K8s controller
Leading in K8s Gateway API support
Simplified routing via CRDs
Security & WAF
Requires separate paid WAF modules
Certificate automation relies on external tools
Built-in high-performance Coraza WAF (OWASP-endorsed)
Built-in Let's Encrypt (ACME) for certificates
API Management Capabilities
Discontinued its API management offering
Claims an AI gateway, but no public documentation
Focused on reverse proxy and web server use cases
Integrated API Dev Portal
Built-in AI gateway can wrap any AI as an API
Seamless evolution to advanced API Management
Observability
Dependent on Prometheus/OpenTracing (deprecated)
Additional component needed for OpenTelemetry
OpenTelemetry for metrics, logs, and tracing
Out-of-the-box comprehensive telemetry
Scalability & Pricing
Instance count-based pricing
Risk of skyrocketing costs as you scale
Cluster-based pricing
Autoscaling friendly, no per-instance costs
Maintenance & Overhead
Multiple add-ons (WAF, certificate mgmt, etc.)
Dashboard is a separate paid component
Single binary = minimal overhead
Local dashboard included
For a full comparison, request your personalized demo.
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Why It’s Time to Modernize Your API Infrastructure
Feeling bogged down by NGINX’s add-on modules, outdate d architecture, and escalating costs? Traefik Hub is a true cloud-native gateway built for multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-prem environments—no extra components needed.
Single Binary, Infinite Possibilities
Enjoy a stateless architecture that consolidates routing, WAF, certificates, and API management into one solution. This simplifies deployment, improves security, reduces costs, and accelerates time-to-market.
Future-Proof K8s Integration
Seamlessly adopt the new Gateway API, avoiding the “annotation sprawl” that plagues traditional ingress approaches, for more streamlined configuration and change management.
Advanced Security from Day One
Protect your applications with an OWASP-endorsed WAF, automated SSL/TLS, and a robust plugin ecosystem (at no extra cost), so you are secure right out of the box.
Open Observability
Monitor metrics, logs, and traces with robust OpenTelemetry support, ensuring a vendor-neutral, comprehensive view of performance, early issue detection, and rapid incident mitigation.
Predictable Cluster-Based Pricing
Scale your services without worrying about per-instance fees or hidden costs, because you shouldn’t have to choose between growth and your gateway.
TRAEFIK LABS IS TRUSTED BY LEADING ENTERPRISES WORLDWIDE
It’s Time to Embrace the Cloud-Native Era
It’s clear that NGINX’s time has passed. Traefik Hub is architected for the demands of modern workloads to help you break free from legacy complexity and unlock your infrastructure’s potential.
Ready to see what Traefik Hub can do for you? Request your personalized demo today.