# Overview

> What Apoxy is and how the major pieces fit together.

Apoxy is an open-source edge platform built on [Envoy](https://www.envoyproxy.io/), Kubernetes
API infrastructure, and QUIC tunneling. It provides three core capabilities, composed into a
single data plane:

- A fully-featured **API gateway**, configured with the Kubernetes Gateway API.
- An **edge computing runtime** for JavaScript, WebAssembly, and Go functions.
- Secure **tunneling** via QUIC and [connect-ip](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9484.html) for reaching services behind NAT.

**Apoxy Cloud** is the managed offering. It handles DNS registration, instant TLS certificates,
and built-in observability so you can focus on routing and logic instead of infrastructure.

## Deployment options

Choose the deployment model that fits your environment. All four run the same data plane and
accept the same configuration — they only differ in who manages the control plane.

### Apoxy Cloud

Fully managed control plane, anycast edge, included DNS and TLS. Recommended. [Sign in to the dashboard](https://dashboard.apoxy.dev).

### In-VPC Managed

Apoxy operates the control plane and data plane inside your own VPC — your data never leaves your network, while we handle upgrades, scaling, and on-call. [Contact sales](mailto:sales@apoxy.dev) to scope a deployment.

### Onboard a Kubernetes cluster

Mirror Gateway API (or Ingress) resources from your cluster to Apoxy via `apoxy k8s install`. See the [Kubernetes install guide](/docs/getting-started/kubernetes.md).

### Standalone binary

Single static binary. Use `apoxy dev` for local testing or `apoxy run` for standalone edge nodes. See the [Standalone setup guide](/docs/getting-started/direct.md).

## Configuration

All deployment models use the same configuration patterns:

### apoxy CLI

The `apoxy` command for quick operations and local development. See the [CLI reference](/docs/reference/cli.md).

### YAML manifests

Kubernetes-style CRDs (Proxy, Gateway, HTTPRoute, EdgeFunction). Apply with `apoxy apply -f` or `kubectl apply`. See [Core concepts](/docs/getting-started/core-concepts.md) for the resource model.

### Dashboard

Web UI for managing Apoxy Cloud projects. [Open the dashboard](https://dashboard.apoxy.dev).