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Apache Web Server vs NGINX Plus comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 2025

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
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NGINX Plus
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
3rd
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
32
Ranking in other categories
Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) (10th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Apache Web Server is 7.3%, down from 11.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NGINX Plus is 8.0%, down from 10.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
NGINX Plus8.0%
Apache Web Server7.3%
Other84.7%
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.
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 Web Server effectively runs any web application, including Java-based applications, and includes Apache Tomcat server, which is crucial."
"It's reliable, configurable and generally secure."
"Apache Web Server can be used as a proxy server"
"Depending on what operating system you are using, you can have a website up in no time using Apache web server."
"The Apache Web Server is our software of choice for running our web servers for the past seven (7) years."
"Apache is a powerful tool with which you can make it do just about anything you need."
"The product is very cheap and stable."
"Zero Downtime has always been a strength in recommending infrastructure web services, and NGINX allows me to execute such infrastructure with less complications and the ability to switch from server to server easily."
"It performs very well. That's one of the primary reasons we use NGINX."
"The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is simple to configure."
"The web application firewall feature has helped enhance security for our applications because most of the attacks which are performed on our website are being blocked by it, so the web application firewall is good."
"NGINX is the best available tool today for the tasks it covers."
"I receive very good support."
"When you use NGINX, you have more options and power."
"NGINX provides a cost advantage, value addition, and effective support."
 

Cons

"The major issue occurs with ports. So, I would like to see easier port management."
"It would be great if technical support for Apache were available in Iran. It is a very important need."
"No support is available from Apache software foundation."
"With Apache, you can't update the system. There is a big gap between models. I don't like this."
"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."
"So far, for us, everything is okay."
"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."
"There isn't a dedicated customer support available"
"Improvement needed in NGINX Plus could focus on optimizing memory usage for users."
"I am not so happy with their pricing policy, but this is not the worse thing in my life."
"The biggest room for improvement would be to allow NGINX Core machines to cluster for memory zones in some way with a plug and play module. ​"
"The drawback is that you must obtain a license for everything."
"If NGINX brings some features for health check in the open source version, it would be better. ​"
"The user interface could be improved."
"There is room for improvement in the pricing model."
"NGINX is not cost-effective, especially for few applications, and is considered higher-priced."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is a free-of-cost solution."
"The apache software is free, open-source."
"It is an open-source solution."
"There is no licensing cost for the product."
"I use the solution's community edition which is free of cost."
"Compared to other similar solutions on the market, I think it's over-priced."
"You pay for each feature that you want."
"The list price of NGINX Plus is close to $5,500."
"It's an open source solution, so it's free."
"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."
"​NGINX is a free tool in Brazil. There are some companies which do support it.​"
"The solution is free, but you can spend a lot of money with a complex solution."
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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
Construction Company
15%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Outsourcing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Construction Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
 

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 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 there is some cost, but today I do not know how many companies pay for that servic...
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 infrastructure that can be resilient and robust enough to handle resource shortages, and...
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 application server and the web server; it was Apache Daemon and Apache, the web ser...
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 architecture can handle the most demanding tasks. From media streaming to web applications,...
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 they were zero days, so they attempted to fix it, but their support was not proper....
 

Also Known As

Apache HTTP Server
NGINX, F5 NGINX Plus
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Cisco, Intuit, General Electric, Adobe, VMware, PayPal, HP, EMC, eBay, Apple, SAP, Qualcomm, SanDisk, Allstate, FedEx
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 Apache Web Server vs. NGINX Plus and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
908,800 professionals have used our research since 2012.