DashCaddy - Self-Hosting Made Beautiful

Download the app

Grab the installer for your platform from the download page:

Windows — dashcaddy-installer-win-x64.exe (recommended; adds Start Menu and desktop shortcuts) or dashcaddy-installer-win-x64-portable.exe (single file, no install)
macOS (Apple Silicon M1–M4) — dashcaddy-installer-mac.dmg (drag-install disk image, Apple Silicon build) or dashcaddy-installer-mac-arm64.zip
macOS (Intel) — dashcaddy-installer-mac-x64.zip
Linux — dashcaddy-installer-linux-x64.AppImage or dashcaddy-installer-linux-x64.deb (Debian/Ubuntu)

Every release has a SHA256SUMS.txt alongside the files at get.dashcaddy.net/release/SHA256SUMS.txt. Verify your download against it before running anything — with clear limits on what that check does and doesn't prove (see below).

The desktop app is a window, not a second server. It connects to your DashCaddy host over the network — all your services, data, and configuration stay on the server where you installed DashCaddy. Nothing is duplicated on your desktop.

Verify your download first

Because the installers are not code-signed yet (see below), checksum verification is the strongest check you can do before running one. It confirms the file you downloaded is byte-for-byte the file that was published:

macOS / Linux

# from your Downloads folder
curl -O https://get.dashcaddy.net/release/SHA256SUMS.txt
grep -E "dashcaddy-installer-mac\.dmg$" SHA256SUMS.txt | shasum -a 256 -c -
# ($ anchors the filename at end of line, so exactly one manifest entry is
#  selected. Should print: dashcaddy-installer-mac.dmg: OK)

Windows (PowerShell)

# from your Downloads folder
Invoke-WebRequest https://get.dashcaddy.net/release/SHA256SUMS.txt -OutFile SHA256SUMS.txt
Get-FileHash dashcaddy-installer-win-x64.exe -Algorithm SHA256
# compare the hash to the matching line in SHA256SUMS.txt

If a hash doesn't match, don't run the file — re-download it first, and if it still mismatches, don't assume your machine is at fault: the published manifest itself could be stale or wrong. Report it instead.

Install on Windows

Download dashcaddy-installer-win-x64.exe and run it.
If Windows shows “Windows protected your PC” (blue SmartScreen), click More info, then Run anyway. See Why the security warning? below.
Follow the setup wizard (choose install location — defaults are fine).
Launch DashCaddy from the Start Menu or desktop shortcut.

Install on macOS

From the DMG (recommended, Apple Silicon)

Download dashcaddy-installer-mac.dmg and double-click to mount it.
Drag DashCaddy Installer into the Applications folder shortcut.
Eject the disk image, then launch DashCaddy from Applications.

From the ZIP (any Mac)

Download and unzip the file for your Mac (-arm64.zip for Apple Silicon, -x64.zip for Intel).
Drag DashCaddy Installer.app into your Applications folder.
Launch it from Applications.

First launch on macOS

Because the app isn't notarized yet, macOS Gatekeeper will stop it the first time. That's a one-time step — macOS remembers your choice:

Try to open the app. You'll see a dialog saying the app can't be verified — click Cancel (don't drag it to Trash).
Right-click (or Control-click) the app in Applications and choose Open, then click Open again in the confirmation dialog. macOS now allows the app and opens it normally from now on.

On newer macOS versions the right-click route may be hidden. Instead: System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to the Security section, find the message saying “DashCaddy Installer was blocked”, click Open Anyway, authenticate with your password or Touch ID, then click Open in the final confirmation dialog.

Why the security warning?

Windows SmartScreen and macOS Gatekeeper aren't a single check — they combine developer-identity requirements (on Windows, a paid code-signing certificate; on macOS, Developer ID signing plusApple's notarization scan — the ticket Apple attaches isn't itself a signature, it's Apple's verdict that the signed app passed a malware check) with reputation and other security signals. DashCaddy currently has none of these, so the OS treats it as unverified.

Unverified is not the same as malicious— plenty of legitimate open-source software ships unsigned — but it does mean the OS's automated vetting doesn't apply to it.

Verifying the SHA256 checksum against the published manifest gives you a limited integrity check: it confirms the file you downloaded matches, byte for byte, what the release server published — so it detects a truncated or corrupted download, or tampering in transit. It does not prove the software itself is safe: the manifest lives on the same server as the binaries, so a compromised server could replace both. Checksum comparison is a useful habit, not a substitute for code signing — and signing/notarization is exactly what's on the roadmap to close that gap. In the meantime:

Download only from get.dashcaddy.net (HTTPS) — not from mirrors, chat links, or third-party sites.
Verify the SHA256 checksumusing the steps above, and treat a mismatch as a file you should never run. Note that a persistent mismatch across fresh downloads can also mean the published manifest itself is stale or wrong — either way, don't run the file; report it instead.

What fixes the warnings takes more than a certificate, and differs by platform: on macOS, Developer ID signing plus notarization makes Gatekeeper open the app normally. On Windows, code signing removes the unidentified-publisher state, but SmartScreen can still warn until the binary builds up download reputation over time. Both are on the roadmap.

Connect the app to your server

When the app opens, enter your DashCaddy URL — the same address you use in the browser (for example https://dashcaddy.example.com).
Log in with your usual credentials and TOTP code.
You're in — the app renders the identical dashboard, and your session stays signed in between launches.

The app needs to reach the same hostname as your browser. If you use a custom TLD (like dashcaddy.home), make sure the machine running the desktop app also has DashCaddy's root certificate installed (see the Installation Guide).

Troubleshooting the desktop app

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Mac: “can't be opened” again on a later launch	Quarantine flag re-applied after the app file was replaced or moved	Right-click → Open once more, or System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway
Windows: SmartScreen blocks the portable exe	Unsigned binary with no download reputation yet	More info → Run anyway (after verifying the checksum)
Checksum doesn't match	Incomplete download, or the file was modified in transit	Re-download from get.dashcaddy.net and verify again before running
App opens but shows “connection refused”	Wrong URL, or the DashCaddy host is down	Check the URL in a browser first. If the browser works, re-type it in the app.
Certificate warning inside the app	Custom-TLD install without the root cert on this machine	Install the DashCA root certificate on the computer running the app
Login works in browser but not the app	Stale cached session after a server restart	Log out inside the app, then log back in

Next steps

With the app connected, head to Deploy Your First Service to add your first application through the App Selector.