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Cloud · head to head

Caddy vs GraphQL Apollo

Caddy logo

Caddy

Cloud

Web server with automatic HTTPS by default

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
GraphQL Apollo logo

GraphQL Apollo

APIs

Complete platform for building GraphQL APIs

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; GraphQL Apollo standard and Enterprise plans require sales contact for custom pricing
  • They diverge on capability: Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Caddy and GraphQL Apollo actually diverge.

Attributes where Caddy and GraphQL Apollo differ
AttributeCaddyGraphQL Apollo
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, DockerJavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile
CategoryCloudAPIs
FoundedUnknown2016

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 GraphQL Apollo

  • Apollo Server
  • Apollo Client
  • GraphQL Federation
  • REST APIs
  • Microservices
  • Databases
  • JavaScript support
  • Node.js support

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

GraphQL Apollo

  • GraphQL API managementnot Caddy
  • Schema federationnot Caddy
  • API analytics and monitoringnot Caddy
  • Developer-focused infrastructurenot 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

GraphQL Apollo

  • Standard and Enterprise plans require sales contact for custom pricing
  • Free plan limited to 3 developers and 1-day retention
  • Self-hosted router on free tier heavily rate-limited to 60 requests/minute

Pricing, plan by plan

Caddy

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

GraphQL Apollo

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 developers
    • 1-day data retention
    • Community support only
  • Developer$5/per million requests
    • $50 usage credit for new signups
    • Up to 10 developers
    • 7-day data retention
  • Standard$null/custom
    • Up to 30 developers
    • 90-day data retention
    • Standard support with SLA (8x5)
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Unlimited developers
    • 18-month data retention
    • Business support 24x7x365 with SLA

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 GraphQL Apollo if

  • You need apollo server.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want apollo client.
GraphQL Apollo review

Questions people ask

Is Caddy or GraphQL Apollo better?
Neither clearly leads. Caddy starts at Free and GraphQL Apollo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Caddy or GraphQL Apollo?
Caddy starts at Free and GraphQL Apollo at Free.
Does Caddy or GraphQL Apollo run on more platforms?
Caddy runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker. GraphQL Apollo runs on JavaScript, Node.js, Web, Mobile.
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 GraphQL Apollo is typically brought in for.
What can Caddy do that GraphQL Apollo cannot?
Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, Caddyfile, Reverse proxy, Single binary. GraphQL Apollo covers Apollo Server, Apollo Client, GraphQL Federation, REST APIs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Caddy: Is Caddy free?

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

GraphQL Apollo: How much does Apollo GraphQL cost?

Apollo GraphQL is free for up to 3 developers. Paid plans start at $5 per million GraphQL requests on the Developer plan, which includes $50 usage credit for new signups. Standard and Enterprise plans require custom pricing via sales contact.

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.

GraphQL Apollo: Is there a free version of Apollo GraphQL?

Yes, Apollo GraphQL offers a forever-free plan with no credit card required for up to 3 developers, including 1-day data retention, community support, and self-hosted GraphOS Router rate-limited to 60 requests per minute.

Source
Caddy: Caddy or Nginx?

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

GraphQL Apollo: What does Apollo's Enterprise plan include that Standard does not?

The Enterprise plan offers unlimited developers versus 30 on Standard, 18-month data retention versus 90 days, and 24x7x365 business support with SLA instead of 8x5 support. It also includes premium and professional services add-ons and custom MSA agreements. Both require custom pricing.

Source
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