Load balancing is a process that is designed to distribute data among the to avoid overloading of servers, by seamlessly distributing data across the desperate servers to bring about redundancy and robustness.

When a server gets overwhelmed you are required to add another server resource, this is where load balancer comes in, to share traffic with the new servers. 

There are several load balancers available, but I am going to list you 14 best Open-source load balancers for your information.

1. Zevenet

Open source load balancers

Zevenet is the world’s popular and open-source load balancer today used by many businesses all over the world.

It was founded in 2012 based in Spain. Its ability to minimize response lead time and amazingly maximize throughput won the hearts of many.

Being an all-round solution-based cutting across education, telecoms, healthcare providers, retailers, financial institutions among others, has become a load balancing solution for many.

Blended with features like DDoS protection, high availability and its cutting-edge tech proves that Zevenet is reliable, stable and a future proof solution.

2. LoadMaster

LoadMaster is a product of Kemp Technologies based in NY and was founded in 2000.

LoadMaster provides high-end load balancing technologies to millions of users including well-established brands like Hyundai, BBC, Apple, Siemens, Sony among others.

It is easy to deploy, and it comes bundled with 24/7 customer support. Easy to integrate with third-party tools to boost performance and improve productivity.

3. Incapsula

Founded in the year 2009, by Imperva based in Redwood Shores, California, it is a robust and reliable load balancer used by over 3 million websites including giant brands like Hitachi, Siemens, Garmin, and others.

It is a real-time server monitor best suited for network administration because it allows real-time traffic monitoring and load balancing distribution.

4. NGINX

Open source load balancers

Founded in the year 2004, based in San Francisco California, NGINX is popular and trusted by over 400 million websites globally.

It is a high performance down to tech network administration tools plus its ability to serve millions of requests a second among other outstanding features.

Its ability to detect errors sets it apart from the crowd.

5. HAproxy

It is the leading open-source load balancer based in Waltham Massachusetts launched in 2013.

It has a huge market base with gigantic brands like Instagram, Tumblr, Github, Reddit, etc. Its core features include high security, sterling performance, and high availability.

Open source load balancers

6. SeeSaw

It is a layer 4 network load balancer, Linux based with a reliable virtual load balancer.

It is developed in Go programming language hence highly compatible with Ubuntu. Supports DSR (Client-Server Return) with two seesaw nodes, physical or virtual, used by giant company Google.

7. Neutrino

Neutrino can support the least-connection and a round-robin algorithm packed with the following features; canonical names, context-based, L4 using TCP port numbers.

It has been tested to handle over 300 requests/second throughput on a duo core VM. It has one major advantage over HAproy; L7 switching.

8. Balance

Founded by InLab Networks, is an open-source load balancer, simple but powerful, bundle with the following heart throbbing features; TCP proxy round-ribon supports IPV6 from the listening end, demonstrates all other features available on LB.

Commercial product BalanceNG software for Solaris and Linux comes with a 30 day trial period for you to test and experience balance, I bet you won’t let go! Trust me you.

8. Pen

Pen LB uses TCP and UDP products like HTTP or SMTP. It can detect and alert us on failed servers and distribute traffic to available service, a great cushioning failover trait.

Its programmable history ensures high availability and performance on the same measure and keeps track of the client-server history and redirects them to the most recently visited server to maintain a sate.

This is a feature superior in Pen as compared to randomly assigning servers, common to other LB.

9. Traefik

Traefik is a modern server proxy build in Go programming language and it supports multi-back-end servers. It monitors resources via web sockets, SSL certificates, and HTTP/2.

Open source load balancers

10.Gobetween

It is free for life open-source load balancer which is modern and a minimalist in nature, with layer 4 and a reverse proxy.

Gobetween has flexible health monitors and REST full API operates under multi-platforms OS, Linux, Windows, and Darwin.

It exhibits fast performance but not better than NGINX, truth be told!

11. Ultra Monkey

An LB purposely to create highly available internet services to the end-users.

Users may connect from anywhere with web servers that appear to them like a single server.

Ultra Monkey supports both enterprise and single end-users.

It uses Linux OS to offer a featured-wide range of solutions to small clients and large systems with high connection/second.

12. GLB Director

It is a product of Github that serves a large number of requests per second, scalable load balancing solution for bare metal datacenters. I

t is not an alternative for Haproxy and GNINX but a layer in front that attempts to reduce connection time among multiple servers.

13. Katran By Facebook

It is a Facebook load balancer that was written for obvious reasons: Facebook giant systems cannot be handled by the off-the-shelf software solutions.

Katran manages load balancing on Facebook systems to guard against overloading data.

14. Distributor

The distributor is an open-source TCP load balancer, it accepts connections from users and distributes them through an array of back end servers.

The distributor is IPV4 and IPV6 compatible. Its features include:

  • Integrated testing
  • Optimized connections
  • Online control and configuration
  • Grouping of servers with a rollover from one group to the other
  • Uses both hashing and round-robin distribution
  • TCP console access for controlling distributor online.

Conclusion

Load balancers help systems from overloading and reduce response time from servers. Although you can operate without one, there is a risk of downtime during peak time.

I recommend you consider using one, being free and open-source, it’s high time to take measures by installing one. They also come packed with other features just too good for your high availability.