Tinyproxy

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.