Unit (Deprecated)
NGINX Unit Has Been Archived
In October 2025, NGINX officially archived the NGINX Unit project and stopped all maintenance. If you're seeing this page, you're likely using our Unit-based images and wondering what to do next.
The good news: Your application will continue to work, and you have time to plan your migration. Below, we'll answer your most important questions and guide you through your options.
Common Questions
Will my application stop working immediately?
No. Your existing containers will continue to run without interruption. However:
- No security updates: NGINX Unit will not receive security patches
- No bug fixes: Any issues with Unit itself won't be resolved
- No new PHP versions: Unit may not support future PHP releases
You should prioritize your migration, but you're not in a downtime situation.
What should I migrate to?
We recommend FrankenPHP as the best alternative because it offers:
- Single-process architecture (similar to Unit's design)
- Built-in HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 support
- Active development by the PHP community
- Laravel Octane support for enhanced performance
- Better performance than traditional PHP-FPM setups
What if FrankenPHP doesn't work for me?
You have other proven options:
- FPM + NGINX - Traditional, highly scalable setup (recommended for most production apps)
- FPM + Apache - If you need
.htaccesssupport or prefer Apache - CLI - For queue workers, scheduled tasks, and CLI-only workloads
All of these variations are actively maintained and production-ready.
How urgent is this migration?
Timeline:
- Now: Unit images work but receive no updates
- Next release: Unit images will be removed from our project
Recommendation: Start planning your migration now. Don't rush, but don't delay indefinitely.
Where can I get help?
We're here to support you through this transition:
- Community Support: Post on our forum or join our Discord for migration questions
- Migration Assistance: Ask questions specific to your setup
- Documentation: Follow our comprehensive guides for each variation
Need More Information?
Explore the documentation for your chosen variation:
Each variation includes detailed configuration examples, performance tuning tips, and deployment guides.