Can it replace nginx?

[107295472]

I am currently using nginx. It is difficult to completely replace the apisix configuration. Can I switch to apisix in nginx, and then switch to the backend service in apisix?

[dosubot[bot]]

Hi @107295472! I'm Dosu and I’m helping the apisix team.

Yes, APISIX can replace NGINX for most reverse proxy, load balancing, and API gateway scenarios, and often provides more dynamic and advanced features like dynamic SSL, health checks, and plugin-based extensibility ref ref. However, APISIX does not natively serve static files or handle frontend routing for web apps (like Vue), so it's common to keep NGINX for static content and use APISIX for API/gateway routing ref.

You can run APISIX behind or alongside NGINX: NGINX can proxy API traffic to APISIX, which then routes to backend services. This lets you gradually migrate traffic and configuration, switching over APIs or domains as you adapt your setup. This hybrid approach is widely used for smooth migration ref.

APISIX and NGINX configurations are not directly interchangeable—APISIX uses a dynamic, API-driven model, while NGINX uses static config files. There’s no automatic conversion tool, so migration means adapting your logic to APISIX’s route and plugin system ref ref. Some NGINX features like per-route config snippets or advanced modules may not have direct equivalents.

If you need to handle things like domain replacement in redirects (similar to NGINX’s proxy_redirect), APISIX can do this with plugins like response-rewrite, though very complex cases may require custom plugins ref.

In summary: APISIX can replace NGINX for most gateway/proxy use cases, but static file serving and some advanced NGINX features are not covered. Running both together is a practical migration path.

To reply, just mention @dosu.

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[107295472]

OK, thanks