Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Caddy vs Daytona

Caddy logo

Caddy

Cloud

Web server with automatic HTTPS by default

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Daytona logo

Daytona

Developer Tools

Infrastructure for spinning up secure, sub-second sandboxes to run AI-generated code

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Caddy smaller ecosystem than Nginx, so third-party guides and modules are fewer; Daytona pricing is purely usage-based with no flat monthly plan, which can make costs harder to predict for steady workloads.
  • They diverge on capability: Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, Daytona covers Sub-second sandbox creation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Caddy and Daytona actually diverge.

Attributes where Caddy and Daytona differ
AttributeCaddyDaytona
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeusage-based
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, Dockerweb, linux, windows, api
CategoryCloudDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Caddy

  • Automatic HTTPS
  • Caddyfile
  • Reverse proxy
  • Single binary

Only in Daytona

  • Sub-second sandbox creation
  • Per-second billing
  • GPU instances
  • Windows OS support
  • Enterprise BYOC

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Caddy

  • Sites and services where expired certificates have caused outages beforenot Daytona
  • Small deployments where Nginx configuration is more effort than the problem warrantsnot Daytona
  • Reverse proxying internal services with TLS without a certificate workflownot Daytona

Daytona

  • Running AI agent-generated code in a disposable, isolated sandboxnot Caddy
  • Executing untrusted user code for a coding platformnot Caddy
  • Running GPU workloads on demand without provisioning dedicated serversnot Caddy
  • Testing Windows-specific code paths in a sandboxnot Caddy

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Caddy

  • Smaller ecosystem than Nginx, so third-party guides and modules are fewer
  • Adding plugins means rebuilding the binary rather than loading a module
  • Under very high throughput Nginx generally still benchmarks ahead
  • Automatic certificate issuance needs outbound internet access, which complicates air-gapped deployments

Daytona

  • Pricing is purely usage-based with no flat monthly plan, which can make costs harder to predict for steady workloads.
  • GPU instances are priced separately and can be significantly more expensive than standard compute for AI-heavy use cases.
  • Enterprise features like SSO, audit logs, and BYOC are only available by contacting sales rather than self-serve.

Pricing, plan by plan

Caddy

Free
  • CaddyFree
    • Full functionality
    • Commercial use permitted
    • Community support

Daytona

Free
  • Pay-as-you-go$undefined/mo
    • $0.0504 per vCPU/hour
    • $0.0162 per GiB memory/hour
    • $0.000108 per GiB storage/hour after 5 free GiB
  • Startup Program$undefined/mo
    • Up to $50,000 in free credits for qualifying startups
  • Enterprise$undefined/mo
    • Custom usage limits
    • SSO
    • Audit logs

Which should you pick?

Choose Caddy if

  • You need automatic https.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker.
  • You also want caddyfile.
Caddy review

Choose Daytona if

  • You need sub-second sandbox creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, linux, windows, api.
  • You also want per-second billing.
Daytona review

Questions people ask

Is Caddy or Daytona better?
Neither clearly leads. Caddy starts at Free and Daytona at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Caddy or Daytona?
Caddy starts at Free and Daytona at Free.
Does Caddy or Daytona run on more platforms?
Caddy runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker. Daytona runs on web, linux, windows, api.
Can I use Caddy for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Caddy best used for?
Caddy is most often used for sites and services where expired certificates have caused outages before, small deployments where nginx configuration is more effort than the problem warrants, reverse proxying internal services with tls without a certificate workflow. Of those, sites and services where expired certificates have caused outages before and small deployments where nginx configuration is more effort than the problem warrants are not what Daytona is typically brought in for.
What can Caddy do that Daytona cannot?
Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, Caddyfile, Reverse proxy, Single binary. Daytona covers Sub-second sandbox creation, Per-second billing, GPU instances, Windows OS support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Caddy: Is Caddy free?

Yes, open source under the Apache 2.0 licence, free for commercial use.

Daytona: How is Daytona usage metered?

Usage is billed per second across vCPU, memory, and storage consumed, with separate per-hour rates for GPU and Windows instances.

Source
Caddy: What does automatic HTTPS mean?

Caddy obtains certificates from Let’s Encrypt or ZeroSSL on first request and renews them before expiry, with no cron job or configuration.

Daytona: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

There is no flat free plan, but new signups receive $200 in free compute credit with no credit card required to start.

Source
Caddy: Caddy or Nginx?

Caddy is dramatically simpler to configure and removes certificate management. Nginx has the larger ecosystem and better peak throughput.

Daytona: Are discounts available for startups?

Yes, the Startup Program offers up to $50,000 in free credits for qualifying companies.

Source
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