SSL Passthrough vs TLS Proxy

Developers should use SSL Passthrough when backend applications need to process SSL/TLS encryption directly, such as in environments requiring client certificate authentication or when using specific SSL configurations not supported by the load balancer meets developers should use a tls proxy when they need to inspect, secure, or manage encrypted network traffic in environments like corporate networks, cloud deployments, or microservices architectures. Here's our take.

SSL Passthrough

Nice Pick

Developers should use SSL Passthrough when backend applications need to process SSL/TLS encryption directly, such as in environments requiring client certificate authentication or when using specific SSL configurations not supported by the load balancer

Pros

• It is ideal for high-security applications where end-to-end encryption must be preserved, like financial services or healthcare systems, but it increases backend server load as they handle SSL processing
• Related to: load-balancing, ssl-termination

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

TLS Proxy

Developers should use a TLS proxy when they need to inspect, secure, or manage encrypted network traffic in environments like corporate networks, cloud deployments, or microservices architectures

Pros

• It's essential for implementing security policies, debugging HTTPS issues, performing SSL/TLS offloading to reduce server load, and enabling features like caching or compression on encrypted data
• Related to: tls, ssl

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. SSL Passthrough is a concept while TLS Proxy is a tool. We picked SSL Passthrough based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

SSL Passthrough wins

Based on overall popularity. SSL Passthrough is more widely used, but TLS Proxy excels in its own space.