Caddy vs HAProxy: Which Proxy to Self-Host?

Quick Verdict

Caddy is the better choice for self-hosting. It provides automatic HTTPS out of the box, a simple configuration syntax (Caddyfile), and handles 95% of reverse proxy needs with minimal effort. HAProxy is a more powerful load balancer, but its manual SSL management and complex config syntax make it overkill for typical self-hosting setups.

Overview

Caddy is a modern web server and reverse proxy known for automatic HTTPS. It obtains and renews Let’s Encrypt certificates with zero configuration. The Caddyfile format is the simplest proxy configuration syntax available. Current version: 2.10.2.

HAProxy is a high-performance TCP/HTTP load balancer that powers high-traffic sites like GitHub and Reddit. It excels at connection handling, health checking, and load distribution across backends. Configuration is entirely through haproxy.cfg. Current version: 3.3.3 (LTS: 3.2.12).

Caddy optimizes for simplicity and developer experience. HAProxy optimizes for performance and operational control.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Caddy 2.10	HAProxy 3.3
Automatic HTTPS	Yes (zero config)	No (manual cert setup)
Configuration syntax	Caddyfile (minimal)	haproxy.cfg (complex)
JSON API config	Yes (hot reload)	Data Plane API (separate)
Load balancing	Round-robin, least_conn, etc.	12+ algorithms
Health checks	Active + passive	Advanced (HTTP, TCP, agent)
Connection queuing	No	Yes
Stick tables	No	Yes (session persistence)
Rate limiting	Via plugin	Built-in (stick-tables)
HTTP/3 (QUIC)	Experimental	Experimental
TCP/UDP proxying	Yes	Yes
WebSocket support	Yes (automatic)	Yes
Stats dashboard	No (metrics via Prometheus)	Built-in
Plugins/modules	Yes (xcaddy build)	Lua, SPOE
Written in	Go	C

Installation Complexity

Caddy

services:
  caddy:
    image: caddy:2.10.2-alpine
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    volumes:
      - ./Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile:ro
      - caddy-data:/data
      - caddy-config:/config
    restart: unless-stopped

The Caddyfile for proxying is remarkably concise:

app.example.com {
    reverse_proxy app:8080
}

another.example.com {
    reverse_proxy another:3000
}

HTTPS is automatic. No certificate configuration needed.

HAProxy

Requires a haproxy.cfg with frontends, backends, and ACLs. SSL certificates must be obtained separately (Certbot), combined into PEM files, and referenced in the config. Every new service requires adding a backend definition, ACL rules, and potentially frontend modifications.

Winner: Caddy. The Caddyfile is the simplest reverse proxy configuration format in existence.

Performance and Resource Usage

Metric	Caddy	HAProxy
Idle RAM	~30-50 MB	~15-30 MB
Requests/sec	~40,000	~100,000+
Latency	~0.5ms	~0.1ms
CPU under load	Moderate	Very low
Binary size	~40 MB	~5 MB

HAProxy is significantly faster under heavy load. Caddy is fast enough for any self-hosting workload. The performance gap only matters at enterprise scale.

Community and Support

Caddy has a growing, enthusiastic community focused on simplicity and modern web serving. HAProxy has decades of enterprise adoption and deep documentation for production use cases. Both have excellent documentation, but Caddy’s is more accessible for newcomers.

Use Cases

Choose Caddy If…

• You want the simplest possible reverse proxy configuration
• You want automatic HTTPS with zero SSL management
• You need a web server and reverse proxy in one
• You value developer experience and clean configuration
• You need hot reloading via JSON API
• You run self-hosted services with custom domains

Choose HAProxy If…

• You need enterprise-grade load balancing
• You’re managing multiple backend servers with failover
• You need connection queuing and session persistence
• You need stick-table rate limiting
• You need maximum performance under high load
• You’re running production infrastructure

Final Verdict

Caddy for self-hosting, HAProxy for production infrastructure. Caddy’s automatic HTTPS and two-line-per-service configuration make it the ideal reverse proxy for self-hosters who value simplicity. HAProxy’s power justifies its complexity only when you need advanced load balancing features.

If you outgrow Caddy (unlikely for self-hosting), you’ll know — the symptoms are needing custom load balancing algorithms, connection queuing, or stick-table session management. Until then, Caddy handles everything with less config than any alternative.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Caddy really zero-config for HTTPS?

Yes. Point a domain at your server’s IP, add two lines to the Caddyfile, and Caddy obtains a Let’s Encrypt certificate automatically. It also handles renewal. No Certbot, no cron jobs, no certificate paths.

Can HAProxy do automatic HTTPS like Caddy?

HAProxy 2.6+ added experimental ACME support, but it’s not as mature or simple as Caddy’s implementation. Most HAProxy users still use Certbot or a separate ACME client.

Which is easier to debug when something breaks?

Caddy. Its error messages are clearer, and the simpler configuration means fewer places for errors to hide. HAProxy debugging often requires understanding ACL evaluation order and frontend/backend interaction.

Can I use Caddy as a load balancer?

Yes. Caddy supports upstream groups with load balancing policies (round_robin, least_conn, first, etc.) and health checks. For most self-hosting scenarios, this is sufficient. HAProxy’s load balancing is more sophisticated for complex production needs.

Related

• How to Self-Host Caddy with Docker
• How to Self-Host HAProxy with Docker
• Traefik vs Caddy
• Caddy vs Nginx
• Traefik vs HAProxy
• Best Self-Hosted Reverse Proxies
• Reverse Proxy Explained