3proxy vs Tinyproxy

3proxy is a free proxy server for controlling access between internal users and external resources, or between external users and internal resources. It supports HTTP and HTTPS proxying, SOCKS v4, v4.5 and v5, and FTP over HTTP. Other services include POP3 proxying, TCP and UDP port mapping, and a caching DNS proxy. Access controls can set bandwidth and traffic limits, chain proxies, and rotate logs. Logging can use files, Unix syslog, or an ODBC database, with configurable formats. When compiled with OpenSSL, 3proxy offers HTTPS proxy connections, upstream TLS with certificate authentication, and mutual TLS. Its security guidance recommends limiting access with ACLs and notes that its documented strong authentication method currently uses cleartext authentication. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted setups; Docker images are available, and Windows system-service installation is described. Release binaries are published with checksums, an OpenPGP signature, and a build provenance attestation; Docker images are signed and attested. The listed plan is free.

Tinyproxy is a free, open-source HTTP/HTTPS proxy daemon for POSIX systems, available for Linux, macOS, and self-hosted deployments. It is aimed at embedded installations and small networks where larger proxy servers consume too many resources. The project reports memory use of about 2 MB with glibc, while CPU load rises linearly as simultaneous connections increase. Tinyproxy forwards HTTPS through CONNECT without changing traffic; administrators can limit CONNECT by port or disable it. It can operate as a transparent proxy or reverse-proxy front end. Rules filter websites by URL or domain, although URL filtering works only for plain HTTP. Upstream HTTP, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5 proxies can be selected by site. Client access can be limited by address or subnet, with HTTP Basic Authentication available. Header controls do not affect HTTPS. Source compilation is required, with packages or ports listed for several systems.