Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Caddy vs Laravel

Caddy logo

Caddy

Cloud

Web server with automatic HTTPS by default

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Laravel logo

Laravel

Web Development

The PHP framework for web artisans

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; Laravel performance overhead from abstractions, middleware pipeline, and multiple layers can slow applications compared to minimal frameworks
  • They diverge on capability: Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, Laravel covers Eloquent ORM.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Caddy and Laravel actually diverge.

Attributes where Caddy and Laravel differ
AttributeCaddyLaravel
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, DockerWeb, CLI
CategoryCloudWeb Development
FoundedUnknown2011

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 Laravel

  • Eloquent ORM
  • Artisan CLI
  • Blade templating
  • Middleware
  • Authentication
  • Caching
  • Queue system
  • Event broadcasting

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

Laravel

  • Web application developmentnot Caddy
  • API developmentnot Caddy
  • E-commerce platformsnot Caddy
  • Content managementnot Caddy
  • Enterprise applicationsnot 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

Laravel

  • Performance overhead from abstractions, middleware pipeline, and multiple layers can slow applications compared to minimal frameworks
  • Dependency management is complex with many interdependent packages requiring careful version coordination

Pricing, plan by plan

Caddy

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

Laravel

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full framework
    • Artisan CLI
    • Eloquent ORM
  • Laravel Forge$12/month
    • Server management
    • Deployment automation
    • SSL certificates
  • Laravel Vapor$39/month
    • Serverless deployment
    • Auto-scaling
    • AWS integration

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 Laravel if

  • You need eloquent orm.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI.
  • You also want artisan cli.
Laravel review

Questions people ask

Is Caddy or Laravel better?
Neither clearly leads. Caddy starts at Free and Laravel at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Caddy or Laravel?
Caddy starts at Free and Laravel at Free.
Does Caddy or Laravel run on more platforms?
Caddy runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker. Laravel runs on Web, CLI.
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 Laravel is typically brought in for.
What can Caddy do that Laravel cannot?
Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, Caddyfile, Reverse proxy, Single binary. Laravel covers Eloquent ORM, Artisan CLI, Blade templating, Middleware.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Caddy: Is Caddy free?

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

Laravel: Is Laravel free and open source?

Yes, Laravel is completely free and open source under the MIT License. You can use, modify, and distribute it without restrictions.

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.

Laravel: What are the key features Laravel provides?

Laravel includes an ORM (Eloquent), database migrations, authentication, authorization, caching, queues, email, testing, and deployment tools. It supports multiple databases and provides starter kits for full-stack and API development.

Source
Caddy: Caddy or Nginx?

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

Laravel: Can I deploy Laravel on any server?

Yes, Laravel can be deployed on any PHP server. You can use shared hosting, VPS, or managed platforms like Laravel Cloud, which starts at $5/month with auto-scaling and git-like branching.

Source
Laravel: Does Laravel have testing and local development tools?

Yes, Laravel includes Dusk for browser testing, PHPUnit for unit tests, and Herd (free for basic use) for local development environments with built-in PHP, Composer, and Nginx support.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Caddy

More on Laravel

Keep looking

Other head to heads