Caddy vs Apache Traffic Server
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
Apache Traffic Server
Fast, scalable caching proxy server
| Feature | Caddy | Apache Traffic Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 74,748 | ★ 1,972 |
| First released | 2015 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Nginx, Apache | Varnish, Squid |
Why pick each one
Choose Apache Traffic Server if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is Caddy or Apache Traffic Server better?
Caddy is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Apache Traffic Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Caddy and Apache Traffic Server free and open-source?
Yes. Caddy is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Apache Traffic Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Caddy and Apache Traffic Server with Docker?
Caddy: yes. Apache Traffic Server: yes.