Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups
Register | Login

Apache HTTP Server VS Caddy

Compare Apache HTTP Server VS Caddy and see what are their differences

LibHunt
LibHunt tracks mentions of software libraries on relevant social networks. Based on that data, you can find the most popular projects and their alternatives. featured
Contents:
  1. » Base Details
  2. » Videos
  3. » Reviews
  4. » Alternatives

Apache HTTP Server logo Apache HTTP Server

Apache httpd has been the most popular web server on the Internet since April 1996

Caddy logo Caddy

The HTTP/2 Web Server with Automatic HTTPS
  • Apache HTTP Server Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-21
  • Caddy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-22

Apache HTTP Server features and specs

  • Open Source
    Apache HTTP Server is open source, meaning it is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. This promotes a large, active community that contributes to its maintenance and improvement.
  • Cross-Platform
    Apache is compatible with a variety of operating systems, including Unix, Linux, and Windows, providing flexibility and widespread usability.
  • Highly Customizable
    It offers a modular architecture that allows users to enable or disable features as needed, and to extend functionality through modules.
  • Robust Documentation
    Apache provides comprehensive and detailed documentation, which makes it easier for users to install, configure, and troubleshoot the server.
  • Widespread Adoption
    With its long history and widespread use, Apache has proven to be reliable and trusted by many organizations worldwide, ensuring a level of trust and stability.
  • Rich Feature Set
    Apache includes many features out-of-the-box, such as SSL/TLS support, URL redirection, authentication, load balancing, and more.

Possible disadvantages of Apache HTTP Server

  • Performance Overhead
    Compared to some lightweight web servers like Nginx, Apache can have higher memory and CPU usage, which may not be ideal for high concurrency needs.
  • Complex Configuration
    Apache's extensive customization options can lead to a complex configuration process, which may be challenging for beginners or those without specific expertise.
  • Less Efficient in Serving Static Content
    While Apache is highly capable, it may be less efficient at serving static content compared to specialized web servers like Nginx.
  • Initial Learning Curve
    Due to its rich features and configurability, new users might face a steep learning curve when first setting up and using Apache HTTP Server.
  • Module Compatibility Issues
    Sometimes, third-party modules may not always be compatible with the latest versions of Apache, causing potential integration issues.

Caddy features and specs

  • Automatic HTTPS
    Caddy automatically handles HTTPS by obtaining and renewing certificates from Let's Encrypt, simplifying the process of securing web applications.
  • Ease of Configuration
    Caddy uses a straightforward configuration file (Caddyfile) that is easier to write and understand compared to other web servers like Nginx or Apache.
  • Cross-Platform
    Caddy is designed to run efficiently on virtually any platform, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and Docker, giving it great flexibility for deployment.
  • Built-in Reverse Proxy
    Caddy includes built-in support for reverse proxy functionality, which can easily be configured to distribute load among multiple servers.
  • Extensible
    Caddy supports plugins for additional features, allowing users to extend its functionality without compromising its core simplicity.
  • Integrated Logging and Metrics
    Caddy includes integrated logging and monitoring capabilities, which make it easier to maintain and debug the server without additional tools.
  • Active Community and Support
    Caddy has an active community and is well-supported with extensive documentation, which helps new users get up to speed quickly and troubleshoot issues effectively.

Possible disadvantages of Caddy

  • Memory Usage
    Caddy can have higher memory usage compared to other web servers like Nginx, which might be a concern for resource-constrained environments.
  • TLS Configuration Complexity
    While Caddy handles basic HTTPS automatically, advanced TLS configurations can be more complicated to manage and may require a deeper understanding.
  • Learning Curve for New Features
    As Caddy rapidly evolves and adds new features, there can be a learning curve associated with keeping up to date on the latest changes and functionalities.
  • Performance
    Although Caddy performs adequately for many use cases, it may not match the high performance of optimized setups with other web servers like Nginx in highly demanding environments.
  • Licensing Costs
    While Caddy is open source, certain features are available under a commercial license. Organizations may incur additional costs for enterprise-grade functionality.

Analysis of Apache HTTP Server

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Apache HTTP Server is generally considered a good and reliable web server.

Why this product is good

  • Apache HTTP Server is one of the most widely used and established web servers in the world. It is open-source, highly configurable, and supports a wide range of features through modules. Its robustness, extensive documentation, strong community support, and flexibility are some of the reasons it remains popular.

Recommended for

  • Developers and organizations looking for a reliable and versatile web server solution.
  • Those who need extensive customization and configuration options for their web environment.
  • Users who prefer an established platform with a large community and extensive documentation.
  • Teams that require compatibility with various operating systems and environments.

Analysis of Caddy

Overall verdict

  • Caddy is generally considered a good choice for developers looking for a hassle-free, secure, and modern web server. Its automatic HTTPS and easy configuration make it particularly appealing for small teams and developers who need to deploy web services quickly without diving deep into server setup complexities.

Why this product is good

  • Caddy, available at caddyserver.com, is praised for its ease of use, automatic HTTPS configuration, and modern design. It features an intuitive configuration system and comes with a built-in SSL/TLS to automatically manage HTTPS certificates using Let's Encrypt. Caddy is highly regarded for its simple deployment, minimal configuration, and the ability to serve static and dynamic content efficiently. It also supports HTTP/2 and QUIC protocols, making it a future-proof choice for web servers.

Recommended for

  • Small to medium-sized web developers who require quick and secure web server deployments.
  • Developers who prefer automatic HTTPS setups.
  • Projects that benefit from modern protocols like HTTP/2 and QUIC.
  • Users looking for a straightforward configuration process with minimal overhead.

Apache HTTP Server videos

No Apache HTTP Server videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Caddy videos

+ Add

Getting started with Caddy the HTTPS Web Server from scratch

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache HTTP Server and Caddy)

Apache HTTP Server

Caddy

Web And Application Servers
75 75%
Web And Application Servers
25% 25
Web Servers
56 56%
Web Servers
44% 44
Application Server
100 100%
Application Server
0% 0
HTTP/2 Web Server
0 0%
HTTP/2 Web Server
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Apache HTTP Server and Caddy. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Apache HTTP Server and Caddy

Apache HTTP Server Reviews

9 Best XAMPP Alternatives Cross Platform Web Server
However, compared to XAMPP and other popular web servers in the market Apache HTTP Server is a bit more complicated and is a little difficult to navigate for a complete newbie, but if you want to understand web development from the very fundamentals and understand how Apache as a web server software works then this software can be of great help to you.
Source: technicalustad.com
Litespeed vs Nginx vs Apache: Web Server Showdown
The most commonly used Web Server is by far Apache HTTP Server from the Software Apache Foundation. Created in 1995 by Rob McCool and Brian Behlendorf, among others. The name is a pun for A PatCHy server, as at the time of it’s inception, Apache was based on some existing code, along with some perhaps “hacky or clunky” software packages, enabling it to run. Additionally, the...
Source: chemicloud.com
10 Best alternatives of XAMPP servers for Windows, Linux and macOS
Apache is an open-source and free web server software that owns about 46% of websites worldwide. The official name is Apache HTTP Server and is maintained and developed by the Apache Software Foundation. This allows website owners to serve content on the web – hence the name “webserver”.
Source: www.isrgrajan.com
Top 5 open source web servers
As the Apache HTTP Server has been the most popular web server since 1996, it "benefits from great documentation and integrated support from other software projects." You can find more information on the Apache Foundation project page.
Source: opensource.com

Caddy Reviews

Self Hosting Like Its 2025
If you’re looking to forego fancy web interfaces and prefer editing a straightforward file while having the server manage everything from proxying to HTTPS via Let’s Encrypt, then this is the option for you. However, due to the absence of a web interface, I wouldn’t recommend it for complete beginners. But if you appreciate simple UNIX-based tooling, Caddy is an excellent...
Source: kiranet.org
Top Linux Web Servers: Pros and Cons
Now that we know their advantages and disadvantages, which web server is the best? The answer depends on your use case. Nginx is a very fast and powerful option, Apache is a great general-purpose web server, while LiteSpeed represents a premium alternative. Caddy works great if you need simplicity, while Lighthttpd works best when resources are low.
Source: bigstep.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Caddy should be more popular than Apache HTTP Server. It has been mentiond 248 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache HTTP Server mentions (70)

View more

Caddy mentions (248)

  • I no longer have an old-school cert on my HTTPS site
    The Caddy[1] webserver also has built-in ACME. It has all the problems Rachel mentioned, of course, because now it's an ACME client embedded in an even bigger piece of software, but it's handy for sure! I don't know much about Caddy scalability but it's worked great for my personal sites. [1] https://caddyserver.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 24 days ago
  • How I made my Home Server accessible outside my home
    This single record will suffice as we will be using a reverse proxy to map each of our application. For the reverse proxy solution, we will be using Caddy, particularly xcaddy. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Simple Web Server
    It looks nice and friendly, but for developers I can recommend exploring caddy[1] or nginx[2]. It's a useful technology to have worked with, even if they're ultimately only used for proxying analytics. [1] https://caddyserver.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Adventures in Homelabbing: From Cloud Obsession to Self-Hosted Shenanigans
    I began to self-host a Minecraft server using Crafty Controller, an Excalidraw instance, Docmost to replace Notion, Plane to replace Jira, and Penpot to replace Figma. To be able to access them from the internet, I used Nginx Proxy Manager to set up reverse proxies with SSL. You can use Traefik or Caddy instead, but I enjoyed the ease-of-use of NPM. For a dashboard solution, I started with Homarr, but later... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Self-hosting with Caddy Server And Souin (Caching Module)
    Caddy is the ultimate web server anyone should be using. This is true for production as well as for local development. It is very fast, and by default obtains and renews SSL certificates automatically. This is useful for when you want to test certain website feature that is only allowed when they're accessed with HTTPS. You get free TLS for all your subdomains, and it does that in a scalable way. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache HTTP Server and Caddy, you can also consider the following products

Microsoft IIS - Internet Information Services is a web server for Microsoft Windows

nginx - A high performance free open source web server powering busiest sites on the Internet.

Apache Tomcat - An open source software implementation of the Java Servlet and JavaServer Pages technologies

Nginx Proxy Manager - Docker container and built in Web Application for managing Nginx proxy hosts with a simple, powerful interface, providing free SSL support via Let's Encrypt

LiteSpeed Web Server - LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) is a high-performance Apache drop-in replacement.

XAMPP - XAMPP is a free and open-source cross-platform web server that is primarily used when locally developing web applications.

Loading...