Pangolin

Self-Hosted

Lightweight, high-performance open-source web server

Overview

Pangolin is a modern, resource-efficient web server built for self-hosted environments. It supports HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, and TLS 1.3, with a low memory footprint and fast request handling. Ideal for serving static sites, APIs, or reverse proxying to backend services. Deployment is straightforward via precompiled binaries (for Linux, macOS, Windows) or Docker containers, using simple YAML configuration files. It includes gzip/brotli compression, rate limiting, and access logging, making it suitable for small personal projects and medium-scale applications alike.

Self-Hosting Resources

Find Official Image on Docker Hub View Source & Docs

Below is a reference structure for docker-compose.yml. ⚠️ Do NOT run blindly. Replace placeholders with official values.

docker-compose.template.yml TEMPLATE


version: '3'
services:
  pangolin:
    image: <OFFICIAL_IMAGE_NAME>:latest
    container_name: pangolin
    ports:
      - "8080:<APP_INTERNAL_PORT>"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Key Features

HTTP/2 & TLS 1.3 support
Low memory footprint & high performance
Simple YAML configuration
Reverse proxy & static file serving

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is Pangolin hard to install?

No—Pangolin can be set up via precompiled binaries or Docker containers. Its YAML config files are simple, so even beginners can launch a basic server (e.g., static files) in minutes.

? Is it a good alternative to Microsoft IIS?

Yes—if you want open-source control and efficiency. It lacks IIS's enterprise features (like .NET integration) but excels at lightweight serving for static content, APIs, and reverse proxy tasks.

? Is it completely free?

Absolutely—Pangolin uses the MIT License, so it’s free to use, modify, and distribute for personal or commercial purposes with no subscription fees.

Top Alternatives

Microsoft IIS Search Google

Oracle HTTP Server Search Google

Tool Info

Pricing Open Source

Category Web Servers

Platform Self-Hosted

Pros

⊕ Resource-efficient for low-spec servers
⊕ Easy to deploy (binaries/Docker)
⊕ Modern web protocol compatibility

Cons

⊖ Less mature than enterprise servers like IIS
⊖ Limited enterprise features (e.g., advanced auth)
⊖ Smaller community vs Apache/Nginx