Caddy
Extensible web server and reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS
74.4k stars 4.8k forks last commit first released Apache-2.0
Actively maintained
Last commit 25 Jul 2026.
Caddy is a modern, extensible web server platform commonly used as an HTTPS server and reverse proxy. It automates TLS certificate provisioning and renewal by default and supports HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, and HTTP/3.
Key Features
- Automatic HTTPS with certificate issuance and renewal (ACME)
- HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, and HTTP/3 support
- Reverse proxy with load balancing, health checks, retries, and pluggable transports
- Native JSON configuration with an admin REST API for dynamic, online config changes
- Caddyfile configuration format plus config adapters for other formats
- Built-in support for internal PKI use cases (local CA, internal names and IPs)
- Modular, plugin-based architecture with statically compiled extensions
Use Cases
- Securely serve static websites and web applications with minimal TLS setup
- Act as an edge reverse proxy for microservices with health checks and load balancing
- Automate certificate management for multi-tenant and customer-domain SaaS deployments
Limitations and Considerations
- Advanced deployments (dynamic config, clustering, custom modules) may require JSON config/API familiarity
- Some capabilities depend on selecting/building the appropriate modules for your environment
Caddy is a strong fit when you want a production-grade server that simplifies HTTPS and scales to many sites. Its configuration API and modular architecture make it suitable for both simple single-host setups and automated, large-scale environments.
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