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Redirect Supply vs Nginx redirects: No config files, no reloads
Nginx handles redirects fast and reliably, with return 301 or rewrite rules in your server configuration. Every change, though, means editing a config file on the server and reloading Nginx, which takes server access and someone who knows the syntax. Redirect Supply moves redirects out of the server: whole domains, individual pages, and wildcards, managed in a dashboard, with HTTPS certificates handled automatically.
Redirect Supply vs Nginx: who can change a redirect, and how
Decision factor
Redirect Supply
Nginx redirects
Choose based on
How rules are written
A form in the dashboard, no code
return and rewrite directives in server config files
Whether anyone on your team wants to write server syntax
Making a change
Edit the rule and save
Edit the config on the server, then reload Nginx
How often your redirects change
Who can change a redirect
Anyone on your team with dashboard access
Someone with shell access to the server
Whether marketing can update links without a developer
HTTPS on the old domain
Automatic SSL on every domain, renewed for you
A certificate on the server, kept renewed
Whether you want to manage certificates at all
Hosting
None needed, just DNS records
A running server for as long as redirects must work
Paying for a server just to keep old links alive
Best fit
Rebrands, migrations, and teams without server access
Engineering teams already running Nginx for the live site
If redirects shouldn't need a developer, Redirect Supply
Why Redirect Supply
Choose Redirect Supply for redirects that stay out of your way. Every old URL lands on the right page, every domain runs on HTTPS, and nothing breaks when your website moves.
Nginx or Redirect Supply? The short answer
Keep Nginx redirects if your live site runs on Nginx, a developer owns the config, and redirects rarely change.
Switch to Redirect Supply if you're leaving that server, redirecting domains with no server behind them, or want marketers and designers to update redirects themselves. There's a free plan to start, HTTPS included.
For a migration or rebrand, that makes it a Redirect Supply job.
FAQs
Questions about Nginx redirects and Redirect Supply
How do you redirect a domain in Nginx?
Typically with a server block for the old domain containing return 301 https://newdomain.com$request_uri;, which keeps the path. In Redirect Supply, the same result is a domain rule with path forwarding, created in the dashboard without touching a server.
Should I use return or rewrite for redirects in Nginx?
For plain redirects, return is the simpler and clearer choice. rewrite uses regular expressions and suits pattern-based changes. In Redirect Supply, one-to-one moves are page rules and patterns are wildcard rules.
Do Nginx redirect changes need a reload?
Yes. Nginx's documentation states that configuration changes aren't applied until Nginx is reloaded or restarted, which requires access to the server. Changes in Redirect Supply are saved in the dashboard, with no reload step.
Does Nginx support .htaccess files?
No. .htaccess is an Apache feature, and Nginx keeps all rules in its own configuration files. If you're moving from Apache to Nginx, or away from both, see the .htaccess comparison.
Do I need to keep a server running for Nginx redirects?
Yes. The redirects only work while Nginx keeps serving the old domain, with a valid SSL certificate for HTTPS visitors. With Redirect Supply, you point the domain's DNS records to it and can shut the old server down.
Can I move my Nginx redirects into Redirect Supply?
Yes. Each return 301 line maps to a CSV row in Redirect Supply's import format. rewrite rules that cover whole folders usually become a single wildcard rule.
Have more questions?
Daniel Kouba
Founder of FREAKS
Vojtech Elias
Reflektor Studio
