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Head-to-head · Reverse Proxy Software

Nginx Proxy Manager vs Caddy

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Nginx Proxy Manager #5 in Reverse Proxy Software 8.6/10 Open source ✓ 3 of 5 features Visit site
Caddy #7 in Reverse Proxy Software 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Caddy

Nginx Proxy Manager leads on 1 check, Caddy on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreNginx Proxy Manager · 8.6/10
  • Free planonly Caddy
  • Most featuresNginx Proxy Manager · 3 of 5

Nginx Proxy Manager scores higher on our rubric for reverse proxy software: 8.6 against 8.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #7.

Nginx Proxy Manager offers response caching; Caddy doesn't.

Nginx Proxy Manager is the better fit for web-based NGINX proxy administration. Caddy is the better fit for simple HTTPS-enabled self-hosted proxying.

  • Nginx Proxy Manager fits best

    Web-based NGINX proxy administration

  • Caddy fits best

    Simple HTTPS-enabled self-hosted proxying

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Nginx Proxy Manager 8.6/10 Visit ↗ Caddy 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.6 8.3
Ranking #5 in Reverse Proxy Software #7 in Reverse Proxy Software
Best for Web-based NGINX proxy administration Simple HTTPS-enabled self-hosted proxying
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Open source Free plan
Free plan Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension Self-hosted
Platforms Web, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Support Community, Docs Email, Community, Docs
Compliance 2FA PCI DSS, HIPAA
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Nginx Proxy Manager 3/5 · Caddy 2/5
TLS termination ✓ ✓
Web application firewall Not checked yet Not checked yet
Response caching ✓ (best) —
WebSocket support ✓ ✓
Rate limiting Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Deployment model Self-hosted Self-hosted
Configuration method Both Both
Our review
Pros
  • Browser-based management for hosts, redirects, streams, and 404 hosts
  • Let's Encrypt issuance and renewal plus custom SSL certificate support
  • Users, permissions, audit logging, access lists, and a REST API
  • Automatic TLS certificate provisioning and renewal
  • Load balancing with active and passive health checks
  • Caddyfile, JSON, and RESTful API configuration
Cons
  • Requires self-hosted deployment rather than a managed proxy service
  • Docker-based deployment adds infrastructure responsibility
  • Documented configuration issues affect some WebSocket setups
  • Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure management
  • Standard distribution does not include response caching
  • Focused on proxying rather than WAF or general rate limiting
Our verdict

Nginx Proxy Manager is an open-source, self-hosted reverse-proxy management application packaged as a Docker image. It is designed for people who need to expose web services on private networks while managing Nginx through a browser…

Read the review →

Caddy is an open-source, self-hosted web server and reverse proxy for websites, applications, and services. It handles HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket, gRPC, and FastCGI traffic, while automatically obtaining and renewing TLS certificates. Its…

Read the review →
  1. Nginx Proxy ManagerReverse Proxy Software 8.6Open source
  2. CaddyReverse Proxy Software 8.3Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Nginx Proxy Manager — where it wins

    • Browser-based management for hosts, redirects, streams, and 404 hosts
    • Let's Encrypt issuance and renewal plus custom SSL certificate support
    • Users, permissions, audit logging, access lists, and a REST API

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires self-hosted deployment rather than a managed proxy service
    • Docker-based deployment adds infrastructure responsibility
    • Documented configuration issues affect some WebSocket setups

  • Caddy — where it wins

    • Automatic TLS certificate provisioning and renewal
    • Load balancing with active and passive health checks
    • Caddyfile, JSON, and RESTful API configuration

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment requires infrastructure management
    • Standard distribution does not include response caching
    • Focused on proxying rather than WAF or general rate limiting
  • Nginx Proxy Manager8.6/10 · Open source

    A self-hosted Nginx manager for browser-based proxy administration.

    Visit siteFull verdict →
  • Caddy8.3/10 · Free plan

    A focused self-hosted proxy for automatic TLS, flexible configuration, and traffic routing.

    Visit CaddyFull verdict →

More comparisons

All reverse proxy software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update