Caddy vs Caddy Docker Proxy
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
Fast, multi-platform web server with automatic HTTPS
VS
Caddy Docker Proxy
Generate Caddy reverse proxy config from Docker labels
| Feature | Caddy | Caddy Docker Proxy |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 74,748 | ★ 4,606 |
| First released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Nginx, Apache | Traefik |
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)
Frequently asked questions
Is Caddy or Caddy Docker Proxy better?
Neither is universally better. Caddy has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Caddy and Caddy Docker Proxy free and open-source?
Yes. Caddy is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Caddy Docker Proxy under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Caddy and Caddy Docker Proxy with Docker?
Caddy: yes. Caddy Docker Proxy: yes.