Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Porter vs Caddy

Porter logo

Porter

Cloud

Effortless app infrastructure, your own cloud

From
$6/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Caddy logo

Caddy

Cloud

Web server with automatic HTTPS by default

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Caddy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Porter pricing based on vCPU and memory can be expensive for small projects; Caddy smaller ecosystem than Nginx, so third-party guides and modules are fewer
  • They diverge on capability: Porter covers Rapid deployment, Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Porter and Caddy actually diverge.

Attributes where Porter and Caddy differ
AttributePorterCaddy
Starting price$6/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAWS, GCP, AzureLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker

Identical on both: 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 Porter

  • Rapid deployment
  • Multi-cloud support
  • Framework agnostic
  • DevOps automation
  • Enterprise compliance
  • Cost optimization

Only in Caddy

  • Automatic HTTPS
  • Caddyfile
  • Reverse proxy
  • Single binary

What people use each for

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

Porter

  • Deploying Next.js applications with serverless backendsnot Caddy
  • Scaling microservices across multiple cloud providersnot Caddy
  • Running applications without dedicated DevOps staffnot Caddy

Caddy

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

Where each one falls short

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

Porter

  • Pricing based on vCPU and memory can be expensive for small projects
  • Vendor lock-in to Porter platform despite multi-cloud support
  • Limited customization for complex infrastructure requirements

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Porter

$6/month
  • Standard$undefined/usage
    • RAM: $6 per month per GB
    • vCPU: $13 per month per vCPU
    • Unlimited applications
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Volume discounts available
    • All Standard features
    • Premium support

Caddy

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Porter if

  • You need rapid deployment.
  • You work on AWS, GCP, Azure.
  • You also want multi-cloud support.
Porter review

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

Questions people ask

Is Porter or Caddy better?
Neither clearly leads. Porter starts at $6/month and Caddy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Porter or Caddy?
Caddy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $6/month for Porter and Free for Caddy.
Does Porter or Caddy run on more platforms?
Porter runs on AWS, GCP, Azure. Caddy runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker.
Can I use Caddy for free?
Yes. Caddy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Porter starts at $6/month.
What is Porter best used for?
Porter is most often used for deploying next.js applications with serverless backends, scaling microservices across multiple cloud providers, running applications without dedicated devops staff. Of those, deploying next.js applications with serverless backends and scaling microservices across multiple cloud providers are not what Caddy is typically brought in for.
What can Porter do that Caddy cannot?
Porter covers Rapid deployment, Multi-cloud support, Framework agnostic, DevOps automation. Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, Caddyfile, Reverse proxy, Single binary.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Porter: How is Porter priced?

Porter uses pay-as-you-go pricing: $6 per month per GB of RAM and $13 per month per vCPU. You only pay for the resources your applications use, not cloud instance capacity.

Source
Caddy: Is Caddy free?

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

Porter: Does Porter include cloud provider costs?

Porter pricing excludes underlying cloud provider costs (AWS, Azure, GCP), though cloud credits can offset those expenses.

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.

Porter: Do startups get special pricing?

Yes, nonprofits receive 50% off standard rates, and startups may qualify for special pricing programs.

Source
Caddy: Caddy or Nginx?

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

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