ACIT 3475 - Caddy vs Apache vs Nginx

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Part 1: Caddy vs Apache vs Nginx

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Introduction

When choosing a web server, the three most popular options are Caddy, Apache, and Nginx. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, making them suitable for different use cases, from simple static sites to high-performance applications. This comparison highlights the key differences in performance, ease of use, security, and configuration to help you decide which server best fits your needs.

Caddy vs Apache vs Nginx Comparison

Feature	Caddy 🟢	Apache 🔵	Nginx 🔴
Ease of Setup	✅ Very easy, minimal config (automatic HTTPS)	❌ Complex, requires manual setup	⚠️ Moderate, config can be tricky
Performance	⚡ Fast, but slightly behind Nginx in high-load cases	🐌 Slower under high traffic due to process-based architecture	🚀 Extremely fast and efficient
Memory Usage	🟢 Low (but slightly higher than Nginx)	🔴 High (uses process-based model)	🟢 Very Low (event-driven)
Reverse Proxy	✅ Built-in, simple config	✅ Supported, but requires mod_proxy	✅ Built-in, widely used for this
Static File Serving	✅ Built-in and optimized	✅ Supported, but less efficient than Nginx	✅ Extremely optimized for static files
Load Balancing	✅ Built-in	✅ Supported, but needs additional modules	✅ Built-in, highly efficient
HTTPS (SSL/TLS)	🔥 Auto HTTPS (Let’s Encrypt built-in)	❌ Manual setup (needs Certbot/OpenSSL)	❌ Manual setup (Certbot/OpenSSL required)
Configuration	✅ Simple (Caddyfile, human-friendly)	❌ Complicated (.conf files, many directives)	⚠️ Moderate (.conf files, structured but can be tricky)
Modules & Extensibility	⚠️ Somewhat limited, but supports plugins	✅ Very modular (mod_rewrite, mod_proxy, etc.)	⚠️ Limited but efficient
Security Defaults	🔥 Secure by default, automatic HTTPS & modern TLS settings	❌ Requires manual hardening (defaults are weak)	⚠️ Good defaults but still needs tuning
Best Use Case	🚀 Easy setup for small-to-medium projects, modern apps (React, Vue, APIs)	🏗️ Traditional apps (PHP, legacy projects)	🌍 High-performance web servers, reverse proxy, microservices

Summary

• Caddy: Best for developers who want an easy, modern web server with automatic HTTPS.
• Apache: Best for traditional websites, PHP applications, and older deployments.
• Nginx: Best for high-performance web servers, reverse proxies, and load balancing.

🚀 For your React deployment with Caddy, it's a great choice due to its simplicity and built-in HTTPS support!

References:

• Caddy Documentation
• Apache HTTP Server
• Nginx Documentation

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Part 2: Local Deployment and Portfolio Setup

Step 1: Installing Caddy on Windows

1. Download Caddy: Caddy Download
2. **Move caddy.exe to C:\Windows\System32 and grant admin privilege

Step 2: Configuring a Basic Caddyfile

Create a Caddyfile in your website directory:

localhost {
    root * site
    file_server
}

Step 3: Running Caddy Locally

1. Start Caddy:

   caddy run

2. Navigate to http://localhost

Part 3: Deploying Caddy on AWS EC2

Step 1: Launching an EC2 Instance

1. Log into AWS EC2 and launch an Ubuntu instance.
2. Choose a t2.micro instance (free-tier eligible).
3. Configure Security Groups:
   • Allow HTTP (80) and HTTPS (443).
   • Allow SSH (22) for remote access.
4. Download your .pem key and connect via SSH:

   ssh -i your-key.pem ubuntu@your-ec2-ip

Step 2: Installing Caddy on EC2

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y caddy

Verify installation:

caddy version

Step 3: Deploying Your Website

1. Cloning Your GitHub Repository

cd /usr/share/caddy
sudo git clone https://github-your-username .

2. Setting Permissions

sudo chown -R caddy:caddy /usr/share/caddy
sudo chmod -R 755 /usr/share/caddy

3. Configuring Caddyfile for Your Domain

Edit /etc/caddy/Caddyfile:

your-domain {
    root * /usr/share/caddy
    file_server
}

Restart Caddy:

sudo systemctl restart caddy

Step 4: Configuring Your Domain & SSL

1. Register your domain and set DNS A records:
   • @ → your-ip-address
   • www → your-ip-address
2. Enable HTTPS automatically
3. Verify deployment at https://collinfung.dev