Freedom251 › Minecraft Server Proxy Software

Infrared

Free plan APILinuxMacSelf-hostedWindows

What Infrared is

Infrared is a free, open-source Minecraft reverse proxy written in Go, designed to route traffic and provide Layer 7 protection. Its bot checks can use IP lookups, encryption, authentication, protocol and username checks. One configuration file can define multiple domains routing to destination servers, while Redis can cache lookups or supply proxy configurations across instances. Turning on Redis-based proxy configuration disables Infrared’s built-in API. When available, the optional JSON HTTP API can list, retrieve, add and delete proxy configurations. A built-in Prometheus exporter reports operational metrics such as connected players and handshake counts. Named integrations and components include MaxMind MMDB GeoIP databases, the Mojang API, Redis and HAProxy Proxy Protocol; compatible destinations can also use TCPShield/RealIP Protocol. The project supports IPv4 and IPv6, and documents a default server version of 1.18 (protocol 757). It supports Linux, macOS, Windows, API use and self-hosted deployment. The recommended mitigation setup calls for Linux kernel 5.8 or later. Optional live upgrades can preserve existing connections during a process swap but require systemd.

Who it suits

Infrared suits Minecraft server operators who want a self-hosted proxy with bot checks, configuration options and proxy metrics. Its recommended mitigation setup is for Linux kernel 5.8 or later.

What it does well

Free and open source under Apache License 2.0
Bot checks include several validation methods
Prometheus exporter reports proxy metrics
Supports IPv4 and IPv6
Optional live upgrades can preserve connections

What to know first

Redis-based proxy configuration disables the built-in API
Recommended mitigation setup requires Linux kernel 5.8 or later
Live upgrades require systemd

Limits

Infrared has no paid-plan limits because it is free and open source. Enabling Redis-based proxy configuration disables the built-in API; the recommended mitigation setup requires Linux kernel 5.8 or later, and tableflip upgrades require systemd.

Getting started

Open the Infrared GitHub repository.
Choose a supported platform or self-hosted deployment.
For the documented mitigation setup, use Linux kernel 5.8 or newer.
Configure domains and destination servers in the configuration file.
Optionally configure Redis, Prometheus, or supported proxy protocols.
Use systemd to run the service if following the documented service setup.

Verdict

Infrared offers proxy routing, configurable bot checks and operational metrics for self-hosted Minecraft deployments. Review the Redis/API trade-off and Linux requirements before setting up the configuration you need.

Questions

Does Infrared cost anything?

Infrared is free and open source under the Apache License 2.0.

Which platforms does it support?

The listed platforms are API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, and Windows.

Does Infrared have an API?

An optional JSON HTTP API can list, retrieve, add, and delete proxy configurations. Enabling Redis-based proxy configuration disables the built-in API.

What does it integrate with?

Named integrations or components include Redis, Prometheus, MaxMind MMDB GeoIP databases, the Mojang API, and HAProxy Proxy Protocol.

What server version does it document by default?

The documented default is Minecraft server version 1.18, protocol 757.

What license does Infrared use?

The repository includes the Apache License 2.0. It grants no-charge use rights subject to its conditions, and the software is provided as-is without warranties.

Facts from Infrared's own pages

Antibot: Its antibot checks can use IP lookups, encryption, authentication, protocol, and username checks. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
API: An optional JSON HTTP API provides routes to list, retrieve, add, and delete proxy configurations. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Availability: The project documents live upgrades using tableflip that can preserve existing connections during the process swap. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Bot mitigation: Its antibot checks use IP lookups, encryption checks, authentication checks, protocol checks, and username lookups. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Configuration: One configuration file can define multiple domains, and proxy configurations can optionally be fetched from Redis. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Deployment: The README documents Linux kernel 5.8 or later for its recommended mitigation setup and shows running Infrared as a systemd service. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
GeoIP: GeoIP lookup uses MaxMind MMDB files, and the README says the required GeoLite2 databases can be downloaded for free by creating an account. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Integrations: The README names Redis, Prometheus, MaxMind MMDB GeoIP databases, the Mojang API, and HAProxy Proxy Protocol among supported integrations or components. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
IP forwarding: Proxy configurations support HAProxy Proxy Protocol and TCPShield/RealIP Protocol when the destination server is compatible. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
License: The repository lists the Apache License 2.0, whose terms grant no-charge copyright and patent licenses subject to its conditions. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
License and warranty: The repository includes an Apache License 2.0, which grants no-charge use rights and provides the work as-is without warranties. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Live upgrades: The optional tableflip feature allows upgrading the Go application without closing existing connections and requires systemd, according to the README. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Metrics: A built-in Prometheus exporter reports proxy metrics, including connected players and handshake counts. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Monitoring: The built-in Prometheus exporter exposes operational metrics, including connected players and handshake counts. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Network support: The project says it supports both IPv4 and IPv6. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Operational limit: The README says enabling Redis based proxy configuration disables the built-in API. · github.com, 7 Oct 2026
Purpose: Infrared describes itself as a Minecraft reverse proxy with Layer 7 protection, written in Go. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Redis: Redis can be used to cache lookups and to retrieve proxy configurations, including across multiple instances. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
Routing: A proxy configuration can map multiple domain names to a destination server. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026
System requirement: The README recommends Linux kernel 5.8 or newer for mitigation setup. · github.com, 8 Oct 2026