Algernon vs Caddy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted reverse proxy & gateways options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Algernon
Small self-contained pure-Go web server with Lua, Markdown, HTTP/2,
VS
Caddy
Fast, multi-platform web server with automatic HTTPS
| Feature | Algernon | Caddy |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,023 | ★ 74,748 |
| First released | 2026 | 2015 |
| Replaces | — | Nginx, Apache |
Why pick each one
Choose Algernon if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Algernon or Caddy better?
Caddy is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Algernon if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Algernon and Caddy free and open-source?
Yes. Algernon is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Caddy under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Algernon and Caddy with Docker?
Algernon: yes. Caddy: yes.