With the advent of the internet, connectivity became more than anybody thought possible. People were able to talk to each other across the entire world in a way that no phone could facilitate. Websites would pop up for people to communicate, and these sites needed someone to host them, just like modern websites do. Thus was the birth of the digital age In this digital age, more and more people are online- meaning that more and more people are overloading your servers. With increased traffic, your servers and any sites, gaming servers, or cloud programs they host may experience significant downtime if the traffic is not stemmed. Enter load balancing software, designed to make traffic rerouting easy to lighten the load on your servers. With this list, you will see the best load balancing software available for your needs, whatever they may be.

Top 3 Best Load Balancing Software

  1. Cloudflare– Best Load Balancing Software for Mass Traffic and Cloud Centralization
  2. Elastic Load Balancing– Best Load Balancing Software for No-Frills Load Balancing
  3. EdgeNexus Load Balancer/ADC– Best Load Balancing Software for Easy Load Balancing

1. Cloudflare– Best Load Balancing Software for Mass Traffic and Cloud Centralization

PRICING: Starting at $5 per month

Any tech-savvy person, especially in the realm of hosting and cloud technology, knows Cloudflare. Founded in 2009, Cloudflare is an American company that is responsible for a frankly outrageous amount of the world’s most famous websites and services. Spotify, Discord, and Fiverr are just a few of the world-famous websites and services that host on Cloudflare. Cloudflare is so widely used that it accounts for an estimated 10% of all internet requests in the world. If this hasn’t sold you yet, read Cloudflare’s reviews; with three hundred reviews granting almost five stars on Capterra, website owners are huge fans of Cloudflares’ services. As the world’s leading hosting company, it would only make sense that they offer load balancing software, as well- and it’s a great one, as well. Trusted by worldwide e-commerce companies like Shopify and Doordash, or even computer giants like IBM, it’s easy to see why Cloudflare’s load balancing software is so trusted.

KEY FEATURES:

  • The system runs on Cloudflare’s powerful Authoritative DNS system
  • DDoS-resistant, with Cloudflare’s Anycast network being fifteen times larger than the largest DDoS attack ever recorded
  • Built-in detailed traffic analysis
  • Active monitoring of your pool’s health, with checks conducted as often as every ten seconds
  • Health status is notified via email and built-in API
  • Geo-based steering
  • Failover has zero downtime
  • Real-time latency maps tell you where requests are underperforming
  • Maintains session affinity by binding a user to a specific origin for the duration
  • Global and local load balancing

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Cloudflare’s powerful and seamless load balancing technology ensures your visitors are given the most pleasant browsing experience possible
  • Utilizes Cloudflare’s Load Balancing Analytics to analyze traffic trends, pre-emptively preventing bottleneck
  • The easy and in-depth infrastructure allows for quick configuration and complete setup within minutes
  • The onboarding process is extremely easy
  • A cloud-based system means you can access Cloudflare from anywhere, anytime
  • Full support staff, including 24/7 live rep and knowledge base

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • No in-person training is available
  • The initial learning curve may be rough if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for
  • Prone to “Too many redirects” error
  • Settings may be in odd places
  • Very restrictive and not open to integration

>>More: Best Threat Detection Software | Best Digital Marketing Software | Best Antivirus Software For The Dark Web | Best Data Security Software

2. Elastic Load Balancing– Best Load Balancing Software for No-Frills Load Balancing

PRICING: Free tier available, otherwise starting at $0.0125 per load balancer hour

International shipping giant Amazon is no stranger to placing itself in odd markets, whether it be food delivery or rockets to space. Internet hosting and load balancing are no exception, and should not come as a surprise; as an internet-based company that deals in just about everything, Amazon’s entry into load balancing with Elastic Load Balancing was bound to happen. With functionality as spartan and no-frills as its name, Elastic Load Balancing does exactly what it says it will do; it will balance loads. If you are looking for something with high functionality, Elastic Load Balancing will not be the load balancing software that you’re looking for. However, if you are looking for a program to balance your loads and only balance your loads, you might want to take a look at Elastic Load Balancing.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Real time health monitoring
  • SSL offload
  • SSL/TLS decryption
  • Automatic scaling
  • Provided IP address
  • Balances to multiple ports on the same instance
  • Extremely private and secure

REASONS TO BUY:

  • 750 hours free per month at the free tier
  • Can be used to create a hybrid cloud network
  • Easy data recovery
  • A large available toolset for integration

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • No free trial is available
  • Rule changing is not as open-ended as with other competitors
  • Monitoring can be improved
  • It may be expensive if not used with proper planning
  • Elastic Load Balancing has a bit of a learning curve for new users

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3. EdgeNexus Load Balancer/ADC– Best Load Balancing Software for Easy Load Balancing

PRICING: A one-time payment of $1942.50

If you’re not looking for the spartan utilitarianism of Elastic Load Balancing or the sheer size and ability of Cloudflare, then EdgeNexus’ load balancing program may be right for you. Founded in 2000, EdgeNexus is an English company that has spent a long time developing its load balancing software. EdgeNexus, previously known as JetNexus, is designed to be extremely easy to use, while simultaneously being powerful enough to balance large loads. With a broad business plan, EdgeNexus caters to anybody that requires load balancing services, even claiming that their services can be used for Skype calls. While EdgeNexus is primarily a load balancing software, it boasts a wide array of features on top of its main purpose, including security. With rave reviews, this lesser-known load balancing software is a bit of an underdog in the market, but its functionality and friendly support staff tip the scales in the favor of this exceptional load balancing software.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Authentication services
  • Automatic configuration
  • Content caching and routing
  • SSL offload
  • Reverse proxy
  • Health monitoring

REASONS TO BUY:

  • A free trial is available
  • A cloud-based system means you can access EdgeNexus from anywhere
  • In-person training is available
  • Fully capable, pleasant, and knowledgeable customer support staff, including a 24/7 live rep
  • Extremely simple interface
  • A reliable system that can be set up and then largely forgotten about
  • Can be integrated with other security programs for increased functionality
  • Easy to migrate from another service to EdgeNexus
  • With its price and functionality, EdgeNexus is perfect for a mid-to-large-sized business. Small businesses can benefit from it just as well, but may be verging into overkill territory.

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Not compatible with Mac, Linux, or Chromebook
  • No mobile compatibility
  • Does not support TACAS+ Authentication
  • Deliveries may be delayed depending on your location
  • Due to its high starting price, EdgeNexus may not be viable for some smaller businesses

» MORE: Top Cloudflare Competitors & Alternatives

References & Links

  • https://www.capterra.com/load-balancing-software/
  • https://www.g2.com/categories/load-balancing
  • https://www.cloudflare.com/load-balancing/
  • https://www.capterra.com/p/155191/Cloudflare/
  • https://www.capterra.com/p/140412/jetNEXUS-Load-Balancer/
  • https://www.edgenexus.io/products/load-balancer
  • https://www.capterra.com/p/210915/Elastic-Load-Balancing/
  • https://aws.amazon.com/elasticloadbalancing/
  • https://www.g2.com/products/aws-elastic-load-balancing/reviews

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