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Software · head to head

Deno Deploy vs Nginx

Deno Deploy logo

Deno Deploy

Software

Serverless JavaScript at the edge

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Nginx logo

Nginx

Software

High-performance web server and reverse proxy

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Deno Deploy smaller ecosystem compared to AWS Lambda with fewer third-party integrations; Nginx open-source nginx has no admin API for changing arbitrary config at runtime; dynamic reconfiguration requires editing the config file and reloading via 'nginx -s reload'
  • They diverge on capability: Deno Deploy covers Edge Functions, Nginx covers High-performance web server.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Deno Deploy and Nginx actually diverge.

Attributes where Deno Deploy and Nginx differ
AttributeDeno DeployNginx
PlatformsCloud/WebWindows, macOS, Linux
Founded20212011

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Deno Deploy

  • Edge Functions
  • Deno KV
  • Automatic HTTPS
  • Global Distribution
  • Zero Config Deploy
  • Git Integration
  • Instant Rollbacks
  • Web Standard APIs

Only in Nginx

  • High-performance web server
  • Reverse proxy
  • Load balancing
  • HTTP caching
  • SSL/TLS termination
  • Gzip compression
  • Rate limiting
  • Static file serving

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Deno Deploy

  • API endpointsnot Nginx
  • Edge functionsnot Nginx
  • Static sitesnot Nginx
  • Real-time appsnot Nginx

Nginx

  • HTTP web server and static file servingnot Deno Deploy
  • Reverse proxy and load balancernot Deno Deploy
  • TLS/SSL termination (SNI, HTTP/2, HTTP/3)not Deno Deploy
  • Content cachingnot Deno Deploy
  • Kubernetes Ingress Controller backendnot Deno Deploy
  • TCP/UDP stream proxyingnot Deno Deploy

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Deno Deploy

  • Smaller ecosystem compared to AWS Lambda with fewer third-party integrations
  • Less mature than established serverless platforms; newer company and platform
  • 1GB deployment size limit may restrict larger applications
  • 512MB memory limit lower than some competitors for memory-intensive workloads
  • Smaller user base and community compared to Lambda or Netlify

Nginx

  • Open-source nginx has no admin API for changing arbitrary config at runtime; dynamic reconfiguration requires editing the config file and reloading via 'nginx -s reload'
  • No official built-in GUI or dashboard for management or live metrics in the open-source edition
  • Advanced capabilities such as active health checks, dynamic upstream reconfiguration without reload, and a full API gateway feature set are exclusive to the paid NGINX Plus product, not open-source nginx
  • No published list price for NGINX Plus on the current F5 product page; pricing requires contacting sales

Pricing, plan by plan

Deno Deploy

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1M requests/month
    • 100GB outbound bandwidth
    • 50ms CPU time per request
  • Pro$20/month
    • Unlimited requests
    • 5GB KV storage
    • Priority support

Nginx

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Web server
    • Reverse proxy
    • Load balancing

Which should you pick?

Choose Deno Deploy if

  • You need edge functions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud/Web.
  • You also want deno kv.
Deno Deploy review

Choose Nginx if

  • You need high-performance web server.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want reverse proxy.
Nginx review

Questions people ask

Is Deno Deploy or Nginx better?
Neither clearly leads. Deno Deploy starts at Free and Nginx at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Deno Deploy or Nginx?
Deno Deploy starts at Free and Nginx at Free.
Does Deno Deploy or Nginx run on more platforms?
Deno Deploy runs on Cloud/Web. Nginx runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Deno Deploy for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Deno Deploy best used for?
Deno Deploy is most often used for api endpoints, edge functions, static sites, real-time apps. Of those, api endpoints and edge functions are not what Nginx is typically brought in for.
What can Deno Deploy do that Nginx cannot?
Deno Deploy covers Edge Functions, Deno KV, Automatic HTTPS, Global Distribution. Nginx covers High-performance web server, Reverse proxy, Load balancing, HTTP caching.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Deno Deploy: What does Deno Deploy's free tier include?

Deno Deploy free tier includes 1 million requests per month, 100 GB of outbound bandwidth, 50 milliseconds of CPU time per request, 50 custom domains, 1 GiB of KV storage, and up to 5 team members.

Source
Deno Deploy: What are Deno Deploy's Pro plan features and pricing?

Deno Deploy Pro costs $20/month and removes request limits, increases KV storage to 5GB, and includes priority support. Additional storage beyond 5GB costs $0.75/GiB.

Source
Deno Deploy: What are the deployment size and memory limits for Deno Deploy?

The total size of all files within a deployment (source files and static files) should not exceed 1 gigabyte. Applications have a maximum memory allocation of 512MB.

Source
Deno Deploy: Does Deno Deploy support TypeScript natively?

Yes. Deno Deploy runs TypeScript natively with zero-configuration TypeScript support. Code can be written in TypeScript or JavaScript and runs on the same V8 engine.

Source
Deno Deploy: What security features does Deno Deploy provide?

Deno Deploy features an opt-in permission system to mitigate supply chain attacks. Permissions can be explicitly granted for file, network, and environment access, running code securely by default.

Source
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