Side by side
Envoy Proxy vs Pomerium
Both stand on reverse proxy software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxMac+2
Envoy Proxy offers broad traffic management and security capabilities for edge and service-to-service use. Operators should plan to configure resource protections, and note that HTTP/3 is identified as alpha.
Visit Envoy Proxy Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+3
Pomerium provides clientless, identity-aware access with checks on user, device, and request context. Its free plan has defined user and route limits; Business adds higher listed capacities for an annual-billed monthly price.
Visit PomeriumThe facts
| Envoy Proxy | Pomerium | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Yes |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Zero Business (annual): $7 a month |
| Plans published | 1 | 7 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | envoyproxy.io | pomerium.com |
| On reverse proxy software | #7 of 33 | #3 of 33 |
Envoy Proxy: what it does well
- Free and open-source.
- Supports routing, retries and outlier detection.
- Provides statistics and distributed tracing integrations.
- Compatible with Envoy Gateway and Istio control planes.
- Docker, Homebrew and static binary installation options.
What to know first
- HTTP/3 is described as alpha.
- Operators must configure resource protections for availability resilience.
- Deployment is self-hosted.
Pomerium: what it does well
- Access checks include identity, device state, and request context.
- Supports HTTP, SSH, gRPC, TCP, and UDP scenarios.
- Authenticates with OpenID Connect identity providers.
- Sensitive databroker data is encrypted at rest.
- Free Personal plan lists 10 users.
What to know first
- Business is $7 a month, billed annually.
- Personal Free is limited to 10 routes.
- Downstream TLS minimum is TLS 1.2.
Alternatives to Envoy Proxy Alternatives to Pomerium The whole list

