Nginx vs Caddy
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Nginx and Caddy.
Nginx Open source web server and load balancer | Caddy Automatic HTTPS load balancer and web server | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.9 (102 reviews) | 4.9 (14 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | free | free |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Best for | Every developer running web applications who wants the industry-standard load balancer and reverse proxy | Developers wanting a load balancer/reverse proxy with automatic SSL that requires minimal configuration |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | free tieropen sourceself hostable | free tieropen sourceself hostable |
| Visit Nginx → | Visit Caddy → | |
Nginx
Pros
- + 33% of all websites use it — most battle-tested
- + Handles 10,000+ concurrent connections easily
- + Reverse proxy, LB, and web server in one
Cons
- - Configuration can be complex for beginners
- - Nginx Plus (enterprise) required for some features
Caddy
Pros
- + Automatic HTTPS — no SSL configuration needed
- + Simple Caddyfile configuration
- + Built-in load balancing and reverse proxy
Cons
- - Less performance than Nginx at extreme load
- - Smaller community than Nginx
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