Charon
Your websites, your rules—without the headaches.
Turn multiple websites and apps into one simple dashboard. Click, save, done. No code, no config files, no PhD required.
---
## Why Charon?
You want your apps accessible online. You don't want to become a networking expert first.
**The problem:** Managing reverse proxies usually means editing config files, memorizing cryptic syntax, and hoping you didn't break everything.
**Charon's answer:** A web interface where you click boxes and type domain names. That's it.
- ✅ **Your blog** gets a green lock (HTTPS) automatically
- ✅ **Your chat server** works without weird port numbers
- ✅ **Your admin panel** blocks everyone except you
- ✅ **Everything stays up** even when you make changes
---
## ✨ Top 10 Features
### 🎯 **Point & Click Management**
No config files. No terminal commands. Just click, type your domain name, and you're live. If you can use a website, you can run Charon.
### 🔐 **Automatic HTTPS Certificates**
Free SSL certificates that request, install, and renew themselves. Your sites get the green padlock without you lifting a finger.
### 🛡️ **Enterprise-Grade Security Built In**
Web Application Firewall, rate limiting, geographic blocking, access control lists, and intrusion detection via CrowdSec. Protection that "just works."
### 🐳 **Instant Docker Discovery**
Already running apps in Docker? Charon finds them automatically and offers one-click proxy setup. No manual configuration required.
### 📊 **Real-Time Monitoring & Logs**
See exactly what's happening with live request logs, uptime monitoring, and instant notifications when something goes wrong.
### 📥 **Migration Made Easy**
Import your existing Caddy configurations with one click. Already invested in another reverse proxy? Bring your work with you.
### ⚡ **Live Configuration Changes**
Update domains, add security rules, or modify settings instantly—no container restarts needed.* Your sites stay up while you make changes.
### 🌍 **Multi-App Management**
Run dozens of websites, APIs, or services from a single dashboard. Perfect for homelab enthusiasts and small teams managing multiple projects.
### 🚀 **Zero-Dependency Deployment**
One Docker container. No databases to install. No external services required. No complexity—just pure simplicity.
### 💯 **100% Free & Open Source**
No premium tiers. No feature paywalls. No usage limits. Everything you see is yours to use, forever, backed by the MIT license.
* Note: Initial security engine setup (CrowdSec) requires a one-time container restart to initialize the protection layer. All subsequent changes happen live.
**[Explore All Features →](https://wikid82.github.io/charon/features)**
---
## Quick Start
### Docker Compose (Recommended)
Save this as `docker-compose.yml`:
```yaml
services:
charon:
image: ghcr.io/wikid82/charon:latest
container_name: charon
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "80:80"
- "443:443"
- "443:443/udp"
- "8080:8080"
volumes:
- ./charon-data:/app/data
- /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
environment:
- CHARON_ENV=production
```
Then run:
```bash
docker-compose up -d
```
### Docker Run (One-Liner)
```bash
docker run -d \
--name charon \
-p 80:80 \
-p 443:443 \
-p 443:443/udp \
-p 8080:8080 \
-v ./charon-data:/app/data \
-v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro \
-e CHARON_ENV=production \
ghcr.io/wikid82/charon:latest
```
### What Just Happened?
1. Charon downloaded and started
2. The web interface opened on port 8080
3. Your websites will use ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS)
**Open ** and start adding your websites!
### Upgrading? Run Migrations
If you're upgrading from a previous version with persistent data:
```bash
docker exec charon /app/charon migrate
docker restart charon
```
This ensures security features (especially CrowdSec) work correctly.
**Important:** If you had CrowdSec enabled before the upgrade, it will **automatically restart** after migration. You don't need to manually re-enable it via the GUI. See [Migration Guide](https://wikid82.github.io/charon/migration-guide) for details.
---
## Getting Help
**[📖 Full Documentation](https://wikid82.github.io/charon/)** — Everything explained simply
**[🚀 5-Minute Guide](https://wikid82.github.io/charon/getting-started)** — Your first website up and running
**[💬 Ask Questions](https://github.com/Wikid82/charon/discussions)** — Friendly community help
**[🐛 Report Problems](https://github.com/Wikid82/charon/issues)** — Something broken? Let us know
---
## Contributing
Want to help make Charon better? Check out [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md)
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MIT License ·
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Built with ❤️ by @Wikid82
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