imgproxy vs Thumbor
Self-host pick — both replace Cloudinary (Image / video CDN + on-the-fly transformation).
Both imgproxy and Thumbor self-host as a replacement for Cloudinary (Image / video CDN + on-the-fly transformation). Pick imgproxy if you want most use cases — fastest single-binary image processor, near-perfect feature parity with Cloudinary's transformation surface; pick Thumbor if you want teams who want smart-crop / face detection / feature detection as first-class — Thumbor pioneered this category. Both are MIT-family licensed and similar to set up.
| imgproxyopen-source | Thumboropen-source | |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Setup time | 5min docker run | 10min docker run |
| Monthly cost | $5-15/mo VPS for the proxy; storage and CDN bill separately. | $5-15/mo VPS. |
| GitHub | imgproxy/imgproxy | thumbor/thumbor |
| Replaces | Cloudinary | Cloudinary |
Good fit for
imgproxy
Most use cases — fastest single-binary image processor, near-perfect feature parity with Cloudinary's transformation surface.
Weak at:No upload/management UI; you push images to S3 yourself. Video transformation requires the Pro edition.
Thumbor
Teams who want smart-crop / face detection / feature detection as first-class — Thumbor pioneered this category.
Weak at:Python stack with more moving parts than imgproxy; less throughput per CPU on heavy transforms.
In a terminal? npx -y github:SolvoHQ/os-alt-cli cloudinary prints Cloudinary's self-host options including both —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which is easier to self-host, imgproxy or Thumbor?
imgproxy: 5min docker run. Thumbor: 10min docker run.
What does each cost to run?
imgproxy: $5-15/mo VPS for the proxy; storage and CDN bill separately.. Thumbor: $5-15/mo VPS.. Both projects are free and open source.
Do imgproxy and Thumbor replace the same SaaS?
Yes — both are open-source alternatives to Cloudinary.