Caddy vs Duck DNS
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
Duck DNS
Duck DNS is a free Dynamic DNS service
| Feature | Caddy | Duck DNS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | Apache-2.0 | free |
| Language | Go | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 74,748 | ★ 375 |
| First released | 2015 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Nginx, Apache | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Duck DNS if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Written in Shell
Frequently asked questions
Is Caddy or Duck DNS 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 Duck DNS free and open-source?
Yes. Caddy is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Duck DNS under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Caddy and Duck DNS with Docker?
Caddy: yes. Duck DNS: yes.