Squid
Long-running open-source caching proxy for HTTP and HTTPS traffic.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Linux, Windows, Self-hosted
Is Squid free?
Yes, free and open source
- License:
- GPL-2.0
Checked on Squid's site Oct 30, 2026
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- Alternatives ranked
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About Squid
Squid is a caching proxy server that sits between users and the web, or in front of a website, and stores copies of frequently requested content so it can be served faster and with less bandwidth. It dates back to the Harvest cache research project of the mid-1990s and is still maintained by a small volunteer team. Schools, offices and ISPs use it as a forward proxy to cache downloads, filter or log web access and apply detailed access-control rules and authentication; websites use it as a reverse proxy or 'accelerator' in front of slow application servers. It supports ICAP and eCAP add-ons for content scanning and can intercept HTTPS with extra setup. Squid is free software under the GPL and runs on Linux, BSD and other Unix systems, and on Windows. Configuration is done in a long text file with its own syntax, which is powerful but has a steep learning curve, and for pure reverse proxying many teams now pick nginx or Varnish-style caches instead.
Best for: Network admins who need a caching forward proxy with fine-grained access control and logging.
Pros and cons
What works
- Very flexible access control, authentication and logging
- Works as both a forward proxy and a reverse-proxy accelerator
- Free software with decades of production use
Why people leave
- Configuration syntax is dense and hard to learn
- HTTP/1.1 support is described as not quite complete by the project
- Small volunteer team, so releases and docs can lag
Squid vs Privoxy and HAProxy
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
Top Squid alternatives
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Squid: common questions
What is Squid?
Squid: Long-running open-source caching proxy for HTTP and HTTPS traffic. Best for network admins who need a caching forward proxy with fine-grained access control and logging. Available for Linux and Windows, and you can host it yourself.
Is Squid free?
Yes. Squid is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.
Is Squid open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at squid-cache/squid. You can also run it on your own server.
What platforms does Squid run on?
Squid is available for Linux, Windows and Self-hosted.
What are the best alternatives to Squid?
The highest-ranked Squid alternatives right now are Privoxy and HAProxy. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
Squid vs Privoxy: what's the difference?
Both Squid and Privoxy are free and open source. Only Privoxy runs on macOS.