Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Zeabur vs HAProxy

Zeabur logo

Zeabur

Cloud

AI-powered cloud deployment platform for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
HAProxy logo

HAProxy

Cloud

High-performance TCP and HTTP load balancer

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Zeabur free plan limited to single server with 48-hour log retention; HAProxy configuration syntax is dense and unforgiving, with a steep initial learning curve
  • They diverge on capability: Zeabur covers AI Agent, HAProxy covers High throughput.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Zeabur and HAProxy actually diverge.

Attributes where Zeabur and HAProxy differ
AttributeZeaburHAProxy
Pricing modelFixed monthly plansOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, CLILinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted
Founded2025Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Zeabur

  • AI Agent
  • Managed Servers
  • Domain and DNS Management
  • Email Service
  • AI Hub
  • Deploy Templates
  • Git Integration

Only in HAProxy

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

What people use each for

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

Zeabur

  • Deploying full-stack web applications without DevOps expertisenot HAProxy
  • Building AI agent infrastructure with integrated API accessnot HAProxy
  • Managing multi-region deployments with automated scalingnot HAProxy
  • Running containerized services with built-in domain and emailnot HAProxy

HAProxy

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

Where each one falls short

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

Zeabur

  • Free plan limited to single server with 48-hour log retention
  • Small team size may limit support and feature velocity
  • Building spec upgrades limited on lower tiers
  • Enterprise support not clearly documented

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Zeabur

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 manageable server
    • 2C4G build specs
    • 48-hour log retention
  • Dev$5/month
    • 3 manageable servers
    • 7-day log retention
    • 250 MB file uploads
  • Pro$19/month
    • 10 manageable servers
    • 4C8G build specs
    • 30-day log retention
  • Team$79/month
    • 3 included seats
    • Unlimited manageable servers
    • 90-day log retention

HAProxy

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Zeabur if

  • You need ai agent.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI.
  • You also want managed servers.
Zeabur review

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

Questions people ask

Is Zeabur or HAProxy better?
Neither clearly leads. Zeabur starts at Free and HAProxy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Zeabur or HAProxy?
Zeabur starts at Free and HAProxy at Free.
Does Zeabur or HAProxy run on more platforms?
Zeabur runs on Web, CLI. HAProxy runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
Can I use Zeabur for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Zeabur best used for?
Zeabur is most often used for deploying full-stack web applications without devops expertise, building ai agent infrastructure with integrated api access, managing multi-region deployments with automated scaling, running containerized services with built-in domain and email. Of those, deploying full-stack web applications without devops expertise and building ai agent infrastructure with integrated api access are not what HAProxy is typically brought in for.
What can Zeabur do that HAProxy cannot?
Zeabur covers AI Agent, Managed Servers, Domain and DNS Management, Email Service. HAProxy covers High throughput, Layer 4 and 7, Health checking, Rate limiting and ACLs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zeabur: What is included in the free plan?

The free plan includes 1 manageable server, 2C4G build specifications, 48-hour log retention, 50 MB file upload limit, and community support.

Source
HAProxy: Is HAProxy free?

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

Zeabur: How do additional seats work on the Team plan?

The Team plan includes 3 seats with additional seats available at $24 per seat per month.

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.

Zeabur: Is there a free trial period?

The Dev and Pro plans include 14 days free before billing begins.

Source
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 Zeabur

More on HAProxy

Keep looking

Other head to heads