Just say “deploy Plex” — DashCaddy’s AI Intent Router handles the rest. Deploy apps with one click, automatic SSL, DNS, and reverse proxy — or ship your own code straight from GitHub with built-in Shipdeck deploys. 78 templates, fleet management, and an MCP control plane for AI assistants. Everything you need for self-hosted perfection.
Trusted by self-hosting enthusiasts
31 languages incl. Arabic (RTL)
Pick your mode, paste one command, and the installer handles the runtime, Caddy, the wizard, and your first login.
AI-native self-hosting — from one-click deploys to fleet management and a full MCP control plane.
Natural language to structured actions. Just type “deploy Plex” and DashCaddy provisions the container, SSL, DNS, and reverse proxy automatically.
Model Context Protocol integration turns DashCaddy into an AI-native control plane. Your AI assistant deploys apps, checks health, manages containers, backups, and DNS through one MCP endpoint — and the public /api/v1/capabilities manifest tells it exactly what the running build supports.
Choose from 78 pre-configured app templates with smart defaults — deploy your favorite applications in one click, no manual configuration, no compose files to write.
Unified event pipeline aggregates deploys, Caddy, DNS, Tailscale, audit log, and health checker events into one real-time security dashboard — with per-IP perimeter analytics and automatic PII masking on every log.
Register remote DashCaddy instances, run parallel health probes across your fleet, and execute multi-host deployment plans from one console.
Auto-detect running containers and adopt them with one click — Caddy route and DNS record created automatically, zero manual config.
TOTP 2FA, email magic links, multi-user with admin invites, audit logging, and encrypted credential management built in.
Full-system backups with SHA-256 checksum verification and one-click restore. Your infrastructure is always recoverable.
Extend DashCaddy with custom service types, notification providers, workflow actions, and dashboard widgets. A fully extensible platform.
Get up and running in minutes, not hours.
Install DashCaddy, then answer one question — “What do you want to self-host?” The Smart Defaults Wizard matches your hardware profile and configures everything automatically.
Click “Deploy” on any template, or just ask the AI Intent Router in plain English. SSL certificates and DNS records are automatically configured.
Your app is live with SSL and DNS configured. Monitor health in real time, manage containers, and run one-click backups from the dashboard.
Deploy your favorite apps instantly with pre-configured templates, automatic SSL certificates, and integrated DNS management.
App Templates
Configuration
Deploy
DashCaddy isn't the right tool for everyone. Here's where it wins and where the alternatives are stronger.
| Capability | DashCaddy | Portainer | CasaOS | YunoHost | Unraid | Cosmos Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI Intent Router (natural language) | — | — | — | — | — | |
| MCP Server for AI assistants | — | — | — | — | — | |
| One-click app templates | 78 apps | Manual | ~120 apps | ~500 apps | Community | ~30 apps |
| Automatic SSL (Let's Encrypt or internal CA) | Manual | Manual | ||||
| Automatic DNS record management | — | — | Partial | — | Partial | |
| Internal PKI / CA for private TLDs | — | — | — | — | — | |
| WebSocket real-time updates | Partial | — | — | — | Partial | |
| Unified Security Center (multi-source events) | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Multi-host fleet management | Premium | Business | — | — | — | |
| Plugin / extension system | Limited | Community | Limited | |||
| Open-source core | Proprietary | CE + Business | Proprietary | |||
| Built-in user accounts + RBAC | Business | — | Plugin | Partial |
AI-native control plane, MCP server, automatic DNS+SSL chain, internal PKI for private TLDs, unified security events.
One-click apps, real-time updates, plugin systems, user accounts with RBAC are table stakes. DashCaddy does all of them.
YunoHost has 500+ packaged apps. Unraid has a mature community app store. If raw app count is the only thing you care about, those are better.
Compare the pain of manual setup versus the power of an AI-native self-hosting platform.
| Feature | Manual Setup | DashCaddy |
|---|---|---|
| SSL Certificates | Manual configuration via Let’s Encrypt | ✓ Automatic |
| DNS Management | Manual DNS records | ✓ Automatic (Technitium) |
| Reverse Proxy Setup | Complex Nginx/Caddy config | ✓ Caddyfile-as-Code builder |
| App Templates | Write your own compose files | ✓ 78 pre-configured |
| AI Commands | Not available | ✓ AI Intent Router + MCP |
| Fleet Management | SSH into each host manually | ✓ Multi-host, parallel probes |
| Security Center | Scattered logs & tools | ✓ Unified event pipeline |
| Disaster Recovery | Manual scripts, no verification | ✓ SHA-256 verified backups |
| Real-Time Updates | Manual refresh, CLI only | ✓ WebSocket live dashboard |
| Plugin System | Not extensible | ✓ Custom widgets, providers |
| Health Monitoring | Third-party tools required | ✓ Built-in + Prometheus export |
| Backup & Restore | Manual scripts and planning | ✓ One-click backup |
| Audit Logs | Not included | ✓ Built-in |
What takes days of manual configuration takes minutes with DashCaddy’s Smart Defaults Wizard and automated setup.
TOTP 2FA, magic links, encrypted credentials, audit logging, and a unified Security Center — built in.
Real-time WebSocket monitoring, Prometheus metrics export, and multi-host fleet management give you visibility across your infrastructure 24/7.
Disaster recovery with full-system backups, SHA-256 checksum verification, and one-click restore keeps your data protected.
Everything you need to automate, integrate, and extend DashCaddy.
Full JSON API
Metrics export
Visual proxy builder
31 languages, RTL
Extend everything
Full type definitions
The most common things people ask before installing DashCaddy.
Yes. The core platform — one-click app deployment, Caddy + DNS + TLS automation, the full app template catalog, AI Intent Router, MCP Server, Security Center, monitoring, backups, REST API, plugin system, and 31-language i18n — is free forever. Premium adds a focused set of advanced features (SSO, Recipes, Swarm orchestration, Fleet Management with Shipdeck deploys, workflow automation, scheduled backups) available as a fixed-duration license. The license runs for the duration you buy and then expires; you re-purchase manually to renew.
Join developers and self-hosting enthusiasts who’ve simplified their infrastructure management with DashCaddy’s AI-native platform.
Your Data, Your Rules
Intent Router + MCP
Real-Time Monitoring