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Cloud · head to head

Caddy vs Xlinesoft

Caddy logo

Caddy

Cloud

Web server with automatic HTTPS by default

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Xlinesoft logo

Xlinesoft

Developer Tools

PHPRunner and ASPRunner.NET: low-code builders that turn databases into web apps

From
$599/one-time
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Caddy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Caddy smaller ecosystem than Nginx, so third-party guides and modules are fewer; Xlinesoft the purchase includes one year of support and upgrades only; after that, newer versions require a paid upgrade.
  • They diverge on capability: Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, Xlinesoft covers Database to web application.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 12 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Caddy and Xlinesoft actually diverge.

Attributes where Caddy and Xlinesoft differ
AttributeCaddyXlinesoft
Starting priceFree$599/one-time
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, DockerWindows, macOS, Linux, Web
CategoryCloudDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: 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 Xlinesoft

  • Database to web application
  • Page Designer and themes
  • Events, custom code and AI assistance
  • Security and dynamic permissions
  • Reports, charts and dashboards
  • Wide database support
  • Enterprise authentication
  • Application templates and plugins

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

Xlinesoft

  • Building an internal web application on top of an existing SQL databasenot Caddy
  • Replacing a Microsoft Access application with a browser-based onenot Caddy
  • Creating admin interfaces and customer or partner portals with role-based accessnot Caddy
  • Agencies and freelancers delivering self-hosted database applications to clientsnot Caddy
  • Teams that need low-code tooling but must keep applications on their own serversnot 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

Xlinesoft

  • The purchase includes one year of support and upgrades only; after that, newer versions require a paid upgrade.
  • Multiple database connections, REST API connections and single sign-on through Active Directory, Okta or SAML are Enterprise-only, which raises the price from $599 to $999 per developer.
  • Self-hosted only. Hosting, database administration, backups, runtime updates and access-control configuration remain the customer's job, as Xlinesoft's own product facts page states.
  • Applications built on Microsoft Access require a Windows web server.
  • PHPRunner and ASPRunner.NET are separate products with separate licences, so moving a project between PHP and .NET is not covered by one purchase.

Pricing, plan by plan

Caddy

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

Xlinesoft

$599/one-time
  • PHPRunner Professional$599/one-time
    • Single developer licence
    • Core application-building product
    • One year of email support and upgrades
  • PHPRunner Enterprise Edition$999/one-time
    • Single developer licence
    • Multiple database and REST API connections
    • Data encryption
  • PHPRunner MultiDev Edition$3599/one-time
    • Three Enterprise Edition licences
    • Multiple developers working on the same project at the same time
    • One year of email support and upgrades
  • ASPRunner.NET Professional$599/one-time
    • Generates ASP.NET web applications
    • Same database coverage and security model as PHPRunner
    • Enterprise Edition available

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 Xlinesoft if

  • You need database to web application.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.
  • You also want page designer and themes.
Xlinesoft review

Questions people ask

Is Caddy or Xlinesoft better?
Neither clearly leads. Caddy starts at Free and Xlinesoft at $599/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Caddy or Xlinesoft?
Caddy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Caddy and $599/one-time for Xlinesoft.
Does Caddy or Xlinesoft run on more platforms?
Caddy runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker. Xlinesoft runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.
Can I use Caddy for free?
Yes. Caddy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Xlinesoft starts at $599/one-time.
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 Xlinesoft is typically brought in for.
What can Caddy do that Xlinesoft cannot?
Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, Caddyfile, Reverse proxy, Single binary. Xlinesoft covers Database to web application, Page Designer and themes, Events, custom code and AI assistance, Security and dynamic permissions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Caddy: Is Caddy free?

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

Xlinesoft: How much does PHPRunner cost?

PHPRunner Professional is $599, Enterprise Edition is $999 and MultiDev Edition, which includes three Enterprise licences, is $3,599. Professional and Enterprise prices are per developer, and each purchase includes one year of email support and free upgrades.

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.

Xlinesoft: Which databases does PHPRunner support?

MySQL, MariaDB, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Microsoft Access, IBM DB2, Informix, SQLite and ODBC-compatible databases. Using multiple database connections in one project is an Enterprise Edition feature.

Source
Caddy: Caddy or Nginx?

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

Xlinesoft: Is there a free trial?

Yes. PHPRunner can be downloaded and evaluated for 21 days, and public live demos show the generated applications, with add, edit and delete disabled.

Source
Xlinesoft: Where do PHPRunner applications run?

On your own web server. The documented options are Apache and Microsoft IIS with a compatible PHP runtime and database extensions, and a built-in web server is available for local testing. The development application itself runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Source
Xlinesoft: What does the Enterprise Edition add?

Multiple database and REST API connections, data encryption, and enterprise authentication including Active Directory, Okta, Azure AD, OpenID and SAML, on top of all Professional features.

Source
Xlinesoft: What is ASPRunner.NET?

Xlinesoft's equivalent builder for ASP.NET. It generates database-driven ASP.NET web applications with the same kind of forms, reports, charts, permissions and Page Designer, and is sold separately from $599.

Source
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