What is the nftlb project? #

The nftlb (Netfilter Load Balancer) project is an open-source Network Load Balancer, Linux-based software load balancer that utilizes the Netfilter framework and the nftables subsystem for high-performance Layer 4 load balancing. It is designed to provide efficient traffic distribution and scalability for applications while taking full advantage of the Linux kernel’s networking capabilities.

Key Features of nftlb #

1. High Performance: Built directly on nftables, which is optimized for packet filtering and network address translation (NAT) in the Linux kernel. Achieves significant packet processing throughput with low latency.
2. Layer 4 Load Balancing: Operates at the transport layer (TCP/UDP), allowing it to distribute traffic efficiently based on various algorithms such as round-robin, least connections, or hash-based methods.
3. Dynamic Configuration: Allows dynamic configuration of load-balancing rules without restarting the service. Administrators can manage and modify rules using the nftables command-line interface or APIs.
4. Open Standards and Lightweight: Fully open source and integrates natively with Linux, avoiding the need for additional kernel modules. Leverages existing Netfilter and nftables infrastructure, making it resource-efficient.
5. Integration with Netfilter Ecosystem: Since it uses nftables, it seamlessly integrates with other Netfilter-based tools like firewalls and packet filtering mechanisms.
6. IPv4 and IPv6 Support: Fully compatible with both IPv4 and IPv6, ensuring it can handle modern networking environments.

Typical Use Cases #

• High-performance Layer 4 load balancer for web servers, databases, or other services requiring distributed traffic management.
• Replacement for legacy iptables-based load balancers.
• Lightweight load balancing solution for Linux environments where kernel-level performance is critical.

nftlb User Resources #

nftlb source code official repository #

Official source code git repository can be found at: https://github.com/relianoid/nftlb

nftlb support user list #

Official community support at http://netfilter.org/mailinglists.html#ml-user or https://www.relianoid.com/resources/community-support

nftlb installation packages #

Installation packages can be found at https://repology.org/project/nftlb/versions

nftlb is available in the following distros:

• Alpine Linux Edge
• Alpine Linux 3.21
• Alpine Linux 3.19
• Debian 13
• Debian 12
• Debian 11
• Debian 10
• Debian Unstable
• Devuan 4.0
• Devuan 3.0
• Devuan Unstable
• Gentoo
• Kali Linux Rolling
• LiGurOS stable
• LiGurOS develop
• openSUSE Leap 15.5
• openSUSE Leap 15.6
• openSUSE Tumbleweed
• Pardus 21
• Parrot
• PureOS amber
• PureOS byzantium
• PureOS landing
• Raspbian Oldstable
• Raspbian Stable
• Raspbian Testing
• Trisquel 10.0
• Trisquel 11.0
• Ubuntu 20.04
• Ubuntu 22.04
• Ubuntu 24.04
• Ubuntu 24.10
• Ubuntu 25.04

nftlb Licensing Terms #

The nftlb project is released under the GNU Affero General Public License Version 3.

Other nftlb Documentation Resources #

What is nftlb?
nftlb benchmarks and performance keys
nftlb changelog
nftlb developers guide