# nginx-proxy vs openvpn

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | nginx-proxy | openvpn |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 76/100 | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 24 in Reverse Proxy | #4 of 56 in VPN |
| GitHub stars | 19 937 ✓ | 14 737 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +19 | +137 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 11 | 14 ✓ |
| Latest release | 1.11.6 · 16 Jul 2026 | v2.7.8 · 6 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | MIT | Other |
| Main language | Python | C |

## Which one should you pick?

nginx-proxy and openvpn score the same (76/100), so the choice comes down to the details below.

openvpn ships more often: 14 stable releases in the past year, against 11 for nginx-proxy.

If you want the quickest setup, nginx-proxy is easier to run; openvpn needs more configuration.

openvpn is growing faster right now (+137 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [nginx-proxy](https://selfhost.directory/project/nginx-proxy) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nginx-proxy.md)
- [openvpn](https://selfhost.directory/project/openvpn) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openvpn.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/nginx-proxy-vs-openvpn