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Apache Web Server vs IIS vs NGINX Plus comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Apache Web Server is 8.0%, down from 11.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IIS is 7.1%, down from 11.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NGINX Plus is 7.9%, down from 10.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
IIS7.1%
NGINX Plus7.9%
Apache Web Server8.0%
Other77.0%
Application Infrastructure
 

Featured Reviews

Dimitrios Zigkos - PeerSpot reviewer
Enterprise Architect at Smals vzw
Faced limitations with integration and long-term adaptability but benefited from a lightweight architecture for standalone applications
I find valuable and beneficial the independence that comes with Apache Web Server. You can build a small project using a simple application server without bothering too much about how to manage it. The compatibility with multiple operating systems has helped my operations since most of the time we use Linux. Some systems rely on Windows, but they are few; in the past, Windows was the dominant operating system for mainstream PCs and infrastructure, but not for business. All the companies I worked for had 90% Linux and maybe up to 10% Windows. The initial setup of Apache Web Server was straightforward and okay.
Krishnakumar Natarajan - PeerSpot reviewer
Systems Engineer at Atos
Designs and manages multiple websites while ensuring data backup and disaster recovery
I have experience with AWS, and I am most familiar with the server environment, as we just use the server environment and then use Microsoft products on an AWS environment. I have experience with Windows Server IIS, which I ran on my own on-premise data center. The website was developed and then hosted, and through IIS, we managed the servers. The manageability within the IIS environment is not very difficult. For server management, you need to ensure data backup, data restore, and you have a DR configured to keep the database intact. It was done on-premises, so I had no problem doing that. If you have to go to the cloud, then you should have the storage connected to the IIS server and also have a DR set up for that. I didn't use Microsoft Azure tools, but since it is a Microsoft product, Azure has all the portability, so you don't have to worry about compatibility on the cloud. On a scale of 1-10, I would rate this solution a 10.
Nadeem-Inamdar - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Information Security Engineer at a tech company with 10,001+ employees
Advanced policies and web firewall have strengthened application protection and reduced attack traffic
There were some vulnerabilities in F5. They tried to fix it, but the fixes were not available at the time because they were zero days, so they attempted to fix it, but their support was not proper. Their support should be improved because sometimes features which we need for customization take time, and they are sometimes feasible and sometimes not feasible by the team, so their support and the engineering team should improve their product. I would like to see more features regarding customization which should be built into the application, and the tool optimization should be good, and the dashboard should be more crisp and clear.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The product's initial setup phase is straightforward."
"Apache has proven to be incredibly reliable, and everything has operated smoothly without encountering any issues."
"I find valuable and beneficial the independence that comes with Apache Web Server; you can build a small project using a simple application server without bothering too much about how to manage it."
"Depending on what operating system you are using, you can have a website up in no time using Apache web server."
"Apache is a powerful tool with which you can make it do just about anything you need."
"The Apache Web Server is our software of choice for running our web servers for the past seven (7) years."
"In my experience, Apache Web Server has been a good and stable solution."
"Most of the features I liked were related to the performance during peak hours."
"It is a lightweight web host that is easy to configure for simple webpages."
"It helps scan and mitigates our vulnerabilities using the best protocols to secure our environment."
"It's very easy to publish."
"IIS is useful for the deployment of web applications...Its stability is good."
"The best features of IIS are that you can design your own website and manage it yourself, creating as many websites as you want."
"Authentication for network appliances, load balancing products and wireless devices became easy to do."
"What I like most about this program is the fact that it's built into Windows, and then I also like the interface and the support."
"This is definitely a stable solution."
"NGINX provides a cost advantage, value addition, and effective support."
"NGINX is much easier to deploy and configure, and the skillset required to handle NGINX is more available in the market compared to deploying F5, Radware, or Citrix."
"When you use NGINX, you have more options and power."
"The product is resilient."
"The primary valuable feature of NGINX for me is its ability to provide a reverse proxy."
"​The flexibility of its modules allow it to be scalable.​"
"Valuable features include authentication, caching, reverse proxy routing, and load balancing."
"Its versatility and capabilities make it invaluable for implementing patches and fixes when necessary."
 

Cons

"Regarding advice, there is a security-related problem that depends on the web server's configuration."
"By optimizing the infrastructure to allow the webserver to directly handle queries from memory—particularly by prioritizing the storage of queries in memory and processing them through the web server interface—I could potentially cut down the required instances from five hundred to two hundred."
"In future releases, I would like to see better server optimization."
"So far, for us, everything is okay."
"I want the user interface to be more user-friendly."
"The only thing that gives me a frown about the Apache Web Server is the command-line configuration."
"It would be great if technical support for Apache were available in Iran. It is a very important need."
"There isn't a dedicated customer support available"
"Microsoft products can only work within the Windows environment, which limits their versatility."
"Scalability issues and security concerns need attention from Microsoft."
"The tool needs to improve its performance."
"IIS could improve by having some features related to URL rewrite, ARR (Application Request Routing) and HTTPS certificate generation."
"We've never had any issues with the solution, but it's still nice to have overall improvements on it. It could be easier and faster to use, for example."
"The price of the cloud system is a bit high."
"IIS needs immediate improvements, especially in the area of security management."
"The solution's black box is not fast."
"There is room for improvement in the pricing model."
"The center management system could be improved."
"One area of improvement could be that NGINX could provide a means to generate self-signed SSL certificates."
"I would suggest adding GUI-based configuration panels to NGINX Plus to simplify setup and management tasks."
"The solution needs to be easier to setup and deploy."
"The scalability could be improved."
"I am not so happy with their pricing policy, but this is not the worse thing in my life."
"Compared to other similar solutions on the market, I think it's over-priced."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is no licensing cost for the product."
"The apache software is free, open-source."
"It is an open-source solution."
"It is a free-of-cost solution."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution."
"The tool is included with Windows."
"The cost for IIS is already included in Windows services. We don't have to pay anything extra."
"IIS's pricing is not expensive."
"It is licensed with your Windows installation which makes it relatively cheap if you already have a Windows Server sitting around."
"The product's price is not high."
"The licensing cost is dependent on the usage."
"We purchased a Microsoft Windows license and the license for IIS came in the package."
"NGINX Plus is an open-source solution with limited additional features. When you try to get additional features in the solution, then you need to pay an extra amount to NGINX Plus."
"The price is the cost to contract support with a specialized company, usually during consulting hours.​"
"I am not so happy with their pricing policy, but this is not the worse thing in my life. I can tolerate it."
"Compared to other similar solutions on the market, I think it's over-priced."
"​NGINX Plus is worth it, if you need it. If you do not need the features or support, the free and open source package is more than capable. ​"
"I use the solution's community edition which is free of cost."
"HAProxy is cheaper than NGINX."
"You pay for each feature that you want."
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Comparison Review

it_user240036 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior IT Architect at a university with 5,001-10,000 employees
Apr 10, 2016
Apache vs. Nginx
Originally posted https://zitseng.com/archives/10435 Apache or Nginx. This is a question that many website administrators have considered. It’s a question that I’ve also considered several times, and again just the past week. Apache is the most popular web server on the Internet. Nginx, on the…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
12%
Construction Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Outsourcing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Computer Software Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise11
Large Enterprise22
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise11
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Web Server?
There are no fees associated with the usage of Apache Web Server in my projects. If you want to have support, then th...
What needs improvement with Apache Web Server?
I would like to see improvements in the functionality and core of Apache Web Server, focusing on building an infrastr...
What is your primary use case for Apache Web Server?
I am currently working with Apache Web Server in my projects because I'm an architect. Some years ago, it was the app...
Which is better - IIS or NGINX Plus?
IIS is a flexible, secure, and manageable web server to host anything on the web. IIS’s scalable and open architectur...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IIS?
For the pricing, setup cost, and licensing for IIS, as a Microsoft product, I didn't think much about separately purc...
What needs improvement with IIS?
I see that IIS has maintained the same interface for a long time, so they could potentially use more automation or in...
What needs improvement with NGINX Plus?
There were some vulnerabilities in F5. They tried to fix it, but the fixes were not available at the time because the...
What is your primary use case for NGINX Plus?
I am generally satisfied with NGINX Plus; it is good, the policies are fine-tuned and superb, but there are vulnerabi...
 

Also Known As

Apache HTTP Server
Windows Server IIS
NGINX
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Cisco, Intuit, General Electric, Adobe, VMware, PayPal, HP, EMC, eBay, Apple, SAP, Qualcomm, SanDisk, Allstate, FedEx
Erste Bank Group, NJVC, Samsung Electronics, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Tata Steel Europe, Urban Software Institute
Locaweb, AppNexus, Wix, Reliam, Montana Interactive, MuleSoft, Warpwire, Discovery Education, InkaBinka, WordPress.com, Gogo, GOV.UK, NASA
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, F5, IBM and others in Application Infrastructure. Updated: May 2026.
899,204 professionals have used our research since 2012.