https://github.com/wikid82/charon
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.
https://github.com/wikid82/charon
caddy crowdsec docker docker-compose homelab proxy-manager reverse-proxy security self-hosted sso tailscale waf web-ui
Last synced: 16 days ago
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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.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/wikid82/charon
- Owner: Wikid82
- License: mit
- Created: 2025-11-17T17:50:44.000Z (4 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-02-03T02:43:43.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-02-03T02:58:42.136Z (about 1 month ago)
- Topics: caddy, crowdsec, docker, docker-compose, homelab, proxy-manager, reverse-proxy, security, self-hosted, sso, tailscale, waf, web-ui
- Language: Go
- Homepage: https://wikid82.github.io/Charon/
- Size: 65.7 MB
- Stars: 4
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 58
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
- Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml
- License: LICENSE
- Security: SECURITY.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
Charon
Your server, your rules—without the headaches.
Manage reverse proxies with a clean web interface.
No config files. No cryptic syntax. No networking degree required.
---
## 🚀 Why Charon?
You want your apps online.
You don’t want to edit config files or memorize reverse proxy syntax.
Charon gives you:
- ✅ Automatic HTTPS certificates
- ✅ Clean domain routing
- ✅ Built-in security protection
- ✅ One-click Docker app discovery
- ✅ Live updates without restarts
- ✅ Zero external dependencies
If you can use a website, you can run Charon.
---
## 🛡 Built-In Security
Charon includes security features that normally require multiple tools:
- Web Application Firewall (WAF)
- CrowdSec intrusion detection
- Access Control Lists (ACLs)
- Rate limiting
- Emergency recovery tools
Secure by default. No extra containers required.
📖 [Learn more about security →](https://wikid82.github.io/charon/security)
---
## ⚡ Quick Start (5 Minutes)
### 1️⃣ Create `docker-compose.yml`
```yaml
services:
charon:
image: 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:
- TZ=America/New_York
# Generate with: openssl rand -base64 32
- CHARON_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-32-byte-base64-key
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD-SHELL", "curl -fsS http://localhost:8080/api/v1/health || exit 1"]
interval: 30s
timeout: 10s
retries: 3
start_period: 40s
```
### 2️⃣ Generate encryption key:
```bash
openssl rand -base64 32
```
### 3️⃣ Start Charon:
```bash
docker-compose up -d
```
### 4️⃣ Access the dashboard:
Open your browser and navigate to `http://localhost:8080` to access the dashboard and create your admin account.
```code
http://localhost:8080
```
### Getting Started:
Full setup instructions and documentation are available at [https://wikid82.github.io/Charon/docs/getting-started.html](https://wikid82.github.io/Charon/docs/getting-started.html).
--- ## ✨ 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.
### 🌐 **DNS Challenge for Wildcard Certificates**
Secure all your subdomains with a single *.example.com certificate. Supports 15+ DNS providers including Cloudflare, Route53, DigitalOcean, and Google Cloud DNS. Credentials are encrypted and automatically rotated.
### 🛡️ **Enterprise-Grade Security Built In**
Web Application Firewall, rate limiting, geographic blocking, access control lists, and intrusion detection via CrowdSec. Protection that "just works."
### 🔐 **Supply Chain Security**
Verifiable builds with cryptographic signatures, SLSA provenance attestation, and comprehensive SBOMs. Verify what you run with transparent, tamper-proof evidence.
### 🌐 **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**
Already invested in another reverse proxy? Bring your work with you by importing your existing configurations with one click:
- **Caddyfile** — Migrate from other Caddy setups
- **Nginx** — Import from Nginx based configurations (Coming Soon)
- **Traefik** - Import from Traefik based configurations (Coming Soon)
- **CrowdSec** - Import from CrowdSec configurations
- **JSON Import** — Restore from Charon backups or generic JSON configs
### ⚡ **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://github.com/Wikid82/Charon/blob/main/docs/features.md)**
---
💬 Support
---
❤️ Free & Open Source
Charon is 100% free and open source under the MIT License.
No premium tiers. No locked features. No usage limits.
Built for the self-hosting community.