Quick Verdict

Different tools for different philosophies. Caddy is a dedicated reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS and the simplest config syntax available. Cosmos Cloud is an all-in-one self-hosting platform that bundles a reverse proxy with container management, an app store, and security features. Choose Caddy if you want the best proxy; choose Cosmos Cloud if you want one tool for everything. Caddy is a modern web server and reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS, a minimal Caddyfile syntax, and a plugin ecosystem. It does one thing exceptionally well: proxy and serve web traffic. Current version: 2.10.2. Cosmos Cloud is a self-hosting platform that combines Docker management, a built-in reverse proxy with SSL, an app marketplace, VPN connectivity, user authentication, and basic DDoS protection. Current version: v0.20.2.

Feature Caddy 2.10 Cosmos Cloud v0.20

Reverse proxy Yes (dedicated) Yes (built-in)

Automatic HTTPS Yes (zero config) Yes

Config format Caddyfile (text) Web UI

Container management No Yes

App marketplace No Yes

User management No Yes (multi-user, 2FA)

VPN integration No Yes (Constellation)

DDoS protection No Yes (Smart Shield)

Static file serving Yes No

Plugin ecosystem Yes (xcaddy) No

HTTP/3 Experimental No

Load balancing Yes Basic

Health checks Yes Basic

JSON API Yes (hot reload) No

RAM usage ~30-50 MB ~150-200 MB

You want the best dedicated reverse proxy You already use Portainer, Dockge, or another management tool You want to keep your proxy separate from container management You need advanced proxy features (load balancing, health checks, plugins) You want config-as-code in version control You need a lightweight solution You want one tool for proxy + management + security You're starting from scratch and want the simplest overall setup You want an app marketplace for one-click deployments You want built-in VPN and DDoS protection You don't need advanced proxy features Caddy + Portainer/Dockge for modular se