Nginx Proxy Manager vs Nginx: Which to Self-Host?

Quick Verdict Nginx Proxy Manager is the right choice for most self-hosters. It wraps Nginx in a web UI that handles proxy host creation, SSL certificate management, and access control without touching config files. Use raw Nginx only if you need features NPM doesn't expose or want full control over every directive. Overview Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM) is a web-based management interface built on top of Nginx. It provides a GUI for creating proxy hosts, redirects, streams, and managing Let's Encrypt SSL certificates. Under the hood, it generates and manages Nginx config files automatically. Current version: v2.13.7. Nginx is the web server and reverse proxy that NPM is built on. Using it directly means writing config files by hand, managing SSL certificates yourself (typically via Certbot), and reloading the server after every change. Current version: 1.28.2. NPM is Nginx with training wheels — and for self-hosting, training wheels are a feature, not a limitation. Feature Comparison Feat