Nginx Proxy Manager vs Caddy

Quick Verdict

Caddy is the better choice for most self-hosters who are comfortable editing a config file. It uses less memory, starts faster, and automatic HTTPS requires zero configuration. Choose Nginx Proxy Manager if you want a point-and-click web UI and never want to touch a config file — NPM is genuinely easier for people who prefer GUIs over text editors.

Overview

Nginx Proxy Manager (NPM, v2.13.7) wraps Nginx in a web UI for managing reverse proxy hosts, SSL certificates, redirections, and access lists. You create proxy hosts through a form, toggle SSL on with a checkbox, and NPM generates the Nginx config behind the scenes. No config files to write.

Caddy (v2.9) is a web server and reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS as its core feature. Configuration uses the Caddyfile, a minimal text format where adding a new proxied service takes two lines. Caddy handles certificate provisioning, renewal, and OCSP stapling automatically.

Both solve the same problem — route traffic to your self-hosted services with HTTPS. NPM does it through a GUI. Caddy does it through a config file. The fundamental tradeoff is simplicity of management (NPM) versus simplicity of the tool itself (Caddy).

Feature Comparison

Feature	Nginx Proxy Manager (v2.13.7)	Caddy (v2.9)
Configuration method	Web UI (forms and toggles)	Caddyfile (text) or JSON API
Automatic HTTPS	Yes — toggle per host	Yes — automatic for all sites, zero config
Let’s Encrypt challenges	HTTP, DNS	HTTP, TLS-ALPN, DNS
Wildcard certificates	Yes — via DNS challenge	Yes — via DNS challenge
HTTP/2	Yes	Yes
HTTP/3 (QUIC)	No	Yes
WebSocket support	Yes — toggle per host	Yes — automatic
Access control lists	Yes — built-in IP and password auth	Via plugins or Caddyfile directives
Custom Nginx config	Yes — advanced tab per host	N/A (not Nginx-based)
Static file serving	Yes (via custom config)	Yes — native, first-class
TCP/UDP forwarding	Yes — stream hosts	Yes — Layer 4 module
API for automation	No	Yes — comprehensive admin API
Multi-user support	Yes — multiple admin accounts	No built-in multi-user
Underlying engine	Nginx	Custom Go HTTP server
Config-as-code	No — stored in SQLite database	Yes — Caddyfile is a plain text file
License	MIT	Apache 2.0

Installation Complexity

NPM is slightly easier for absolute beginners. Deploy the container, open port 81, and log in with the default credentials. Everything from there is point-and-click. No config files to create. The tradeoff: your proxy configuration lives inside NPM’s SQLite database, not in a file you can version-control.

Caddy requires creating a Caddyfile before starting the container. But the format is remarkably simple:

app.example.com {
    reverse_proxy container:8080
}

That is the entire config for a proxied service with HTTPS. No entry points, no certificate resolvers, no toggles. If you can write two lines in a text file, you can use Caddy.

Both take under 5 minutes to deploy. NPM has a lower floor (no text editing at all), but Caddy’s ceiling is higher (config-as-code, version control, scripted deploys).

Performance and Resource Usage

Metric	Nginx Proxy Manager	Caddy
Idle RAM	~100-150 MB	~20-40 MB
Under load RAM	~200-300 MB	~50-100 MB
CPU at idle	Low	Very low
Docker image size	~400 MB	~40 MB
Startup time	3-5 seconds	< 1 second

Caddy is dramatically lighter. NPM runs Nginx plus a Node.js management API plus SQLite. Caddy is a single Go binary. On a Raspberry Pi or low-spec VPS, Caddy leaves more resources for the services you’re actually proxying.

Community and Support

Metric	Nginx Proxy Manager	Caddy
GitHub stars	23K+	60K+
First release	2019	2015 (v1), 2020 (v2)
Maintainer	Single developer (jc21)	Small team (Matt Holt + contributors)
Documentation	Good, focused on UI walkthrough	Excellent, detailed, well-organized
Community	GitHub issues, Reddit	Dedicated forum (caddy.community), Reddit

Caddy has a larger community and more active development. NPM is maintained primarily by a single developer, which is a risk factor for long-term reliability. Both are open source and free.

Use Cases

Choose Nginx Proxy Manager If…

• You strongly prefer a web UI over editing config files
• You need built-in access control lists with password protection
• You want multi-user admin access
• You are managing a shared homelab where others need to add proxy hosts
• You want to inject custom Nginx directives for specific hosts

Choose Caddy If…

• You want the lightest possible reverse proxy
• You value config-as-code and version-controlled infrastructure
• Memory is limited (Raspberry Pi, small VPS)
• You want HTTP/3 support
• You also need to serve static sites alongside proxied services
• You want an API for programmatic proxy management
• You want the fastest automatic HTTPS setup possible

FAQ

Can Caddy do everything NPM does?

For reverse proxying and SSL, yes. What Caddy lacks is the built-in web UI, multi-user access, and visual access control list management. If you need those, NPM is the right tool. If you don’t, Caddy does the core job with less overhead.

What if NPM’s developer stops maintaining it?

This is a real concern. NPM is primarily a single-maintainer project. If development stops, your existing setup will continue working, but you would not get security updates or new features. Caddy has a broader contributor base and commercial backing.

Can I use both together?

You should not run two reverse proxies on the same server — only one can bind ports 80 and 443. Pick one.

Final Verdict

Caddy is the better reverse proxy for most self-hosters. It is lighter, faster, more secure by default (automatic HTTPS with zero config), and its Caddyfile is genuinely easy to write. Your config lives in a text file you can back up, version, and replicate.

NPM is the better choice specifically for people who want a GUI and never want to see a config file. That is a valid preference, and NPM executes on it well. But the overhead — more memory, a SQLite database holding your config, a single-maintainer project — is the cost of that convenience.

If you are reading this comparison and trying to decide, try Caddy first. If the Caddyfile feels uncomfortable, switch to NPM.

Related

• How to Self-Host Nginx Proxy Manager
• How to Self-Host Caddy with Docker
• Traefik vs Caddy
• Nginx Proxy Manager vs Traefik
• Best Self-Hosted Reverse Proxy
• Reverse Proxy Explained
• SSL Certificates Explained