Caddy vs Nginx vs Apache: Which Web Server Should You Use?

8/21/2025



Caddy vs Nginx vs Apache — Which Web Server Should You Use?

TL;DR: Legacy & shared hosting → Apache • High-traffic & reverse proxy → Nginx • Fast setup & automatic HTTPS → Caddy

Quick Overview

All three are excellent, production-ready web servers with different strengths:

  • Apache: mature, module-rich, great for PHP/WordPress, supports .htaccess per-directory overrides.
  • Nginx: event-driven speed, superb reverse proxy/load balancer, low memory footprint.
  • Caddy: simplest DX, automatic HTTPS (Let’s Encrypt built-in), modern defaults (HTTP/2 & HTTP/3).

Apache HTTP Server

Benefits

  • Battle-tested & ubiquitous: huge community and docs.
  • Module ecosystem: authentication, rewrite, compression, cache, and more.
  • .htaccess support: per-directory rules—ideal for shared hosting and CMS workflows.
  • Excellent PHP integration: via mod_php or PHP-FPM.

Trade-offs

  • Process/thread model: can use more memory at high concurrency vs event-driven servers.
  • Performance tuning: requires careful MPM (event/prefork/worker) selection and config.
  • Config sprawl: powerful but verbose.

Best for: legacy stacks, shared hosting, CMS (WordPress/Drupal), environments needing .htaccess.

Nginx

Benefits

  • High concurrency: event-driven architecture excels under load.
  • Reverse proxy & LB: resilient upstreams, health checks, caching.
  • Fast static delivery: sendfile, caching, gzip/brotli (with module), range requests.
  • Resource-efficient: handles thousands of connections with modest RAM/CPU.

Trade-offs

  • Learning curve: declarative config is concise but less discoverable.
  • No .htaccess: central config only (good for performance, less flexible for shared hosting).
  • Extensibility: dynamic module story is improving, but fewer “batteries-included” vs Apache.

Best for: APIs, microservices, CDNs, high-traffic sites, container/k8s ingress, modern app gateways.

Caddy

Benefits

  • Automatic HTTPS: built-in ACME provisioning & renewal—zero Certbot scripting.
  • Great DX: human-readable Caddyfile; sane defaults (H2/H3, TLS, redirect HTTP→HTTPS).
  • Versatile: reverse proxy, static server, basic auth, file server, and plugins.
  • Minimal ops: perfect for small teams and quick, secure deployments.

Trade-offs

  • Smaller ecosystem: fewer third-party guides/integrations than Apache/Nginx.
  • Org adoption: rising fast, but some enterprises standardize on Nginx/Apache.
  • Advanced edge cases: may need plugins or fallback to Nginx features for exotic setups.

Best for: startups, prototypes to prod with minimal SSL hassle, modern static & app backends.

Feature Comparison

Feature Apache Nginx Caddy
Architecture Process/Thread (MPM: prefork/worker/event) Event-driven, async Event-driven, async (Go)
Performance @ High Concurrency Good (with event MPM) Excellent Very good
Config Simplicity Powerful but verbose Concise, steeper learning curve Simplest (Caddyfile)
Automatic HTTPS No (use Certbot/ACME client) No (use Certbot/ACME client) Yes (built-in ACME)
.htaccess Support Yes No No
Reverse Proxy / Load Balancing Good Excellent Good (plugins/features improving)
Static Files Good Excellent Excellent
Ecosystem & Docs Largest, longest history Large, very active Smaller but growing
Best Fit Legacy/CMS/shared hosting APIs, high-traffic, gateways Startups, quick secure deploys

How to Choose (Decision Guide)

  • Need per-directory overrides or classic shared hosting? Pick Apache.
  • Expecting heavy traffic, acting as reverse proxy/LB for microservices? Pick Nginx.
  • Want “it just works” TLS with minimal ops? Pick Caddy.
  • Primarily PHP CMS (WordPress/Drupal) on shared hosting? Apache is the path of least resistance.
  • Kubernetes ingress/controller, edge caching, or API gateway? Nginx.
  • Small team/startup, rapid iteration, modern static+SPA hosting? Caddy.