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Cloud · head to head

Caddy vs Deno Deploy

Caddy logo

Caddy

Cloud

Web server with automatic HTTPS by default

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Deno Deploy logo

Deno Deploy

Cloud

Serverless JavaScript at the edge

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Caddy smaller ecosystem than Nginx, so third-party guides and modules are fewer; Deno Deploy smaller ecosystem compared to AWS Lambda with fewer third-party integrations
  • They diverge on capability: Caddy covers Caddyfile, Deno Deploy covers Edge Functions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Caddy and Deno Deploy actually diverge.

Attributes where Caddy and Deno Deploy differ
AttributeCaddyDeno Deploy
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeUnknown
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, DockerCloud/Web
FoundedUnknown2021

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

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

  • Caddyfile
  • Reverse proxy
  • Single binary

Only in Deno Deploy

  • Edge Functions
  • Deno KV
  • Global Distribution
  • Zero Config Deploy
  • Git Integration
  • Instant Rollbacks
  • Web Standard APIs
  • GitHub

Both cover

  • Automatic HTTPS

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 Deno Deploy
  • Small deployments where Nginx configuration is more effort than the problem warrantsnot Deno Deploy
  • Reverse proxying internal services with TLS without a certificate workflownot Deno Deploy

Deno Deploy

  • API endpointsnot Caddy
  • Edge functionsnot Caddy
  • Static sitesnot Caddy
  • Real-time appsnot 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

Deno Deploy

  • Smaller ecosystem compared to AWS Lambda with fewer third-party integrations
  • Less mature than established serverless platforms; newer company and platform
  • 1GB deployment size limit may restrict larger applications
  • 512MB memory limit lower than some competitors for memory-intensive workloads
  • Smaller user base and community compared to Lambda or Netlify

Pricing, plan by plan

Caddy

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

Deno Deploy

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1M requests/month
    • 100GB outbound bandwidth
    • 50ms CPU time per request
  • Pro$20/month
    • Unlimited requests
    • 5GB KV storage
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Caddy if

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

Choose Deno Deploy if

  • You need edge functions.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud/Web.
  • You also want deno kv.
Deno Deploy review

Questions people ask

Is Caddy or Deno Deploy better?
Neither clearly leads. Caddy starts at Free and Deno Deploy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Caddy or Deno Deploy?
Caddy starts at Free and Deno Deploy at Free.
Does Caddy or Deno Deploy run on more platforms?
Caddy runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker. Deno Deploy runs on Cloud/Web.
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 Deno Deploy is typically brought in for.
What can Caddy do that Deno Deploy cannot?
Caddy covers Caddyfile, Reverse proxy, Single binary. Deno Deploy covers Edge Functions, Deno KV, Global Distribution, Zero Config Deploy. Both handle Automatic HTTPS.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Caddy: Is Caddy free?

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

Deno Deploy: What does Deno Deploy's free tier include?

Deno Deploy free tier includes 1 million requests per month, 100 GB of outbound bandwidth, 50 milliseconds of CPU time per request, 50 custom domains, 1 GiB of KV storage, and up to 5 team members.

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.

Deno Deploy: What are Deno Deploy's Pro plan features and pricing?

Deno Deploy Pro costs $20/month and removes request limits, increases KV storage to 5GB, and includes priority support. Additional storage beyond 5GB costs $0.75/GiB.

Source
Caddy: Caddy or Nginx?

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

Deno Deploy: What are the deployment size and memory limits for Deno Deploy?

The total size of all files within a deployment (source files and static files) should not exceed 1 gigabyte. Applications have a maximum memory allocation of 512MB.

Source
Deno Deploy: Does Deno Deploy support TypeScript natively?

Yes. Deno Deploy runs TypeScript natively with zero-configuration TypeScript support. Code can be written in TypeScript or JavaScript and runs on the same V8 engine.

Source
Deno Deploy: What security features does Deno Deploy provide?

Deno Deploy features an opt-in permission system to mitigate supply chain attacks. Permissions can be explicitly granted for file, network, and environment access, running code securely by default.

Source
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