nginx (pronounced "engine x" ɛndʒɪnˈɛks/ EN-jin-EKS, stylized as NGINX) is a web server that can also be used as a reverse proxy, load balancer, mail proxy and HTTP cache. The software was created by Russian developer Igor Sysoev and publicly released in 2004. nginx is free and open-source software, released under the terms of the 2-clause BSD license. A large fraction of web servers use nginx, often as a load balancer.
A company of the same name (Nginx, Inc.) was founded in 2011 to provide support and NGINX Plus paid software. In March 2019, the company was acquired by F5 for $670 million.
As of April 2025, W3Tech's web server count of all web sites ranked nginx first with 33.8%. Apache was second at 26.4% and Cloudflare Server third at 23.4%. As of March 2020, Netcraft estimated that nginx served 20.11% of the million busiest websites with Cloudflare a little ahead at 22.99%. Apache at 17.83% and Microsoft Internet Information Services at 4.16% rounded out the top four servers for the busiest websites. Some of Netcraft's other statistics show nginx ahead of Apache.
What is nginx?
nginx by nginx (developed by Maxim Dounin) is open-source Windows software in the vpn & proxy category. It ranks 2nd by popularity among vpn & proxy in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2004. It is written in C. Besides Windows, it is available for Unix-like operating system.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit Windows. The main installer is 2.8 MB. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.31.8, released on October 21, 2026. The version history goes back to October 2, 2024: 24 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 12 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 286,507 times. The source code on GitHub (nginx/nginx) has 31,928 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 30 of our languages. Similar programs include OpenVPN, Proton VPN and Tailscale.
Project description on GitHub: “The official NGINX Open Source repository.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Frequent updates (about 12 a year)
- Small download (2.8 MB)
- Also runs on Unix-like operating system
- Large user base
- Mature project (since 2004)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: nginx is an open-source vpn & proxy tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained.
Is nginx safe to download?
- The file is served by nginx.org, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
FBB1501009BE34655CC238D460714CF20391B639013F4C73859813D7938783FD· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the nginx/nginx repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- Security policy10
- No dangerous workflows10
- No binaries in the repository10
- Fuzzing10
- Licence declared10
- Restricted token permissions9
- Signed releases8
- Code review6
- Branch protection6
- Pinned dependencies4
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Static code analysis0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 24 versions ›24 versions over 2 years · about 12 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.31.8Latest | October 21, 2026 | 2.8 MB | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.31.7 | October 1, 2026 | 2.8 MB | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.31.6 | September 15, 2026 | 2.8 MB | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.31.5 | September 2, 2026 | 2.8 MB | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.31.4 | August 19, 2026 | 2.8 MB | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.31.3 | July 15, 2026 | 2.8 MB | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.31.2 | June 17, 2026 | 2.8 MB | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.31.1 | May 22, 2026 | 2.8 MB | 64-bit ZIP |
Release cycle and support
Version 1.31.8 belongs to the 1.31 release line, still supported, with no end date announced.
| Release line | Released | Support ends | Latest version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.31 | May 13, 2026 | not announced | 1.31.8 | Supported |
| 1.30 | April 14, 2026 | not announced | 1.30.6 | Supported |
| 1.29 | June 24, 2025 | May 13, 2026 | 1.29.8 | End of life |
| 1.28 | April 23, 2025 | April 14, 2026 | 1.28.3 | End of life |
| 1.27 | May 28, 2024 | June 24, 2025 | 1.27.5 | End of life |
| 1.26 | April 23, 2024 | April 23, 2025 | 1.26.3 | End of life |
| 1.25 | May 23, 2023 | May 29, 2024 | 1.25.5 | End of life |
| 1.24 | April 11, 2023 | April 23, 2024 | 1.24.0 | End of life |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id nginxinc.nginx -echoco install nginx -yscoop install main/nginxRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install nginxInformation
- Publisher
- nginx
- Developer
- Maxim Dounin and Igor Sysoev
- Category
- VPN & proxy
- Licence
- BSD-2-Clause
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/nginx/nginx
- Written in
- C
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Other platforms
- Unix-like operating system
- Version
- 1.31.8
- Released
- October 21, 2026
- First release
- 2004
- Added to the catalogue
- November 18, 2024
- Versions listed
- 24
- Updates / year
- 11.7
- Chocolatey downloads
- 286,507
- GitHub stars
- 31,928
- GitHub forks
- 8,294
- Website
- nginx.org
- winget ID
- nginxinc.nginx
- Chocolatey package
- nginx
- Scoop package
- main/nginx
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is nginx free?
Yes. nginx is open-source software under the BSD-2-Clause licence.
Is nginx safe to download?
The download comes from nginx.org, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install nginx with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Does nginx run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of nginx?
The versions page lists all 24 versions with links to their official installer files, back to October 2, 2024.
Can I use nginx without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to nginx?
OpenVPN, Proton VPN, Tailscale, Netbird and v2rayN. The alternatives page compares them.
