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Phusion Passenger

An app server that runs and manages web applications, integrating with Apache and Nginx

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Passenger is an application server that installs alongside Nginx or Apache to run and automanage web apps written in multiple languages. It handles process management, restarting crashed or hung apps, security hardening against slow client attacks and HTTP parser exploits, and performance optimization, addressing the operational burden of running and scaling web applications.

It offers polyglot deployment from a single instance, deep integration with Nginx or Apache, Docker support, and OS packages (APT, RPM). Features include turbocaching, evented I/O, multiple concurrency models, watchdog restarts, request inspection, backtrace dumps, CPU and memory stats, and live debugging via IRB, Ruby debugger, or GDB. Premium features include rolling restarts, multithreading (Ruby only), error resistance, live debugger, mass deployment, and resource limits.

Passenger is available in open source and enterprise editions, with a feature comparison table covering both alongside Unicorn and Puma. It targets developers and businesses running web apps and microservice APIs, from small side projects to business-critical applications. Installation is available via an automated installer, Rubygem, APT and YUM packages, with documentation and support resources provided.

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Ranked by how well each tool replaces Phusion Passenger: shared features, audience, price and popularity.

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