Side by side

Pingora vs Varnish Cache

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.

Varnish Cache combines memory-based response caching with configurable policies, TLS support, and tools for logging and metrics. Check supported releases and assess whether your application needs configuration changes to reach its desired cache hit rate.

Visit Varnish Cache

The facts

	Pingora	Varnish Cache
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux, Mac, Windows	Linux, Self-hosted
Lowest paid plan	Not published	Free or on request
Plans published	None	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	github.com	varnish.org
On reverse proxy software	#28 of 33	#24 of 33

Pingora: what it does well

Varnish Cache: what it does well

Free plan listed as free
VCL caching policies compile to native code
Supports in-process TLS termination and dynamic backends
Official container images and Kubernetes Helm chart
Includes structured logs and metrics tools

What to know first

Applications may need changes for a high cache hit rate
Unlisted releases are end-of-life and unsupported
Does not cache data unless it can determine caching is safe

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