Caddy Security vs Traefik Forward Auth
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted identity & sso options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Caddy Security
Authentication and authorization plugin for Caddy
VS
Traefik Forward Auth
Minimal forward authentication service for Traefik
| Feature | Caddy Security | Traefik Forward Auth |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Identity & SSO | Identity & SSO |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,213 | ★ 2,390 |
| First released | 2021 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Cloudflare Access | Cloudflare Access |
Why pick each one
Choose Caddy Security if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Traefik Forward Auth if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.4k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Caddy Security or Traefik Forward Auth better?
Traefik Forward Auth is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Caddy Security if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Caddy Security and Traefik Forward Auth free and open-source?
Yes. Caddy Security is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Traefik Forward Auth under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Caddy Security and Traefik Forward Auth with Docker?
Caddy Security: check the project docs for container support. Traefik Forward Auth: yes.