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Web Servers & Reverse Proxies comparison

Caddy vs NGINX: which should you self-host in 2026?

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.

Both are open source and run on your own server. Below: a side-by-side of license, stack and features, live GitHub activity, and our verdict on who should pick which.

Caddy

caddyserver/caddy

77k GitHub starsLast commit Oct 5, 2026

Powerful, enterprise-ready, open source web server with automatic HTTPS.

  • Apache-2.0
  • Go
  • Docker
  • Actively maintained
Caddy detailsDeploy guide

NGINX

nginx/nginx

32k GitHub starsLast commit Sep 30, 2026

HTTP and reverse proxy server, mail proxy server, and generic TCP/UDP proxy server.

  • BSD-2-Clause
  • C
  • Docker
  • Actively maintained
NGINX details

Head-to-head

Caddy vs NGINX, side by side

Hand-checked differences first, then live numbers from GitHub, refreshed with every catalog update.

Caddy compared with NGINX
AspectCaddyNGINX
LicenseApache-2.0BSD-2-Clause (NGINX Plus is a separate commercial product)
Language/stackGo, memory-safe single binaryC, event-driven worker processes
Standout featuresAutomatic HTTPS, HTTP/3, JSON admin API for live config changesMature caching, load balancing, rate limiting and a large module ecosystem
TLS setupBuilt in: certificates issued and renewed automaticallyManual: typically paired with Certbot or another ACME client
Learning curveLow: a reverse proxy can be two linesModerate: verbose config blocks and directives to learn
GitHub stars77,24331,800
Commits, last 12 months331283
Last commitOct 5, 2026Sep 30, 2026
Latest releasev2.11.7Oct 3, 2026release-1.31.6Sep 15, 2026
Main languageGoC
Official Docker imageYesYes
Repositorycaddyserver/caddynginx/nginx

Swipe the table sideways to see both apps. GitHub figures come from the public API. Highlighted values are the higher of the two.

Verdict

Caddy is the faster path to a secure site: certificates are obtained and renewed automatically and configs stay short. NGINX remains the industry standard with fine-grained tuning, a vast module and documentation ecosystem, and is what most hosting tutorials assume.

Best for

Choose Caddy for

Small teams and homelabs that want HTTPS with minimal config.

Best for

Choose NGINX for

High-traffic production sites and teams that need fine-grained tuning.

Deploy either in minutes

Not sure yet? Spin up a small VPS or a managed instance, try both for a week, and keep the one that fits.

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FAQ

Caddy vs NGINX: FAQ

Still curious? Email info@appsgit.com.

Is Caddy slower than NGINX?

NGINX is generally considered faster at extreme loads, but for most self-hosted apps both are far from being the bottleneck.

Does NGINX do automatic HTTPS?

Not by default. You add an ACME client such as Certbot, or use a wrapper like Nginx Proxy Manager. Caddy does it automatically.

Can I switch from NGINX to Caddy?

Yes. Most reverse proxy and static site configs translate into a much shorter Caddyfile, though advanced NGINX modules may have no direct equivalent.

Which is more popular on GitHub, Caddy or NGINX?

Caddy has 77,243 GitHub stars against 31,800 for NGINX. Over the last twelve months Caddy received 331 commits and NGINX received 283, so Caddy is the more actively developed of the two right now. Stars measure interest, not fit, so weigh them against the differences above.

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