# Caddy

> Caddy is a free, open-source app you can self-host in the web servers & reverse proxies category. Powerful, enterprise-ready, open source web server with automatic HTTPS. It has 77,243 GitHub stars, is released under the Apache-2.0 license and ships a Docker image. It is a self-hosted alternative to Netlify.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | https://github.com/caddyserver/caddy |
| Website | https://caddyserver.com/ |
| GitHub stars | 77,243 |
| Forks | 5,079 |
| Open issues | 196 |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| License type | Open source |
| Language | Go |
| Docker image | Yes |
| Platforms | Go, deb, Docker |
| Categories | Web Servers & Reverse Proxies |
| Commits, last 12 months | 331 |
| Last commit | Oct 5, 2026 |
| Latest release | v2.11.7 (Oct 3, 2026) |
| Created | Jan 13, 2015 |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained |
| Archived | No |

Topics: go, web-server, caddyfile, http, http-server, reverse-proxy, https, tls, automatic-https, privacy

## Install

Step-by-step deploy guide: [How to self-host Caddy with Docker Compose](https://appsgit.com/guides/caddy) (beginner, about 10 minutes).

Need it installed for you? [appsgit installation help](https://appsgit.com/services/install): a fixed quote by email, single app installs from $79.

## Caddy replaces

- [Netlify alternatives](https://appsgit.com/alternatives/netlify): A hosting platform for static sites and serverless functions with Git-based deploys.

## Comparisons

- [Caddy vs Traefik](https://appsgit.com/compare/caddy-vs-traefik): Pick Caddy for the simplest config file with automatic HTTPS and a built-in file server; pick Traefik for dynamic routing that follows Docker and Kubernetes labels.
- [Caddy vs NGINX](https://appsgit.com/compare/caddy-vs-nginx): Pick Caddy for automatic HTTPS and a short, readable config; pick NGINX for maximum control, a huge ecosystem of tutorials and proven high-traffic performance.

## Similar apps in Web Servers & Reverse Proxies

- [Traefik](https://appsgit.com/apps/traefik): HTTP reverse proxy and load balancer that makes deploying microservices easy. (65,081 stars, MIT, Go, Docker)
- [Nginx Proxy Manager](https://appsgit.com/apps/nginx-proxy-manager): Docker container for managing Nginx proxy hosts with a simple, powerful interface. (34,325 stars, MIT, TypeScript, Docker)
- [NGINX](https://appsgit.com/apps/nginx): HTTP and reverse proxy server, mail proxy server, and generic TCP/UDP proxy server. (31,800 stars, BSD-2-Clause, C, Docker)
- [Pangolin](https://appsgit.com/apps/pangolin): Identity-aware tunneled reverse proxy with dashboard UI, access control, and WireGuard-based tunnels (alternative to Cloudflare Tunnel, Tailscale). (23,015 stars, AGPL-3.0, TypeScript, Docker)
- [SafeLine](https://appsgit.com/apps/safeline): Web application firewall / reverse proxy to protect your web apps from attacks and exploits. (22,706 stars, GPL-3.0, Go, Docker)
- [BunkerWeb](https://appsgit.com/apps/bunkerweb): Next-gen Web Application Firewall (WAF) that will protect your web services. (11,043 stars, AGPL-3.0, Python, Docker)
- [Zoraxy](https://appsgit.com/apps/zoraxy): General purpose HTTP reverse proxy and forwarding tool. (5,510 stars, AGPL-3.0, HTML, Docker)
- [Pomerium](https://appsgit.com/apps/pomerium): Identity-aware reverse proxy, successor to now obsolete oauth_proxy. It inserts an OAuth step before proxying your request to the backend, so that you can safely expose your self-hosted websites to… (5,026 stars, Apache-2.0, Go, Docker)

## Articles

- [Docker Compose for self-hosters: the only tutorial you need](https://appsgit.com/blog/docker-compose-for-self-hosters): Docker Compose for self-hosters: install it, then learn compose.yaml, .env files, volumes, networks, restart policies, safe updates and backups with examples.
- [How to self-host a website in 2026: static sites, WordPress, Ghost and where to put them](https://appsgit.com/blog/how-to-self-host-a-website): How to self-host a website in 2026: serve a static site with Caddy, run WordPress or Ghost in Docker, and choose between a VPS and a home server for hosting it.
- [How to start self-hosting in 2026: a beginner's roadmap (hardware, Docker, reverse proxy, backups)](https://appsgit.com/blog/how-to-start-self-hosting): How to start self-hosting in 2026: pick hardware or a VPS, install Docker, add a reverse proxy with HTTPS, reach it remotely and back it up, step by step.
- [Matrix self-hosting in 2026: Synapse vs Conduit vs Dendrite vs Tuwunel](https://appsgit.com/blog/matrix-self-hosting): Matrix self-hosting in 2026: Synapse, Conduit, Dendrite and Tuwunel compared on maturity, resources, licence and upkeep, plus federation setup and pitfalls.

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