Side by side
Caddy vs frp
Both stand on reverse proxy software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan AndroidAPILinux+4
Choose Caddy for a self-hosted server or proxy when automatic HTTPS, broad reverse-proxy support, and deployment flexibility matter. Look elsewhere if response caching is a requirement; paid sponsorship tiers are available for additional support and services.
Visit Caddy Free plan AndroidLinuxMac+2
Choose frp if you need free, self-hosted proxying for intranet services and value its range of protocols, authentication methods and monitoring options. Look elsewhere if you need dependable XTCP behavior across varying NAT types or a Dashboard suited to large volumes of proxy data.
Visit frpThe facts
| Caddy | frp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | Android, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Indie: $25 a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 8 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | caddyserver.com | gofrp.org |
| On reverse proxy software | #6 of 33 | #10 of 33 |
Caddy: what it does well
- Obtains and renews TLS certificates automatically by default.
- Reverse proxy supports WebSockets, gRPC, and FastCGI.
- Provides load balancing and health checks.
- Can be deployed as a process, service, container, or Kubernetes workload.
- Supports JSON API and Caddyfile configuration.
What to know first
- Self-hosted deployment requires operating the software in your environment.
- Response caching is listed as unsupported.
- Tiers with listed support and services start at $25 a month.
frp: what it does well
- Supports TCP, UDP, HTTP and HTTPS proxying.
- Offers token and OIDC authentication; token is the default.
- Proxy groups support load balancing and health checks.
- Includes a browser Dashboard and a client Admin UI.
- Provides platform-specific binaries without additional dependencies.
What to know first
- XTCP availability and stability depend on NAT hole-punching success.
- The Dashboard is not optimized for large amounts of proxy data.
- Version 2 will not be compatible with version 1.