Tinyproxy
Tinyproxy is a small, efficient HTTP/HTTPS proxy daemon for POSIX systems, designed for low resource usage with access controls, filtering, and optional reverse/transparent proxying.

Tinyproxy is a lightweight HTTP/HTTPS proxy daemon for POSIX operating systems, designed to be fast and resource-efficient. It is commonly used to provide a simple forward proxy for small networks and embedded or low-spec environments.
Key Features
- HTTP proxy with HTTPS tunneling via the CONNECT method (does not modify HTTPS traffic)
- Small footprint and low CPU/memory usage, suitable for embedded deployments
- Access control lists to allow/deny clients by IP, subnet, interface, or hostname rules
- Optional URL/domain filtering (build-time option)
- Upstream proxy support with per-site rules (including the ability to null-route specific targets)
- Optional transparent proxy mode and reverse proxy mode (build-time options)
- Header management for HTTP traffic (add/insert headers) and privacy-oriented header filtering
- Built-in statistics/monitoring endpoint via a configurable “stat host”
Use Cases
- Sharing a single internet connection in a small office/home network with controlled client access
- Deploying a minimal forward proxy on routers, appliances, or low-resource servers
- Enforcing simple outbound web access policies (ACLs, filtering, upstream routing)
Limitations and Considerations
- HTTPS is only tunneled (CONNECT); it cannot filter or rewrite encrypted content
- Some capabilities (filtering, upstream, reverse, transparent modes) may require specific build-time options and network/firewall configuration
Tinyproxy is a practical choice when you need a straightforward HTTP/HTTPS proxy with basic policy controls and minimal overhead. Its simple design makes it easy to operate and customize for constrained environments and small-network scenarios.
