Traefik

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. ...

If you’re running multiple Docker services and juggling Nginx configs every time you add a container, Traefik will change your life. It watches Docker for new containers and automatically configures routing — no config file edits, no reloads, no downtime. What is Traefik? Traefik is a modern reverse proxy and load balancer designed for microservices and containers. Version 3 brought HTTP/3 support, WASM plugins, and a cleaner configuration model. It sits in front of all your services, handles SSL termination, and routes traffic based on Docker labels. ...

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. ...