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Caddy

Open-source alternative to NGINX Plus web serving

Caddy is an open-source alternative to NGINX Plus for serving websites and proxying traffic, famous for turning on HTTPS automatically. It handles web serving and reverse proxying with a simple config file, and it can be extended with modules. It is a favorite for developers who want a secure web server without certificate headaches.

Best for: Developers who want a simple, secure web server and reverse proxy.

Key features

  • Automatic HTTPS certificates
  • Web server and reverse proxy
  • Extensible with modules

Before you switch

Developer tools live or die by their community. Before switching, glance at recent commit activity, open issues, and documentation quality — a healthy project answers questions quickly. Most open-source dev tools install with a single command and play well with existing workflows, so you can trial one alongside your current stack. If your team depends on it daily, check the release cadence and whether commercial support is available.

Like every project on OpenShelf, Caddy is developed in the open — you can read the code, follow development, and even contribute. Check the system requirements and the project’s own documentation linked on this page before installing.