head to head · open source
caddy vs port-buddy
caddy has 78,660 GitHub stars, 5,232 forks, 286 open issues and last shipped yesterday. port-buddy has 536 stars, 46 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped yesterday. caddy leads on adoption by 14,575% (78,660 vs 536 stars). caddy is written in Go under Apache-2.0; port-buddy is written in Java under Apache-2.0. caddy has attracted 7% as many forks as stars, port-buddy 9%. caddy was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (reverse-proxy), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| caddy | port-buddy | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 79K | ★ 536 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | Java |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.2K | ⑂ 46 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick caddy if
- You weight community size — 79K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick port-buddy if
- You want the port-buddy feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and port-buddy fits your workflow better
About caddy
a project Every site on HTTPS Caddy is an extensible server platform that uses TLS by default. Releases · Documentation · Get Help Powered by Special thanks to: Warp, built for coding with multiple AI agents Available for MacOS, Linux, & Windows Menu Features Install Build from source For development With version information and/or plugins Quick start Overview Full documentation Getting help About Features Easy configuration with the Caddyfile Powerful configuration with its native JSON config Dynamic configuration with the JSON API Config adapters if you don't like JSON Automatic HTTPS by default ZeroSSL and…
read the full caddy overview →
About port-buddy
🚀 Port Buddy — Secure Localhost Tunneling (HTTP, TCP, UDP) Official Website License Port Buddy is a lightweight, high performance ngrok alternative designed to instantly expose your local development servers to the public internet. Unlike standard tools, Port Buddy features native, zero configuration support for HTTP/HTTPS , raw TCP , and UDP protocols right out of the box. Whether you need to test webhooks, expose a local database, debug an SSH connection, or host a local multiplayer game server, Port Buddy creates a secure reverse tunnel with a single command—no router port forwarding required. ✨ Key Features…
read the full port-buddy overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is caddy or port-buddy more popular?
caddy has 78,660 GitHub stars and port-buddy has 536. caddy has the larger community by that measure.
Are caddy and port-buddy free?
Both are open source. caddy is licensed under Apache-2.0 and port-buddy under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between caddy and port-buddy?
caddy is written in Go and port-buddy in Java. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, caddy or port-buddy?
Choose caddy if you want the larger community (78,660 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose port-buddy if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.