Zoraxy — Self-Hosted Reverse Proxy with Web Dashboard

Introduction

Zoraxy is a lightweight, self-hosted reverse proxy built in Go that replaces complex Nginx or Caddy configurations with a clean web dashboard. It handles subdomain routing, automatic HTTPS via ACME, WebSocket proxying, and basic access control, all manageable through a browser.

What Zoraxy Does

• Routes HTTP and HTTPS traffic to backend services based on subdomain or path rules
• Manages TLS certificates automatically via Let's Encrypt or custom certificates
• Provides a real-time web dashboard for adding, editing, and monitoring proxy rules
• Supports WebSocket, TCP, and UDP stream proxying alongside standard HTTP
• Includes built-in uptime monitoring and basic analytics for proxied services

Architecture Overview

Zoraxy runs as a single Go binary with an embedded web server for the admin UI. The reverse proxy core handles incoming requests, matches them against user-defined routing rules stored in a local config file, and forwards traffic to the appropriate upstream. TLS termination happens at the proxy layer using certificates managed by the built-in ACME client.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy via Docker or download the single binary for Linux, macOS, or Windows
• Access the web UI on port 8000 to configure proxy rules without touching config files
• Set up automatic HTTPS by enabling the built-in ACME client and pointing DNS records
• Configure access control with IP whitelisting and basic authentication per route
• Persistent data is stored in a single config directory that can be backed up easily

Key Features

• Zero-config TLS with automatic certificate renewal via Let's Encrypt
• Single binary deployment with no external dependencies
• Visual dashboard for managing all proxy routes and monitoring traffic
• Built-in uptime checker that monitors backend health and alerts on downtime
• Supports virtual directories, subdomain routing, and custom header injection

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Nginx Proxy Manager — more mature but heavier; Zoraxy is lighter and written in Go
• Caddy — powerful CLI-first proxy; Zoraxy prioritizes the web UI experience
• Traefik — container-native with auto-discovery; Zoraxy is simpler for static setups
• HAProxy — enterprise-grade load balancer; Zoraxy targets homelab and small-team use cases

FAQ

Q: Can Zoraxy replace Nginx Proxy Manager? A: For homelab and small deployments, yes. It covers subdomain routing, HTTPS, and WebSocket proxying with a simpler setup.

Q: Does it support Docker service auto-discovery? A: Not natively. You add proxy rules manually through the web UI or via the REST API.

Q: What about performance under heavy traffic? A: Zoraxy is built in Go and handles moderate traffic well. For high-throughput production environments, Traefik or HAProxy may be more appropriate.

Q: Is there an API for automation? A: Yes. Zoraxy exposes a REST API that mirrors all web UI functionality for scripting and automation.

Sources

• https://github.com/tobychui/zoraxy
• https://zoraxy.arozos.com