Hitch
The Hitch proxy handles TLS connections for Varnish and is described by its project as open source.
About Hitch
Hitch is an SSL/TLS proxy that handles TLS connections for Varnish installations. The Hitch project describes it as a scalable, libev-based proxy and as the successor to the Stud project. According to the homepage, it is designed to handle tens of thousands of connections on multicore machines and allows TLS both in front of and behind Varnish.
Hitch supports TLS 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2, and SNI with or without wildcard certificates. The homepage states it can handle up to 15,000 listening sockets and 500,000 certificates. The project is licensed under the 2-clause BSD license and has been tested on Linux, with other *nixes described as compatible. Varnish Software provides commercial support for Hitch under its current Varnish solution suites. Pricing is not stated on the homepage.
Key features
- Handles TLS connections for Varnish installations as an SSL/TLS proxy
- Support for TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1 and TLS 1.2
- SNI support, with and without wildcard certificates
- Support for HAproxy's PROXY protocol
- Up to 15,000 listening sockets and 500,000 certificates
- Run-time reloads of certificates and listen endpoints
Best for: Varnish Software users who want to protect web traffic, are concerned about vulnerabilities in other open source or third-party offerings, and cannot afford costly third-party security services.
Good for
- Designed to handle tens of thousands of connections on multicore machines
- Licensed under the 2-clause BSD license as open source software
- Described as faster, smaller and single-purpose compared with its predecessor, Stud
Watch out for
- Has been tested on Linux; other *nixes are described as compatible but testing is not stated
- Commercial support is offered under Varnish Software's current solution suites
Hitch at a glance
- Category
- Privacy & Security › Security Tools
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Linux, Web
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
Guides for Security Tools
Hitch alternatives
Tools and sites you could use instead, ranked by how closely they match.
Terminate TLS connections through Hitch, a scalable TLS proxy from Varnish Software.
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Spur analyzes internet infrastructure and network signals to help investigators interpret obfuscated connections.
Manage two-factor authentication codes with OTP Auth, an iOS app listed on the App Store.
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Hitch FAQ
What license is Hitch released under?
The homepage states that Hitch is open source software licensed under a 2-clause BSD license.
Is commercial support available for Hitch?
Varnish Software provides support for Hitch for commercial use under its current Varnish solution suites.
Which operating systems has Hitch been tested on?
Hitch has been tested on Linux. The homepage says it is compatible with other *nixes.
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