Self-Host an API Proxy on a VPS (2026, Nginx & Caddy)

A self-hosted API proxy is just a relay on your own server: clients hit your domain, the server forwards to the upstream API. You get a single entry point, your own domain, and one place to add HTTPS and rate limiting. Below are working Nginx and Caddy configs.

Before you start: only proxy services you’re allowed to use, and respect the upstream API’s terms. This is for legitimate use, not for working around access controls.

Prerequisites

• A small VPS (1 GB RAM is enough — see Best VPS for Self-Hosting).
• A domain resolving to the server (point a domain to a VPS).
• Nginx or Caddy installed.

Option A: Nginx reverse proxy

Proxy api.example.com to the upstream upstream.example.com:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name api.example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass https://upstream.example.com;
        proxy_set_header Host upstream.example.com;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
        proxy_ssl_server_name on;
    }
}

Then nginx -t && systemctl reload nginx.

Option B: Caddy (automatic HTTPS)

Caddy needs one block and handles certificates for you:

api.example.com {
    reverse_proxy https://upstream.example.com {
        header_up Host upstream.example.com
    }
}

Run caddy run (or systemctl restart caddy) and HTTPS is handled automatically.

Adding HTTPS (Nginx route)

On the Nginx route, the easiest way to add HTTPS is Nginx Proxy Manager — a GUI that issues and renews Let’s Encrypt certificates for you, no manual cert config: see Nginx Proxy Manager setup.

Tips

• Rate limiting: use limit_req in Nginx so the proxy can’t be hammered.
• Caching: caching cacheable endpoints cuts latency and saves upstream quota.
• Route quality: if you’re calling from a China-facing context, the VPS route matters more than its specs — see Best VPS for China access.

Need to pick a box first? Start at Best VPS for Self-Hosting. Best value is Hetzner ; for China access look at BandwagonHost .