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You have multiple choices when choosing a free load balancer to use in your workflows or when trying options to get a feel for what functionality load balancers provide. Two popular options are Progress Kemp Free LoadMaster Load Balancer and HAProxy Community Edition.
Obviously, we think that the Free LoadMaster option is the best choice for individuals and organizations looking for a free load balancer. However, HAProxy Community Edition is also a good solution. Both are good if you want a free load balancer that provides core functionality at zero cost. So, what does each offer, and why should you choose one over the other?
Load Balancer Fundamentals
Before we compare these two free load balancers, let’s briefly recap some load balancer fundamentals.
Load balancers exist to distribute network traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server gets overloaded. Doing this improves application performance and availability by preventing a single server failure from rendering an application unavailable. Modern load balancers offer additional advanced features beyond this basic functionality, such as Web Application Firewall (WAF) security, advanced authentication, TLS/SSL offloading, content-based routing, health monitoring and more.
Core Features and Capabilities
LoadMaster Free Load Balancer (abbreviated to LoadMaster Free in the remainder of this article) and HAProxy’s free version provide core load-balancing functionality. However, given that LoadMaster Free uses the same code as the commercial LoadMaster editions, it has a deep well of functionality that is available if required.
LoadMaster Free edition delivers a more robust package that combines enterprise-grade features with user-friendly management tools. Its intuitive web-based interface simplifies configuration and monitoring tasks, making it accessible to administrators across different skill levels. It also has APIs and PowerShell scripting interfaces to allow for advanced automation and incorporation into DevSecOps workflows.
LoadMaster Free includes advanced health checking, intelligent content switching and robust TLS/SSL management capabilities. See the LoadMaster Free features page to learn more. As a free version of LoadMaster, there are a few license restrictions. You can’t use it for revenue-generating websites or services, and it has a 20 Mbps Layer 7 traffic throughput restriction. These and a few others listed on the LoadMaster Free compare page are unlikely to impact anyone looking for a free load balancer. As outlined in a later section, you can upgrade LoadMaster Free to a full commercial license that removes the restrictions without reinstalling and reconfiguring any deployed instances.
HAProxy’s free version is a reliable load balancer that handles TCP and HTTP-based applications. It provides essential load-balancing algorithms, health-checking mechanisms and basic TLS/SSL termination capabilities. Its command-line interface and configuration file approach require technically savvy administrators to deploy and configure it, unlike the intuitive Free Load Balancer web interface that is accessible to people learning about load balancing.
Security Features
Security is a crucial consideration in load balancer selection. LoadMaster Free takes security seriously by incorporating enterprise-level protection technologies. It includes robust edge security features, the same Web Application Firewall (WAF) engine as the commercial LoadMaster edition, advanced TLS/SSL offloading and management, mutual TLS authentication (mTLS) support and in-depth authentication options.
These security capabilities make the LoadMaster Free Load Balancer attractive to anyone looking to build their security skills or test WAF and advanced authentication methods for their organizations. Note that the WAF in LoadMaster Free does not include the rulesets delivered with the commercial version. But you can manually set up as many rules as you want.
HAProxy Community Edition offers protection from threats like DDoS attacks. It does this by enforcing connection limits and by preventing excessive concurrent requests from overwhelming backend systems. However, it lacks a built-in WAF (the commercial editions have a WAF). HAProxy does have Access Control Lists (ACLs) to allow administrators to define precise filtering rules for blocking or allowing access requests based on IP addresses, HTTP headers or request paths.
HAProxy also supports TLS/SSL termination, enabling secure communication by offloading encryption and decryption from backend servers. It also supports mTLS, which verifies client certificates before allowing access, adding an extra layer of protection.
Deployment and Management
The LoadMaster Free edition provides a streamlined deployment process and intuitive management interface. You can have LoadMaster Free up and running within minutes, thanks to its virtual appliance format for quick download and installation, combined with the built-in guided setup wizards. This significantly reduces the time and expertise required for initial configuration and ongoing maintenance. This 42-minute video from Network Chuck deep dives into setting up LoadMaster free on a home network, but the information also applies to business deployments: https://youtu.be/LlbTSfc4biw.
The HAProxy free version follows a traditional installation process that requires command-line expertise and manual configuration. This presents a steeper learning curve for individuals and teams new to load-balancing solutions.
Performance and Reliability
LoadMaster Free edition matches the performance and reliability of its commercial siblings, as it’s running the same code. The LoadMaster range, including Free, has advanced application acceleration techniques and intelligent traffic management capabilities that enhance overall application performance. Its architecture enables consistent performance levels while simplifying the management overhead typically associated with load-balancing solutions.
HAProxy is well-known for its efficient resource utilization and ability to handle high concurrent connections with minimal overhead. Its event-driven architecture ensures stable performance even under significant load. Both solutions deliver impressive performance characteristics in their free editions.
Scalability and Upgrade Path
Some LoadMaster advantages include its clear upgrade path to commercial editions. Organizations happy with the free edition who want to move to an unrestricted commercial version can seamlessly transition to more feature-rich versions as their needs grow. You don’t need to reinstall the LoadMaster instances you are using to move them to the commercial license.
You might have to migrate the virtual machines to more powerful host hardware, but that is a virtualization software task, not a LoadMaster one. The commercial licensing options for the LoadMaster solution offer flexible terms and comprehensive support packages that align with various business requirements. See https://kemptechnologies.com/subscription/loadmaster-licensing for more details.
Migrating from HAProxy CE free to HAProxy Enterprise is more involved. You have to use a blue-green deployment strategy. This involves installing a new instance of HAProxy Enterprise on a new machine following the Linux Installation procedures. Your install team then needs to transfer the necessary contents of the existing HAProxy configuration file to the new default HAProxy Enterprise configuration file line-by-line. This is a detailed and extensive process. HAProxy outlines the complete multi-step process in their documentation.
Community and Support
LoadMaster Free Edition users gain access to our standard support resources, including in-depth documentation and essential technical assistance. The availability of commercial support options provides additional peace of mind for organizations that may require enhanced support levels in the future. There are active LoadMaster Community discussions and support groups on the Progress website.
Additionally, the G2 favorability scores for LoadMaster are an independent marker of its user satisfaction from real-world systems administrators. They consistently praise the LoadMaster solution’s reliability, feature set and support service quality.
HAProxy benefits from a large, active, open-source community with extensive documentation, troubleshooting resources and peer support through various forums and channels. This community-driven approach has helped many organizations successfully implement and maintain HAProxy deployments.
Conclusion
While both the LoadMaster solution and HAProxy CE offer load-balancing capabilities in their free editions, the LoadMaster Free edition is a compelling option for organizations seeking a robust, user-friendly solution with a clear enterprise migration pathway. Its advanced functionality, simplified management and strong security features make it particularly suitable for businesses planning for future growth and for groups or individuals looking for a feature-rich load balancer that’s management lite.
HAProxy’s free version would be an excellent choice for organizations with strong technical expertise and specific requirements that align with HAProxy’s capabilities. Its performance, reliability and community support continue to make it a respected option in the load-balancing space.
Both solutions have proven their worth in real-world deployments and the choice between them often depends on specific requirements, technical expertise, long-term strategic considerations and personal preference.
Find Out More
You can learn more and download LoadMaster Free at FreeLoadBalancer.com.