Web Application Firewall, rate limiting, geographic blocking, access control lists, and intrusion detection via CrowdSec. Protection that "just works."

🔗 Smart Proxy Headers

Automatically adds standard headers (X-Real-IP, X-Forwarded-Proto, etc.) so your backend applications see real client IPs, enforce HTTPS correctly, and log accurately—with full backward compatibility for existing hosts.

🐳 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 →

Quick Start

Docker Compose (Recommended)

Save this as docker-compose.yml:

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:

docker-compose up -d

Docker Run (One-Liner)

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?

Charon downloaded and started
The web interface opened on port 8080
Your websites will use ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS)

Open http://localhost:8080 and start adding your websites!

Upgrading? Run Migrations

If you're upgrading from a previous version with persistent data:

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 for details.

🔔 Smart Notifications

Stay informed about your infrastructure with flexible notification support.

Supported Services

Charon integrates with popular notification platforms using JSON templates for rich formatting:

Discord — Rich embeds with colors, fields, and custom formatting
Slack — Block Kit messages with interactive elements
Gotify — Self-hosted push notifications with priority levels
Telegram — Instant messaging with Markdown support
Generic Webhooks — Connect to any service with custom JSON payloads

JSON Template Examples

Discord Rich Embed:

{
  "embeds": [{
    "title": "🚨 {{.Title}}",
    "description": "{{.Message}}",
    "color": 15158332,
    "timestamp": "{{.Timestamp}}",
    "fields": [
      {"name": "Host", "value": "{{.HostName}}", "inline": true},
      {"name": "Event", "value": "{{.EventType}}", "inline": true}
    ]
  }]
}

Slack Block Kit:

{
  "blocks": [
    {
      "type": "header",
      "text": {"type": "plain_text", "text": "🔔 {{.Title}}"}
    },
    {
      "type": "section",
      "text": {"type": "mrkdwn", "text": "*Event:* {{.EventType}}\n*Message:* {{.Message}}"}
    }
  ]
}

Available Template Variables

All JSON templates support these variables:

Variable	Description	Example
`{{.Title}}`	Event title	"SSL Certificate Renewed"
`{{.Message}}`	Event details	"Certificate for example.com renewed"
`{{.EventType}}`	Type of event	"ssl_renewal", "uptime_down"
`{{.Severity}}`	Severity level	"info", "warning", "error"
`{{.HostName}}`	Affected host	"example.com"
`{{.Timestamp}}`	ISO 8601 timestamp	"2025-12-24T10:30:00Z"

📖 Complete Notification Guide →

Getting Help

📖 Full Documentation — Everything explained simply 🚀 5-Minute Guide — Your first website up and running 💬 Ask Questions — Friendly community help 🐛 Report Problems — Something broken? Let us know

Description

A lightweight, user-friendly web interface for managing Caddy as a reverse proxy. It simplifies SSL management and host routing for self-hosters who want the power of Caddy without the manual configuration.

caddy crowdsec docker docker-compose homelab proxy-manager reverse-proxy security self-hosted sso tailscale waf web-ui

Readme MIT 77 MiB

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