Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Zeabur vs Caddy

Zeabur logo

Zeabur

Cloud

AI-powered cloud deployment platform for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Caddy logo

Caddy

Cloud

Web server with automatic HTTPS by default

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Zeabur free plan limited to single server with 48-hour log retention; Caddy smaller ecosystem than Nginx, so third-party guides and modules are fewer
  • They diverge on capability: Zeabur covers AI Agent, Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Zeabur and Caddy actually diverge.

Attributes where Zeabur and Caddy differ
AttributeZeaburCaddy
Pricing modelFixed monthly plansOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, CLILinux, macOS, Windows, Docker
Founded2025Unknown

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 Zeabur

  • AI Agent
  • Managed Servers
  • Domain and DNS Management
  • Email Service
  • AI Hub
  • Deploy Templates
  • Git Integration

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.

Zeabur

  • Deploying full-stack web applications without DevOps expertisenot Caddy
  • Building AI agent infrastructure with integrated API accessnot Caddy
  • Managing multi-region deployments with automated scalingnot Caddy
  • Running containerized services with built-in domain and emailnot Caddy

Caddy

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

Where each one falls short

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

Zeabur

  • Free plan limited to single server with 48-hour log retention
  • Small team size may limit support and feature velocity
  • Building spec upgrades limited on lower tiers
  • Enterprise support not clearly documented

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

Zeabur

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 manageable server
    • 2C4G build specs
    • 48-hour log retention
  • Dev$5/month
    • 3 manageable servers
    • 7-day log retention
    • 250 MB file uploads
  • Pro$19/month
    • 10 manageable servers
    • 4C8G build specs
    • 30-day log retention
  • Team$79/month
    • 3 included seats
    • Unlimited manageable servers
    • 90-day log retention

Caddy

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Zeabur if

  • You need ai agent.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI.
  • You also want managed servers.
Zeabur 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 Zeabur or Caddy better?
Neither clearly leads. Zeabur starts at Free and Caddy at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Zeabur or Caddy?
Zeabur starts at Free and Caddy at Free.
Does Zeabur or Caddy run on more platforms?
Zeabur runs on Web, CLI. Caddy runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker.
Can I use Zeabur for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Zeabur best used for?
Zeabur is most often used for deploying full-stack web applications without devops expertise, building ai agent infrastructure with integrated api access, managing multi-region deployments with automated scaling, running containerized services with built-in domain and email. Of those, deploying full-stack web applications without devops expertise and building ai agent infrastructure with integrated api access are not what Caddy is typically brought in for.
What can Zeabur do that Caddy cannot?
Zeabur covers AI Agent, Managed Servers, Domain and DNS Management, Email Service. Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, Caddyfile, Reverse proxy, Single binary.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zeabur: What is included in the free plan?

The free plan includes 1 manageable server, 2C4G build specifications, 48-hour log retention, 50 MB file upload limit, and community support.

Source
Caddy: Is Caddy free?

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

Zeabur: How do additional seats work on the Team plan?

The Team plan includes 3 seats with additional seats available at $24 per seat per month.

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.

Zeabur: Is there a free trial period?

The Dev and Pro plans include 14 days free before billing begins.

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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