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imgproxy vs Normal Map Online

Imgproxy is a self-hosted image processing service, not an in-browser map generator.

Short answer: Pick imgproxy if you want on-premise, high-performance image processing; pick Normal Map Online if you want browser-based normal map generation. imgproxy has a free plan; Normal Map Online is free.

Which to pick

Pick imgproxy if you want…

  • On-premise, high-performance image processing
  • Server-side image resizing and transformation
  • Integrations with Docker, Linux packages or Amazon S3 (on imgproxy's list, not Normal Map Online's)

Pick Normal Map Online if you want…

  • Browser-based normal map generation
  • A free, open-source tool
  • Integrations with Unity, Unreal Engine or Aseprite (on Normal Map Online's list, not imgproxy's)

Side by side

What it is
imgproxy:imgproxy is a self-hosted image processing server that resizes, optimizes and transforms images on the fly.
Normal Map Online:Normal Map Online generates normal, displacement, AO and specular maps from height maps, textures or photos directly in the browser.
Best for
imgproxy:On-premise, high-performance image processing
Normal Map Online:Browser-based normal map generation
Who it’s for
imgproxy:Web developers and DevOps teams needing fast, secure image handling on their own infrastructure.
Normal Map Online:Game developers, 3D artists and anyone needing texture maps for Unity or other 3D engines.
Pricing
imgproxy:Freemium
Normal Map Online:Free
Starting price
imgproxy:—
Normal Map Online:Free
Free plan or trial
imgproxy:Free trial
Normal Map Online:Free to use
Open source
imgproxy:Yes, 11,098 GitHub stars
Normal Map Online:Yes
Works with
imgproxy:Docker, Linux packages, Amazon S3, MinIO, Cloudflare R2, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, Prometheus
Normal Map Online:Unity, Unreal Engine, Aseprite, WebGL

imgproxy features

  • On-the-fly resizing & cropping. Resize, crop, fill and rotate images via URL parameters without pre-generating variants.
  • Advanced optimization. Strip metadata, apply PNG quantization, advanced JPEG/WebP compression and SVG minification.
  • Smart AI features. Smart crop, object detection, auto-quality by file size or SSIM, and best-format selection.
  • Watermarking & filters. Add image or text watermarks, shadows, blurs, sharpening, color adjustments and gradients.
  • Security controls. URL signing, request authorization, image-bomb protection and SVG sanitization.
  • Extensive source support. Fetch images from HTTP(S), local files, S3, GCS, Azure Blob, MinIO, Cloudflare R2 and OpenStack Swift.

Normal Map Online features

  • Local processing. All conversions run in the browser with WebGL, so images never leave the device.
  • Multiple map types. Creates normal, displacement, ambient occlusion and specular maps from a single input.
  • Real-time 3D preview. Shows an adjustable 3D model preview with the generated maps applied.
  • Batch mode. Process several height maps at once with shared settings.
  • Photo-based generation. Generate normal maps from four photos taken under different lighting directions.
  • Unity compatibility. Outputs Unity-ready normal maps with correct tangent-space encoding.

imgproxy vs Normal Map Online FAQ

What is the difference between imgproxy and Normal Map Online?+

Imgproxy is a self-hosted image processing service, not an in-browser map generator.

Should I use imgproxy or Normal Map Online?+

Pick imgproxy if you want on-premise, high-performance image processing, server-side image resizing and transformation or integrations with Docker, Linux packages or Amazon S3 (on imgproxy's list, not Normal Map Online's). Pick Normal Map Online if you want browser-based normal map generation, a free, open-source tool or integrations with Unity, Unreal Engine or Aseprite (on Normal Map Online's list, not imgproxy's).

Is imgproxy or Normal Map Online free?+

imgproxy has a free plan and paid plans. Normal Map Online is free.

Is imgproxy or Normal Map Online open source?+

Yes, both are open source: imgproxy (imgproxy/imgproxy on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license) and Normal Map Online.

Do imgproxy and Normal Map Online integrate with the same tools?+

Their integration lists don't overlap: imgproxy lists Docker, Linux packages, Amazon S3, MinIO and 6 more; Normal Map Online lists Unity, Unreal Engine, Aseprite and WebGL.

On DevHunt

imgproxy

95 upvotes · Launched on DevHunt on Feb 20, 2024

Normal Map Online

1 upvote · Launched on DevHunt on Aug 25, 2026

Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.