Caddy Docker Proxy vs Kong Gateway
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?
Caddy Docker Proxy
Generate Caddy reverse proxy config from Docker labels
VS
Kong Gateway
Cloud-native, fast, scalable API gateway
| Feature | Caddy Docker Proxy | Kong Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Lua |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,606 | ★ 43,947 |
| First released | 2018 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Traefik | AWS API Gateway, Apigee |
Why pick each one
Choose Caddy Docker Proxy if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.6k GitHub stars)
Choose Kong Gateway if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 43.9k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Caddy Docker Proxy or Kong Gateway better?
Neither is universally better. Kong Gateway has the larger community, while Caddy Docker Proxy is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Caddy Docker Proxy and Kong Gateway free and open-source?
Yes. Caddy Docker Proxy is licensed under MIT and Kong Gateway under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Caddy Docker Proxy and Kong Gateway with Docker?
Caddy Docker Proxy: yes. Kong Gateway: yes.