Softwr

Cloud · head to head

HAProxy vs Orca Security

HAProxy logo

HAProxy

Cloud

High-performance TCP and HTTP load balancer

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Orca Security logo

Orca Security

Cloud

Agentless cloud-native application protection platform for code-to-runtime security.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only HAProxy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: HAProxy configuration syntax is dense and unforgiving, with a steep initial learning curve; Orca Security no public pricing; requires a demo and custom quote from sales.
  • They diverge on capability: HAProxy covers High throughput, Orca Security covers Agentless cloud scanning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HAProxy and Orca Security actually diverge.

Attributes where HAProxy and Orca Security differ
AttributeHAProxyOrca Security
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedweb, api

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud).

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 HAProxy

  • High throughput
  • Layer 4 and 7
  • Health checking
  • Rate limiting and ACLs

Only in Orca Security

  • Agentless cloud scanning
  • Attack path analysis
  • Shadow AI detection
  • Secure code development
  • Alert prioritization
  • Workload protection

What people use each for

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

HAProxy

  • Load balancing at traffic levels where proxy efficiency shows up in the hardware billnot Orca Security
  • Precise traffic control — rate limits, sticky sessions, complex routing rulesnot Orca Security
  • TCP load balancing for databases and non-HTTP servicesnot Orca Security

Orca Security

  • Gaining full cloud asset visibility without deploying agentsnot HAProxy
  • Prioritizing cloud risk with attack path correlationnot HAProxy
  • Detecting shadow AI usage across cloud environmentsnot HAProxy
  • Scanning code, containers, and IaC before deploymentnot HAProxy
  • Reducing alert fatigue through contextual risk scoringnot HAProxy

Where each one falls short

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

HAProxy

  • Configuration syntax is dense and unforgiving, with a steep initial learning curve
  • No automatic certificate management, unlike newer servers that treat it as default behaviour
  • The built-in stats page is basic, so real observability needs exporters and dashboards
  • A dedicated load balancer is more machinery than small deployments need

Orca Security

  • No public pricing; requires a demo and custom quote from sales.
  • Agentless-only scanning may miss some runtime telemetry that agent-based tools capture.
  • Full value depends on integrating many of the platform's modules across code, cloud, and AI.
  • Primarily targeted at mid-to-large organizations with multi-cloud environments.

Pricing, plan by plan

HAProxy

Free
  • HAProxyFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Orca Security

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Orca Security review.

Which should you pick?

Choose HAProxy if

  • You need high throughput.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want layer 4 and 7.
HAProxy review

Choose Orca Security if

  • You need agentless cloud scanning.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want attack path analysis.
Orca Security review

Questions people ask

Is HAProxy or Orca Security better?
Neither clearly leads. HAProxy starts at Free and Orca Security at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HAProxy or Orca Security?
HAProxy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HAProxy and On request for Orca Security.
Does HAProxy or Orca Security run on more platforms?
HAProxy runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Orca Security runs on web, api.
Can I use HAProxy for free?
Yes. HAProxy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Orca Security starts at On request.
What is HAProxy best used for?
HAProxy is most often used for load balancing at traffic levels where proxy efficiency shows up in the hardware bill, precise traffic control — rate limits, sticky sessions, complex routing rules, tcp load balancing for databases and non-http services. Of those, load balancing at traffic levels where proxy efficiency shows up in the hardware bill and precise traffic control — rate limits, sticky sessions, complex routing rules are not what Orca Security is typically brought in for.
What can HAProxy do that Orca Security cannot?
HAProxy covers High throughput, Layer 4 and 7, Health checking, Rate limiting and ACLs. Orca Security covers Agentless cloud scanning, Attack path analysis, Shadow AI detection, Secure code development.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HAProxy: Is HAProxy free?

Yes, the community version is open source. HAProxy Technologies sells HAProxy Enterprise separately.

Orca Security: How much does Orca Security cost?

Orca Security does not publish pricing tiers or rates on their website. Organizations must contact Orca Security directly or request a demo to receive custom pricing information based on their specific use case and requirements.

Source
HAProxy: HAProxy or Nginx?

HAProxy is a specialist load balancer with deeper balancing and health-check features. Nginx also serves static content and is more approachable, which is why it is more common as a general web server.

HAProxy: Does HAProxy handle TLS certificates automatically?

No. Certificate issuance and renewal are external, unlike Caddy where it is automatic.

Share

Related pages

More on HAProxy

More on Orca Security

Keep looking

Other head to heads