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NGINX Gateway Fabric
What it is
NGINX Gateway Fabric is a self-hosted Kubernetes implementation of the Gateway API, using NGINX for load balancing, reverse proxying, and API gateway use cases. Its control plane translates Gateway API resources into NGINX configuration, while a separate data plane handles traffic. The project targets resources including Gateway, HTTPRoute, GRPCRoute, TCPRoute, TLSRoute, and UDPRoute; its compatibility documentation also lists GatewayClass, ReferenceGrant, and BackendTLSPolicy, with support levels that vary by resource.
Documented traffic features include HTTP and TLS routing, redirects, rewrites, request mirroring, session persistence, and rate limiting. Security documentation covers HTTPS with cert-manager, mutual TLS, basic authentication, OpenID Connect, external authentication, and JWT authentication. Prometheus and Grafana monitoring and OpenTelemetry tracing are described, including Jaeger examples. It can be installed with Helm from an OCI registry or from source, after Gateway API resources are installed. Version 2.7.2 lists Kubernetes 1.32 or later. Control plane and NGINX data plane images are available for amd64 and arm64. Telemetry is collected by default every 24 hours over HTTPS; the documentation says personally identifiable information is not collected and explains how to opt out. The project is free.
For and against
For
- Free, self-hosted Kubernetes deployment.
- Supports HTTP, HTTPS, HTTP/2, gRPC, TCP, TLS, and UDP.
- Documented traffic controls include rate limiting and request mirroring.
- Security documentation covers JWT and OpenID Connect.
- Images are available for amd64 and arm64.
Against
- Some Gateway API resources or fields are partially supported or unsupported.
- Version 2.7.2 requires Kubernetes 1.32 or later.
- Gateway API resources must be installed before deployment.
- Telemetry is collected by default every 24 hours.
The verdict
NGINX Gateway Fabric provides a free route for using NGINX with Kubernetes Gateway API resources. Compatibility varies across resources, so check the documented support level for the features needed.
Who it suits
It suits teams deploying Kubernetes Gateway API resources with NGINX as their traffic data plane. Its self-hosted model and documented support levels call for attention to deployment and compatibility requirements.
Plans and prices
NGINX Gateway Fabric (NGINX Open Source data plane)
Open-source project · Kubernetes deployment · Gateway API support varies by resource
Read 5 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- Advanced features
- NGINX Plus data plane images are provided through F5's private container registry, and the installation guide includes separate NGINX Plus and WAF deployment options.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Architecture
- It separates the control plane and data plane, and the control plane translates Gateway API resources into NGINX configuration.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- NGINX Gateway Fabric can be installed with Helm from an OCI registry or from source, and Gateway API resources must be installed before deployment.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The documentation describes monitoring with Prometheus and Grafana and tracing with OpenTelemetry collectors, including Jaeger examples.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Kubernetes compatibility
- The technical specifications list Kubernetes 1.32 or later for NGINX Gateway Fabric 2.7.2.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Notable limitation
- The compatibility documentation marks some Gateway API resources or fields as partially supported or unsupported, and notes that some may never be supported.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- NGINX Gateway Fabric implements the Kubernetes Gateway API using NGINX as the data plane for load balancing, reverse proxying, and API gateway use cases.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Routing
- The project aims to implement core Gateway API resources including Gateway, HTTPRoute, GRPCRoute, TCPRoute, TLSRoute, and UDPRoute.github.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Security features
- The documentation covers HTTPS with cert-manager, mutual TLS, basic authentication, OpenID Connect, external authentication, and JWT authentication.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Support
- The support page directs users to GitHub issues and the NGINX Community Forum, and says users can contact F5 Sales for dedicated support or NGINX Plus features.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Supported API resources
- The compatibility table lists GatewayClass, Gateway, HTTPRoute, GRPCRoute, ReferenceGrant, TLSRoute, TCPRoute, UDPRoute, and BackendTLSPolicy, with support levels varying by resource.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Supported images
- The documented control plane and NGINX data plane images are available for amd64 and arm64 architectures.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Telemetry
- Product telemetry is collected by default once every 24 hours over HTTPS; the documentation says personally identifiable information is not collected and describes how to opt out.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
- Traffic features
- Documented traffic management features include HTTP routing, TLS routing, redirects and rewrites, request mirroring, session persistence, and rate limiting.docs.nginx.com · read 5 Oct 2026
