Community Edition is the open source load balancer from SKUDONET, designed for engineers and administrators who need traffic control without relying on costly or complex solutions.
Built on Debian 12.8, it provides a stable and secure operating system with performance far above what is typical in free software:
- Up to 250,000 TCP requests per second (L4)
- Up to 70,000 HTTPS requests per second (L7)
It is 100% free, fully open source, and compatible with Linux and Windows server environments.
For technical users looking for an open source load balancer with a Web GUI, easy to deploy and free of extra dependencies, this edition is an ideal starting point.
A Load Balancer with a GUI: traffic control without complexity
Most open source load balancers require manual configuration, editing text files, or navigating a steep learning curve. This is where SKUDONET Community Edition stands out.
The software includes a full Web GUI that allows you to:
- Configure farms and services without touching the CLI
- View backend health and real-time status
- Adjust L4/L7 traffic distribution policies visually
- Manage SSL/TLS certificates directly from the interface
- Enable blocklists, basic DDoS protection, and simple filtering rules
This makes it highly accessible—even for small teams that need immediate results without spending hours reading advanced documentation.
Technical Capabilities: Built-in WAF
From a technical perspective, SKUDONET CE includes features typically found only in commercial products:
1.L4 Load Balancing (NAT, DNAT, Stateless NAT, DSR)
Handles large volumes of TCP/UDP connections with minimal overhead.
2.L7 Load Balancing (Reverse Proxy)
Designed for web applications, APIs, and HTTP/HTTPS services.
3.Reverse Proxy with SSL/TLS support
Enables SSL termination directly in the load balancer.
4.Backend health checks
Ensures traffic is sent only to available backend servers.
5.Full Web GUI
A visual interface for managing all components without CLI.
6.REST JSON API
Full automation for CI/CD pipelines, hybrid infrastructures, or external integrations.
7.IPv6, dual stack, routing, and SD-WAN support
Suitable for modern and distributed network architectures.
8.Built-in essential security functions (including WAF)
Beyond traffic distribution, SKUDONET Community Edition includes fundamental security mechanisms:
- Source-based blocking rules
- Blocklists
- Basic DDoS protection
- A built-in basic Web Application Firewall (WAF) with fundamental rules
It is not a deep-inspection system like the Enterprise Edition, but it provides an initial layer of protection useful for development environments and small deployments. And if your infrastructure later requires deeper traffic inspection, advanced clustering, or professional support, you can migrate to SKUDONET Enterprise Edition, designed for critical environments.
Where to download SKUDONET Community Edition
SKUDONET Community Edition is distributed for free through SourceForge, where you can download the ISO or installation packages for your test or development environment.
