Apache Web Server vs Microsoft .NET Framework comparison

Apache and Microsoft are both solutions in the Application Infrastructure category. Apache is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.8, while Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.5. Apache holds a 11.3% mindshare in AIS, compared to Microsoft’s 5.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Apache users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Apache Web Server

Read 23 Apache Web Server reviews

1,568 Views
1,568 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft .NET Framework

Read 55 Microsoft .NET Framework reviews

1,400 Views
1,358 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Apache Web Server

Microsoft .NET Framework

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 2025

Microsoft .NET Framework and Apache Web Server compete in the enterprise software and web hosting category. While both have their strengths, Apache Web Server may have an edge due to its open-source nature and broad flexibility, which appeals to diverse environments and budget-conscious users.

Features: Microsoft .NET Framework is known for its ease of use, rich libraries, and integration with Windows, supporting multiple programming languages and cross-platform development. Apache Web Server excels with its open-source, modularity, stability, and support for a wide range of languages, favored in web hosting for its flexibility and robust documentation.

Room for Improvement: Microsoft .NET Framework could improve its cross-platform compatibility and expand its open-source community, addressing integration with non-Microsoft environments. Apache Web Server needs enhanced integration features and user-friendly interfaces, particularly benefiting less experienced users, along with better global technical support.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft .NET Framework allows deployment across on-premises, public, and hybrid clouds, supported by solid technical resources. Apache Web Server is primarily used in on-premises and hybrid setups, relying on community-based support, with limited formal technical assistance, making self-help resources valuable for deployment.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft .NET Framework offers free community and paid enterprise versions, with reports of high ROI despite potential costs due to development efficiency. Apache Web Server is entirely free, offering significant cost savings, making it attractive for budget-prioritized organizations, though its ROI is often seen in the context of its free availability.

To learn more, read our detailed Apache Web Server vs. Microsoft .NET Framework Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server vs. Microsoft .NET Framework

July 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

Apache Web Server

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

5th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft .NET Framework

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

2nd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Apache Web Server is 11.3%, up from 9.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft .NET Framework is 5.9%, down from 6.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Infrastructure

Featured Reviews

Sakthivel Veeramuthu

Technology Lead at Infosys

Easy to optimize for high performance and handle heavy traffic

Most of the features I liked were related to the performance during peak hours. Because I needed to optimize the Apache web server to run it as a high performer during my customers' usage, then I needed to reduce my Apache web server resource usage for that. So that part of the thing is what I was more interested in doing. So, I mainly liked the performance and security.

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David Shlingbaum

IT Development Manager, Architect, Developer at Miltel Communications LTD

Old version maintains functionality but lacks current cloud support

Since the version I'm using is many years old, they have been continuously improving. They are always adding features to the language and framework, but I cannot comment from a very old version on what needs to be improved as I'm not completely up to date. There is a challenge and complexity in supporting a very old version of a product that is no longer supported. It's still possible with Microsoft .NET Framework, which isn't the case with many other products. That's a positive aspect. It has limitations when trying to develop new things with Microsoft .NET Framework. But whatever works, continues to work. It always needs improvement, but again, it does not improve when discussing an old version of Microsoft .NET Framework. I think they're always improving, but it's a never-ending process.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Most of the features I liked were related to the performance during peak hours."

"The open-source nature is one of its most significant advantages."

"The product's initial setup phase is straightforward."

"Apache Web Server is free of cost."

"The product is very cheap and stable."

"It's reliable, configurable and generally secure."

"The control panel is very easy to navigate. It's similar to most hosting platforms, so it's user-friendly. Once you get used to it, managing your hosting becomes easy, too."

"The solution's most valuable feature is reporting."

More Apache Web Server pros

"The solution is easy to use."

"The APIs are completely effective."

"Initial setup is straightforward. All the components are readily available."

"If we take low code, no code platform such as RPA platforms, you might end up writing 100 lines of code and you might do it in a single line of code using. NET."

"I'd rate the solution as highly stable."

"Microsoft Platform is the only viable solution when I wish to do something that is not supposed to be cross-platform."

"The most valuable feature is customization."

"Firstly, I appreciate the decision to use Microsoft .NET Framework. I find it to be an excellent language, with a history rooted in providing an alternative to Java, albeit with initial challenges. It is gaining popularity and may be voted the most desirable programming language. What I particularly like about .NET is its language efficiency. While C# is the primary language, the platform also supports others, catering to those inclined towards functional programming. Although I started with Shell, I'm still grasping the concept of functional programming. Despite initial reservations about object-oriented programming, I acknowledge its advantages. .NET is a safer option, and despite criticisms, it has evolved over the years. One notable aspect is .NET's transition to an open platform in recent years, distancing itself from being exclusive to Microsoft engineers. I appreciate the versatility of .NET, enabling code production for a wide range of platforms, presenting a strong competition to Java. It allows targeting practically any physical platform, showcasing its flexibility. These qualities contribute to my positive view of .NET, totaling thirteen aspects that I find appealing."

More Microsoft .NET Framework pros

Cons

"The major issue occurs with ports. So, I would like to see easier port management."

"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."

"For NGINX, I think it has NGINX Management Suite, which is GUI-based and allows you to manage your configuration via the user interface, but Apache fails to offer such capabilities to users."

"The interface has room for improvement."

"So far, for us, everything is okay."

"The product's initial setup process could be easier for users."

"The GUI for the less experienced users needs some improvement. For some companies, it is hard to configure it if they have not had any experience."

"Things change very fast. We're always on the lookout for better approaches and tools. If the solution falls behind, we may have to switch."

More Apache Web Server cons

".NET Is still heavy or dependant on other Microsoft libraries and frameworks."

"Difficult to scale this product for large organizations."

"They should have more training materials available that are specific to .NET. We spend a lot of money training our engineers."

"In my opinion, this solution can be improved by providing out-of-the-box support for different types of libraries."

"The product is nearing its sunset, and we think that by 2028, we won't get support anymore"

"The solution needs to update its security periodically because there are many security concerns."

"Needs stronger security with respect to cloud issues."

"Microsoft could improve .NET Framework by providing more resources to help users understand the solution."

More Microsoft .NET Framework cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an open-source solution."

"The apache software is free, open-source."

"It is a free-of-cost solution."

"There is no licensing cost for the product."

"The product is not expensive."

"Microsoft .NET Framework is a free, open-source solution."

"The Microsoft .NET Framework is free of charge, without licensing cost."

"I rate the solution's pricing a two out of ten because .NET is an open-source framework. You don't have to pay for a license."

"The pricing could be cheaper."

"In the interim, there's no need to purchase videos for viewing. Microsoft has made significant moves in the .NET space, starting with their response in Visual Studio Code and now providing Visual Studio entirely for free. This is a notable shift from the past when we used to pay substantial amounts for technical subscriptions. Previously, a group of ten developers could cost several thousand dollars annually for licensing. However, the current trend is to offer these tools for free to maintain their dominance in the developer market. The market dynamics have changed, and now developers can freely download Visual Studio, making it a preferred choice over other paid options."

"The product’s pricing is a bit high."

"For the moment I can only give the product a rating of five out of ten since only some of the customers will be satisfied, those that have the financial resources for hosting a platform on Windows Server."

More Microsoft .NET Framework pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

University

Construction Company

14%

Real Estate/Law Firm

12%

Government

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Apache Web Server?

The product's initial setup phase is straightforward.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Web Server?

Apache Web Server is a free product, with no associated setup costs or licensing fees.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Apache Web Server?

There is no need for substantial improvements as we have a dedicated team managing the server, ensuring everything runs smoothly.

See all answers

What do you like most about Microsoft .NET Framework?

Microsoft .NET Framework continually innovates, particularly in Visual Studio, which focuses on improving languages, debugging, and .NET functionality.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft .NET Framework?

I don't know about pricing. I'm paying for Visual Studio, even though I'm not using the new version yet. Prices can always be better, but I think for the environment provided, the prices are accept...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft .NET Framework?

See all answers

Comparisons

IIS vs Apache Web Server

Compared 38% of the time

NGINX Plus vs Apache Web Server

Compared 28% of the time

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Apache Web Server

Compared 5% of the time

Magic xpa Application Platform vs Apache Web Server

Compared 5% of the time

Zend PHP Engine vs Apache Web Server

Compared 4% of the time

More Apache Web Server Competitors

IIS vs Microsoft .NET Framework

Compared 15% of the time

Magic xpa Application Platform vs Microsoft .NET Framework

Compared 14% of the time

JBoss Enterprise Application Platform vs Microsoft .NET Framework

Compared 10% of the time

Windows Process Activation Services vs Microsoft .NET Framework

Compared 9% of the time

Uniface vs Microsoft .NET Framework

Compared 8% of the time

More Microsoft .NET Framework Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server

August 2025

Download Apache Web Server product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft .NET Framework

August 2025

Download Microsoft .NET Framework product report

Also Known As

Apache HTTP Server

MS .NET Framework

Overview

The Apache HTTP Server Project was founded in 1995 by a group of webmasters, known as The Apache Group, with the aim of developing robust, richly-featured, freely-available and commercial-standard Web (HTTP) server source code. The result was Apache Web Server or Apache HTTP Server, which is an open-source public-domain web server.

This collaborative project has been enhanced ever since with contributions from the core development team and other volunteers situated all over the globe. Also, hundreds of users of this open-source web server have contributed code, ideas, and documentation. The project falls under The Apache Software Foundation, which manages many open-source projects.

Apache

Microsoft .NET Framework is a software development framework for building and running applications for Windows, Windows Phone, Windows servers, XML Web services, and Microsoft Azure. The software is made up of two major components: Common Language Runtime (CLR) and the .NET Framework Class Library. The CLR is the execution engine that handles running apps and the Class Library is a library of tested, reusable code that developers can call from their own apps.

Microsoft .NET Framework Features

Microsoft .NET Framework has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Memory management: With Microsoft .NET Framework apps, the CLR allocates and releases memory and handles object lifetimes in many programming languages, so programmers are not responsible to do it.

Multitargeting: Microsoft .NET Framework targets .NET Standard, allowing developers to create class libraries that work on multiple Microsoft .NET Framework platforms.

A common type system: When using Microsoft .NET Framework, basic types are defined by the .NET Framework type system and are common to all languages that target Microsoft .NET Framework as opposed to traditional programming languages where basic types are defined by the compiler.

Side-by-side execution: By allowing multiple versions of the common language runtime to exist on the same computer, Microsoft .NET Framework helps resolve version conflicts. In addition, an app can run on the version of Microsoft .NET Framework with which it was built and multiple versions of apps can coexist.

Development frameworks and technologies: Microsoft .NET Framework provides libraries for specific areas of app development, such as ASP.NET for web apps, ADO.NET for data access, Windows Communication Foundation for service-oriented apps, and Windows Presentation Foundation for Windows desktop apps.

Microsoft .NET Framework Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing Microsoft .NET Framework. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Language interoperability: With this Microsoft .NET Framework feature, routines written in one language are accessible to other languages, enabling programmers to focus on creating apps in their preferred languages.

Version compatibility: Microsoft .NET Framework offers version compatibility for rare occasions when apps that are developed by using a particular version of Microsoft .NET Framework happen to run without modification on a later version.

Extensive class library: With Microsoft .NET Framework, programmers have the ability to use a readily accessible Microsoft .NET Framework class library instead of having to write vast amounts of code to handle common low-level programming operations.

Reviews from Real Users

Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by PeerSpot users currently using the Microsoft .NET Framework solution.

PeerSpot user, Syed A., Principal System Developer at a government, says the solution is a “Great all in one framework with extensive stack for web applications, windows applications and mobile applications.”

A QA Supervisor at a manufacturing company mentions, “It comes with many features that you can interact with and has all of the libraries readily available, which is not available in the RPA platforms. You can create your own SSIS package. You can integrate with all of the Windows objects, which is not available in Automation Anywhere, and you need to rely on their Object Cloning technologies to interact with them.”

Brennan G., IS Technical Architect at Avara Foods Holdings Limited, comments, “It is easy to use, and it runs on a Windows platform. The .NET Framework is a very good framework. It does what I need it to do.”

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Cisco, Intuit, General Electric, Adobe, VMware, PayPal, HP, EMC, eBay, Apple, SAP, Qualcomm, SanDisk, Allstate, FedEx

Curtin University, Rockwell Automation, Aruba Networks, Insurity Inc., City of Barcelona, Pennsylvania DCNR, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, A1 Telekom Austria AG, Eastman Chemical Company

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server vs. Microsoft .NET Framework

July 2025

Free Report: Apache Web Server vs. Microsoft .NET Framework

Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Web Server vs. Microsoft .NET Framework and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

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