Caddy Docker Proxy vs Traefik
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
Traefik
Cloud-native reverse proxy and load balancer
| Feature | Caddy Docker Proxy | Traefik |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,606 | ★ 64,330 |
| First released | 2018 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Traefik | HAProxy, AWS ELB |
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 Traefik if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 64.3k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Caddy Docker Proxy or Traefik better?
Neither is universally better. Traefik 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 Traefik free and open-source?
Yes. Caddy Docker Proxy is licensed under MIT and Traefik under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Caddy Docker Proxy and Traefik with Docker?
Caddy Docker Proxy: yes. Traefik: yes.