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Traefik vs Varnish: What are the differences?
# Introduction
Configuration Language: Traefik uses TOML configuration files by default, which are simple and easy to understand, making it quicker to implement and manage. On the other hand, Varnish uses its proprietary VCL (Varnish Configuration Language), which provides more advanced control and flexibility but has a steeper learning curve.
Load Balancing: Traefik is a modern HTTP reverse proxy and load balancer that is designed to handle microservices and containerized applications seamlessly, offering dynamic load balancing based on various factors like round-robin, least connection, and more. In contrast, Varnish is primarily a reverse proxy cache that can also be configured as a load balancer, but its focus is more on caching than load balancing.
TLS Termination: Traefik simplifies the TLS termination process by automatically obtaining and renewing SSL certificates through Let's Encrypt, reducing the administrative overhead. Varnish, on the other hand, requires manual configuration for TLS termination, including managing SSL certificates and renewals.
Container Orchestration Integration: Traefik is commonly used in containerized environments like Docker and Kubernetes, seamlessly integrating with these tools to dynamically update its configuration based on changes in the environment. Varnish can also be used in container environments but lacks the native integrations and dynamic configuration capabilities that Traefick offers.
Protocols Supported: Traefik is focused on supporting modern protocols like HTTP/2 and gRPC, ensuring compatibility with modern web applications and performance enhancements. Varnish, being a long-standing tool in the caching and proxying realm, also supports these protocols but may require additional configuration and setup compared to Traefik.
In Summary, Traefik and Varnish differ in configuration language, load balancing capabilities, TLS termination process, container orchestration integration, and supported protocols.
Pros of Traefik
- Kubernetes integration20
- Watch service discovery updates18
- Letsencrypt support14
- Swarm integration13
- Several backends12
- Ready-to-use dashboard6
- Easy setup4
- Rancher integration4
- Mesos integration1
- Mantl integration1
Pros of Varnish
- High-performance104
- Very Fast67
- Very Stable57
- Very Robust44
- HTTP reverse proxy37
- Open Source21
- Web application accelerator18
- Easy to config11
- Widely Used5
- Great community4
- Essential software for HTTP2
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Cons of Traefik
- Complicated setup7
- Not very performant (fast)7