Caddy review
A focused self-hosted proxy for automatic TLS, flexible configuration, and traffic routing.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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 strongest fit is for developers and infrastructure teams that want simple HTTPS-enabled proxying without adopting a commercial software license. Broad platform support includes Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, API access, and self-hosted deployments.
Caddy’s configuration model is a notable strength for teams with different operational preferences. The human-readable Caddyfile supports approachable configuration, while JSON provides a native structured format and the RESTful administration API supports programmatic changes. The proxy also includes load balancing with active and passive health checks, WebSocket proxying with bidirectional tunnels, static file serving, compression, directory browsing, internal PKI, and compile-time plugin and module extensibility. These capabilities give it useful breadth while keeping reverse proxying at the center of the product.
Caddy is open-source and available without paid software plans. Its standard capabilities cover TLS termination, proxying, WebSockets, load balancing, and health checks, but response caching is not part of the standard distribution. Its focus is also narrower than a platform centered on web application firewalls or general request-rate limiting. Choose Caddy when self-hosting, automatic HTTPS, and configuration flexibility are priorities; consider an alternative when built-in caching or broader edge-security controls are central requirements.
Caddy pros and cons
- 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
Caddy fact sheet, pricing and score →
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