Simplifying .NET Deployment with Caddy: The Modern Web Server
Caddy Server is a Swiss Army knife Web Server that isn't limited to .NET
Let’s talk about something that might change how you think about deploying .NET apps. While nginx has been the go-to reverse proxy for what feels like forever, there’s a new player that’s been turning heads: Caddy. It’s a modern web server written in Go that makes deployment so simple, you might actually start enjoying server configuration. (Yes, really!)
Why Consider Caddy for .NET?
Here’s the thing about Caddy that first made me raise my eyebrows: automatic HTTPS. No more messing around with certbot, no more calendar reminders for certificate renewals, and no more late-night panics when a cert expires or having to write scheduled automations. Caddy just… handles it. All of it. Automatically.
Configuration Examples: Caddy vs Nginx
Let’s examine how Caddy and Nginx handle common configuration scenarios for .NET applications.
Basic Reverse Proxy
Caddy:
example.com {
reverse_proxy localhost:5000
}
Nginx:
server {
listen 80;
server_name example.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:5000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection keep-alive;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
}
}
HTTPS Configuration
Caddy (automatic HTTPS):
example.com {
reverse_proxy localhost:5000
}
Nginx (manual SSL configuration):
server {
listen 443 ssl;
server_name example.com;
ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/fullchain.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/privkey.pem;
ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;
ssl_ciphers ECDHE-ECDSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:ECDHE-ECDSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384:ECDHE-ECDSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:ECDHE-RSA-CHACHA20-POLY1305:DHE-RSA-AES128-GCM-SHA256:DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384;
ssl_prefer_server_ciphers off;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:5000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection keep-alive;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
}
}
Load Balancing
Caddy:
example.com {
reverse_proxy {
to localhost:5000 localhost:5001 localhost:5002
lb_policy round_robin
}
}
Nginx:
upstream backend {
server localhost:5000;
server localhost:5001;
server localhost:5002;
}
server {
listen 80;
server_name example.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://backend;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection keep-alive;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
}
}
Getting Started
Want to try it out? Here’s how quick it is to get running on Ubuntu:
sudo apt install -y debian-keyring debian-archive-keyring apt-transport-https
curl -1sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/gpg.key' | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/caddy-stable-archive-keyring.gpg
curl -1sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/caddy/stable/debian.deb.txt' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/caddy-stable.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install caddy
Create your Caddyfile, and you’re up and running.
Why It’s Great with .NET
Caddy and .NET’s Kestrel server are like peanut butter and jelly - they just work well together. You get:
HTTP/3 support out of the box (try doing that with nginx without pulling your hair out)
SSL/TLS that just works
Security headers that don’t require a degree in cryptography to configure
Load balancing that doesn’t make you want to cry
Static file serving that’s actually straightforward
When You Need the Fancy Stuff
Even when things get complicated, Caddy keeps its cool:
example.com {
# Because the future is now
protocols h1 h2 h3
# Smoosh those responses
encode gzip zstd
# Handle different services like a pro
handle /api/* {
reverse_proxy localhost:5000
}
handle /admin/* {
reverse_proxy localhost:5001
basic_auth {
admin JDJhJDE0JDh3UTFqcE8...
}
}
# Serve static files because that's still a thing
handle /* {
root * /var/www/static
file_server
}
# When things go wrong (they will)
handle_errors {
rewrite * /error/{http.error.status_code}.html
file_server
}
}
The Numbers Game
Let’s talk performance. Here’s the real deal:
Nginx is still slightly faster (we’re talking 2-5% - you probably won’t notice)
Caddy uses less memory (your wallet will thank you)
Caddy’s CPU usage is more predictable (your monitoring alerts will be quieter)
You’ll catch config errors faster with Caddy
Development is just plain faster when you’re not wrestling with config files
Making the Switch
If you’re thinking about moving from nginx to Caddy, here’s the game plan:
Start simple - don’t try to port everything at once
Trust Caddy’s defaults - they’re pretty smart
Forget everything you know about manual certificate management
Use environment variables to keep things flexible
Let Caddy handle the headers - it knows what it’s doing
The Bottom Line
Look, Nginx isn’t going anywhere. It’s battle-tested and solid. But if you’re starting a new .NET project or tired of maintaining complex configurations, Caddy might just be the breath of fresh air you need. It’s like having a DevOps engineer built into your web server - one that never sleeps and doesn’t need coffee.
Give it a shot on your next project. The worst that could happen is you’ll have to write less configuration code. And honestly, when was the last time that was a bad thing?