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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
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NGINX Plus
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
4th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) (7th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Apache Web Server is 11.4%, up from 10.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NGINX Plus is 9.6%, down from 11.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
NGINX Plus9.6%
Apache Web Server11.4%
Other79.0%
Application Infrastructure
 

Featured Reviews

Sakthivel Veeramuthu - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Michael Olayemi - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables public access and secure configurations through reverse proxy
The primary valuable feature of NGINX for me is its ability to provide a reverse proxy. I have found that this feature supports our local server, and I am able to connect through our DNS system, making it accessible publicly. Additionally, the integration with SSL certificates and the configuration capabilities make it a valuable solution for my use case. Without NGINX, users would not be able to access our application, which means there is positive ROI from using NGINX as it is crucial for the functioning of my organization.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is scalable."
"It's reliable, configurable and generally secure."
"The open-source nature is one of its most significant advantages."
"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 offers good security."
"The product's initial setup phase is straightforward."
"The solution's most valuable feature is reporting."
"Apache has proven to be incredibly reliable, and everything has operated smoothly without encountering any issues."
"It performs very well. That's one of the primary reasons we use NGINX."
"Nginx is simple to configure, very stable in a highly utilized environment and very modular, allowing DevOps to create it's own modules for interactive use with Nginx."
"The product is lightweight and fast."
"The overall product rating is ten out of ten."
"The best solution, by far, for web traffic control for things in production and just around the house."
"The load balancing module, which is equivalent to LTM, is the focus of the PSE. So far, the features of both are identical. I believe NGINX has more features for securing these services, but in terms of load balancing, both are massive solutions."
"Valuable features include authentication, caching, reverse proxy routing, and load balancing."
"The product is resilient."
 

Cons

"Its stability could be better."
"The major issue occurs with ports. So, I would like to see easier port management."
"So far, for us, everything is okay."
"The product's initial setup process could be easier for users."
"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."
"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."
"In future releases, I would like to see better server optimization."
"Lacks integration with some cloud solutions."
"If NGINX brings some features for health check in the open source version, it would be better. ​"
"Initially, I experienced hiccups whenever I installed the application. As with any application, there were initial issues, however, after receiving support, everything was rectified."
"The solution's GUI is an area with certain shortcomings that need improvement."
"It would be good if NGINX provided a graphical user interface."
"The KPI should be more focused on load balancing and the latency in application calling from the end system."
"Initially, I experienced hiccups whenever I installed the application."
"I would suggest adding GUI-based configuration panels to NGINX Plus to simplify setup and management tasks."
"Lack of a feature to print data on the terminal for verification of network traffic during debugging and testing."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is a free-of-cost solution."
"The apache software is free, open-source."
"There is no licensing cost for the product."
"It is an open-source solution."
"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 cost is reasonable."
"​NGINX is a free tool in Brazil. There are some companies which do support it.​"
"I use the solution's community edition which is free of cost."
"Nginx is free. I don't have experience with the Plus version."
"I am not so happy with their pricing policy, but this is not the worse thing in my life. I can tolerate it."
"It's an open source solution, so it's free."
"HAProxy is cheaper than NGINX."
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Comparison Review

it_user240036 - PeerSpot reviewer
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
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
14%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
16%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise10
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business15
Midsize Enterprise2
Large Enterprise10
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Apache Web Server?
The product's initial setup phase is straightforward.
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.
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.
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 do you like most about NGINX Plus?
It performs very well. That's one of the primary reasons we use NGINX.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NGINX Plus?
My use case involves using the free and open-source version of NGINX, making it cost-effective as I haven't incurred any costs.
 

Also Known As

Apache HTTP Server
NGINX
 

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: September 2025.
869,832 professionals have used our research since 2012.