Traefik or Caddy? Choose a Reverse Proxy by How You Deploy
Adding a service behind a reverse proxy should be routine. But the workflow changes depending on whether routes live in one proxy config or are discovered from your containers. That distinction is often more useful than trying to pick a universal winner between Traefik and Caddy. A good starting point: Caddy is often simpler when you have a small, fairly stable list of sites. Traefik is often a…
When deciding between Traefik and Caddy as reverse proxies, consider how you deploy your services. Caddy is often simpler for small, stable lists of sites, while Traefik may be a better fit for frequently changing Docker services. The key difference lies in where routing is defined: Caddy requires explicit route configuration, while Traefik can discover containers and build routes from metadata labels.
Caddy is a good choice when you want a readable, site-oriented configuration that does not require constant route changes. It can also manage HTTPS automatically for eligible public hostnames. However, if your Docker services change often, Traefik can keep routing definitions alongside application labels in your Compose files. This setup can reduce manual proxy edits, but it may spread route behavior across multiple Compose files.
Both tools can obtain certificates automatically, but their configuration requirements differ. Caddy's automatic HTTPS workflow can be concise for public hostnames, while Traefik uses configured certificate resolvers and requires correct challenge and storage setups. When choosing between Caddy and Traefik, consider your specific deployment needs, team understanding of the configuration model, and the performance benchmarks for the versions and settings you plan to use.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
