As many of you probably know, one of the most used web servers in the world is Apache and the other one is Nginx. When it comes to PHP and other dynamic languages, which one is better? What advantages does each one have? In this article I will compare Apache vs Nginx. Let’s start.
What is Apache?
Apache is an open-source web server that powers one of the most popular web servers in the world, which is the Apache webserver. It is used by almost everyone on the Internet, you can find it on various operating systems including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Apache consists of Apache HTTP Server (or just httpd) that can be used as a web server, application server, proxy server, load balancer, web cache, reverse proxy, and so on.
What is Nginx?
Nginx is a free, open-source, high-performance HTTP and TCP reverse proxy server and the webserver. It has numerous useful features. The Nginx web server is known to be a scalable, reliable, and secure web server. Nginx is also available on various operating systems including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Some of the top popular websites such as Instagram, Airbnb, and GitHub use Nginx.
Apache vs Nginx – Comparison
There are several different ways to compare Apache and Nginx. There are also a few features, advantages, and disadvantages of each of these web servers. Let’s get started.
Advantages of Apache
Apache has a built-in web server and proxy features. It’s easier to develop, upgrade, and manage. It can handle dynamic pages. The development is simple. Apache has built-in features such as proxy, firewall, virtual host, caching, etc.
Disadvantages of Apache
It takes a lot of time and resources to develop it. There is no support for web frameworks. It consumes a lot of resources and time to load. It requires good knowledge of HTML. The deployment of the Apache is a challenging task.
Advantages of Nginx
Nginx is a lightweight server, which has faster performance and a better load time. It has built-in features such as proxy, firewall, virtual host, and so on. Nginx consumes fewer resources and less memory.
Disadvantages of Nginx
It doesn’t support web frameworks and you have to use something like a Unix socket instead. It doesn’t have built-in authentication and authorization.
Apache vs Nginx – Security and stability
Nginx is a lightweight webserver that consumes less memory and CPU. It also takes less time to load. It has faster performance. The installation of Nginx is easier. It’s also highly secured. It has better stability than the Apache server. For the web servers, it’s always a major concern about security and stability.
According to cve.mitre.org, Apache had almost 2000 vulnerabilities found, many of them were critical remote code execution bugs. A great example is a recently found Log4shell vulnerability in Log4j Java component, which is used in Apache. And Nginx has less than 120 vulnerabilities found and very few RCEs.
Features of Nginx
It has built-in authentication and authorization. It’s secured by default. It supports proxy, firewall, and virtual host. It supports both HTTP and HTTPS protocols. The users can share information or their files through FTP using Nginx. It provides basic statistics for bandwidth consumption. It consumes less memory and CPU.
Features of Apache
Apache is a very efficient web server. It provides a different level of security using authentication. It provides full control to the users. The users can manage their websites using root access. It has built-in authentication. It can handle dynamic pages. The users can access the websites from any location without a network configuration. It supports most of the languages.
Performance
According to some studies, Apache consumes less memory and CPU than Nginx. However, Nginx is a lot faster than Apache. It requires fewer resources to run Nginx. It’s very responsive. It has the best user experience.
Summary
This post compares the features of Nginx and Apache. Both the servers have their benefits and disadvantages. It depends on the users, requirements, and web technologies. Nginx is always recommended for beginners. It is a lot simpler than Apache. It has all the basic requirements for a secure, efficient, fast, and stable webserver.