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NGINX Gateway Fabric
What NGINX Gateway Fabric is
NGINX Gateway Fabric is a self-hosted implementation of the Kubernetes Gateway API that uses NGINX for load balancing, reverse proxying, and API gateway traffic. Its control plane translates Gateway API resources into NGINX configuration, separating configuration from traffic handling. The project targets resources such as Gateway, HTTPRoute, GRPCRoute, TCPRoute, TLSRoute, and UDPRoute; its compatibility table also covers GatewayClass, ReferenceGrant, and BackendTLSPolicy, with support levels varying by resource. Documented traffic controls include HTTP and TLS routing, redirects, rewrites, request mirroring, session persistence, and rate limiting. Security options described include HTTPS with cert-manager, mutual TLS, basic authentication, OpenID Connect, external authentication, and JWT authentication. Monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana and tracing with OpenTelemetry collectors are also documented, including Jaeger examples. Installation is available through Helm from an OCI registry or from source, after the Gateway API resources are installed. Version 2.7.2 lists Kubernetes 1.32 or later as a requirement. The free open-source data-plane plan is listed as free. Documented images support amd64 and arm64; some Gateway API resources or fields are partially supported or unsupported.
Who it suits
NGINX Gateway Fabric suits teams deploying Kubernetes Gateway API routing with a self-hosted NGINX data plane. It is most relevant to users who can work within its Kubernetes requirements and varying resource support.
What it does well
- Free open-source NGINX data-plane plan
- Supports HTTP, HTTPS, HTTP/2, gRPC, TCP, TLS, and UDP
- Includes documented rate limiting and request transformations
- Prometheus, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry integrations are documented
- Images support amd64 and arm64
What to know first
- Requires Kubernetes 1.32 or later for version 2.7.2
- Gateway API resource support varies
- Gateway API resources must be installed before deployment
- Some resources or fields are unsupported
Limits
The free plan is an open-source project with Kubernetes deployment, and Gateway API support varies by resource. Version 2.7.2 requires Kubernetes 1.32 or later.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| NGINX Gateway Fabric (NGINX Open Source data plane) | Open-source project · Kubernetes deployment · Gateway API support varies by resource | Free |
As docs.nginx.com lists them, read 5 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open the NGINX Gateway Fabric documentation website.
- Install the Gateway API resources in the Kubernetes environment.
- Choose installation with Helm from the OCI registry or installation from source.
- Deploy the control plane and data plane images for your architecture.
Verdict
NGINX Gateway Fabric offers a free, self-hosted path to Kubernetes Gateway API traffic management with a wide set of documented routing and security options. Check the compatibility table before relying on a particular resource or field.
Questions
How much does NGINX Gateway Fabric cost?
The NGINX Open Source data-plane plan is listed as free.
Where does it run?
It is a self-hosted Linux product designed for Kubernetes deployments.
Which protocols does it support?
The listed protocols are HTTP, HTTPS, HTTP/2, gRPC, TCP, TLS, and UDP.
Which Gateway API resources are supported?
The compatibility table includes GatewayClass, Gateway, HTTPRoute, GRPCRoute, ReferenceGrant, TLSRoute, TCPRoute, UDPRoute, and BackendTLSPolicy. Support levels vary by resource.
How can it be installed?
It can be installed with Helm from an OCI registry or from source. Gateway API resources must be installed before deployment.
Which authentication methods are documented?
The listed methods include basic authentication, JWT, OpenID Connect, and external authentication.
Facts from NGINX Gateway Fabric's own pages
- Advanced features
- NGINX Plus data plane images are provided through F5's private container registry, and the installation guide includes separate NGINX Plus and WAF deployment options. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Architecture
- It separates the control plane and data plane, and the control plane translates Gateway API resources into NGINX configuration. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- NGINX Gateway Fabric can be installed with Helm from an OCI registry or from source, and Gateway API resources must be installed before deployment. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The documentation describes monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana and tracing with OpenTelemetry collectors, including Jaeger examples. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Kubernetes compatibility
- The technical specifications list Kubernetes 1.32 or later for NGINX Gateway Fabric 2.7.2. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Notable limitation
- The compatibility documentation marks some Gateway API resources or fields as partially supported or unsupported, and notes that some may never be supported. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- NGINX Gateway Fabric implements the Kubernetes Gateway API using NGINX as the data plane for load balancing, reverse proxying, and API gateway use cases. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Routing
- The project aims to implement core Gateway API resources including Gateway, HTTPRoute, GRPCRoute, TCPRoute, TLSRoute, and UDPRoute. · github.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Security features
- The documentation covers HTTPS with cert-manager, mutual TLS, basic authentication, OpenID Connect, external authentication, and JWT authentication. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Support
- The support page directs users to GitHub issues and the NGINX Community Forum, and says users can contact F5 Sales for dedicated support or NGINX Plus features. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Supported API resources
- The compatibility table lists GatewayClass, Gateway, HTTPRoute, GRPCRoute, ReferenceGrant, TLSRoute, TCPRoute, UDPRoute, and BackendTLSPolicy, with support levels varying by resource. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Supported images
- The documented control plane and NGINX data plane images are available for amd64 and arm64 architectures. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Telemetry
- Product telemetry is collected by default once every 24 hours over HTTPS; the documentation says personally identifiable information is not collected and describes how to opt out. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Traffic features
- Documented traffic management features include HTTP routing, TLS routing, redirects and rewrites, request mirroring, session persistence, and rate limiting. · docs.nginx.com, 5 Oct 2026
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