Caddy

Traefik vs Caddy vs Nginx Proxy Manager: Reverse Proxy Showdown 2026 Every self-hoster hits the same wall: you’ve got a dozen services running on different ports, and you want clean URLs with HTTPS. You need a reverse proxy. The question is which one. Traefik, Caddy, and Nginx Proxy Manager are the three most popular choices in the self-hosting world. They all solve the same core problem — route app.yourdomain.com to the right container with automatic SSL — but they do it very differently. ...

Running Caddy Server: The Zero-Config HTTPS Reverse Proxy You’re running a dozen Docker containers. Each one listens on a different port. You’re tired of remembering 192.168.1.50:8096 for Jellyfin and :3000 for Gitea. You want jellyfin.yourdomain.com with HTTPS — and you don’t want to wrestle with Nginx config files or manually renew Let’s Encrypt certificates. Caddy does all of this automatically. Point a domain at it, tell it where your service lives, and it handles HTTPS certificates, renewal, and reverse proxying with almost zero configuration. ...

Choosing a reverse proxy is one of the first big decisions when self-hosting. It sits in front of all your services, handles SSL certificates, and routes traffic to the right container. Pick the wrong one and you’ll waste hours fighting configuration files. This guide compares the three most popular options — Nginx Proxy Manager, Caddy, and Traefik — from a beginner’s perspective. By the end, you’ll know exactly which one to start with. ...

SSL Certificates for Self-Hosted Services: Complete Guide to HTTPS Running self-hosted services over plain HTTP is risky. Passwords, session cookies, and personal data travel in cleartext, vulnerable to interception. HTTPS encrypts everything. With free SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt, there’s no excuse to skip it. This guide covers three ways to get SSL certificates for your home server: Nginx Proxy Manager - Easiest, GUI-based Caddy - Automatic HTTPS, zero config Certbot - Manual, maximum control Why SSL Certificates Matter Without HTTPS Passwords visible - Anyone on your network sees login credentials Session hijacking - Attackers steal cookies, impersonate you MITM attacks - Traffic can be intercepted and modified Browser warnings - “Not Secure” labels scare users Modern features broken - Service workers, webcam access, etc. require HTTPS With HTTPS End-to-end encryption - Data scrambled between browser and server Authentication - Certificate proves you’re talking to the right server Trust indicators - Green padlock in browser Full feature support - PWAs, geolocation, notifications work Compliance - Required for many services (OAuth, payment processing) Prerequisites 1. Domain Name You need a domain pointing to your server. Let’s Encrypt validates domain ownership. ...