stackstash

Nginx vs PM2

Nginx and PM2 are free.

Nginx logo: Open-source web server, reverse proxy, and load balancer used in front of most production apps.
Nginx logo: Open-source web server, reverse proxy, and load balancer used in front of most production apps.

Nginx

Free

Open-source web server, reverse proxy, and load balancer used in front of most production apps.

Try it

Pros of Nginx

  • Free and battle-tested open source

  • Excellent reverse proxy performance

  • Huge community and examples (very popular)

  • Pairs well with Docker and VPS hosts

  • Can serve static sites on its own

Cons of Nginx

  • Config files take practice

  • You manage the server yourself

  • Advanced features need Plus or extras

  • Not a full cloud host by itself

PM2 logo: A Node.js process manager that keeps apps running, restarts on crash, and can cluster across cores.
PM2 logo: A Node.js process manager that keeps apps running, restarts on crash, and can cluster across cores.

PM2

Free

A Node.js process manager that keeps apps running, restarts on crash, and can cluster across cores.

Try it

Pros of PM2

  • Simple CLI for production Node

  • Free open-source runtime

  • Great with Nginx reverse proxies

  • Works inside Docker containers

Cons of PM2

  • Focused on Node/Bun, not every language

  • Plus monitoring is paid

  • Less of a fit if you already use Kubernetes