Softwr

Cloud · head to head

Zipkin vs Caddy

Zipkin logo

Zipkin

Cloud

Distributed tracing system for microservice latency

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: Zipkin less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger; Caddy smaller ecosystem than Nginx, so third-party guides and modules are fewer
  • They diverge on capability: Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Zipkin and Caddy actually diverge.

Attributes where Zipkin and Caddy differ
AttributeZipkinCaddy
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), 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 Zipkin

  • Trace collection and search
  • Dependency diagram
  • Simple deployment
  • Pluggable storage

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.

Zipkin

  • Adding distributed tracing quickly without standing up heavy infrastructurenot Caddy
  • Java and Spring Boot estates, where instrumentation support is long-establishednot Caddy
  • Small deployments where Jaeger is more than the problem requiresnot Caddy

Caddy

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

Where each one falls short

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

Zipkin

  • Less active development and smaller community momentum than Jaeger
  • Fewer features: sampling, storage options and UI are all more limited
  • The interface is dated and slower to work with on large trace volumes
  • Tracing alone still leaves metrics and logs in separate tools during an incident

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

Zipkin

Free
  • ZipkinFree
    • Full functionality
    • No usage limits
    • Community support

Caddy

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Zipkin if

  • You need trace collection and search.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want dependency diagram.
Zipkin 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 Zipkin or Caddy better?
Neither clearly leads. Zipkin 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, Zipkin or Caddy?
Zipkin starts at Free and Caddy at Free.
Does Zipkin or Caddy run on more platforms?
Zipkin runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Caddy runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker.
Can I use Zipkin for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Zipkin best used for?
Zipkin is most often used for adding distributed tracing quickly without standing up heavy infrastructure, java and spring boot estates, where instrumentation support is long-established, small deployments where jaeger is more than the problem requires. Of those, adding distributed tracing quickly without standing up heavy infrastructure and java and spring boot estates, where instrumentation support is long-established are not what Caddy is typically brought in for.
What can Zipkin do that Caddy cannot?
Zipkin covers Trace collection and search, Dependency diagram, Simple deployment, Pluggable storage. Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, Caddyfile, Reverse proxy, Single binary.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zipkin: Is Zipkin free?

Yes, open source with no licence fee.

Caddy: Is Caddy free?

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

Zipkin: Zipkin or Jaeger?

Jaeger has more momentum, more features and CNCF backing. Zipkin is lighter and quicker to stand up, and remains well supported in the Java and Spring ecosystem.

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.

Zipkin: Does Zipkin work with OpenTelemetry?

Yes. OpenTelemetry can export to Zipkin, which is now the usual way to instrument for it.

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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