Apache Web Server vs Squid Proxy Cache Server comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Apache and Cloud Infrastructure Services are both solutions in the Application Infrastructure category. Apache is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.5, while Cloud Infrastructure Services is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.3. Apache holds a 6.7% mindshare in AIS, compared to Cloud Infrastructure Services’s 0.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Apache users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Cloud Infrastructure Services users who would recommend it.

Apache Web Server

Read 24 Apache Web Server reviews

3,781 Views
3,743 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Squid Proxy Cache Server

Read 18 Squid Proxy Cache Server reviews

2,630 Views
79 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

Apache Web Server

Squid Proxy Cache Server

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Apache Web Server and Squid Proxy Cache Server based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Application Infrastructure solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Apache Web Server vs. Squid Proxy Cache Server Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server vs. Squid Proxy Cache Server

September 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 915,341 peers since 2012

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

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Squid Proxy Cache Server

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

8th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

5.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2026, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Apache Web Server is 6.7%, down from 11.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Squid Proxy Cache Server is 0.2%. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Infrastructure Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Apache Web Server	6.7%
Squid Proxy Cache Server	0.2%
Other	93.1%

Application Infrastructure

Featured Reviews

Dimitrios Zigkos

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.

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Mayashankar Mishra

Owner For Data Center Operations Dns Cache at Proximus S.A.

Caching and reverse proxy have boosted performance and improved secure web and mail access

I think Squid Proxy Cache Server can be improved by having a nice front-end, one similar to Blue Coat for access management, view management, and direct configuration instead of doing it all through the CLI. It's best to have everything done through the GUI, which is what I think can improve the product. I don't want to implement third-party GUIs on Squid Proxy Cache Server. So that's what would be on my wish list—that Squid Proxy Cache Server by itself provides a GUI, which will give more confidence to users. I haven't actually used AI with Squid Proxy Cache Server, but I think it might be very interesting to have the AI capability built-in. However, I do think we need some GPU or something to boost the performance on Squid Proxy Cache Server as natively running. I think we need to add some GPU cards so that it works more natively with AI. I don't have experience using AI features yet, but I think it would be great if it could do some live scanning of the websites that are getting blocked on a daily basis and perform some sampling analysis. Especially in the case of reverse proxy, if there are any attacks happening, it would be beneficial if it scrapes through its own log files and provides some nice dashboards showing where the attacks are coming from. That would be really great to have as a handy troubleshooting tool. One more feature I would ask for is if AI can provide the best possible configuration and do a review of Squid Proxy Cache Server just to make sure that no other ports or anything by default are missed in configuration. It would also be great if the proxy server acts as a load balancer in a cluster mode that shares the cache, and the configuration is best set.

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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

"Apache has proven to be incredibly reliable, and everything has operated smoothly without encountering any issues."

"It's very stable, and it hosts one of the biggest of many biggest web applications in the world."

"The product is very cheap and stable."

"Apache is a powerful tool with which you can make it do just about anything you need."

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

"I do find some benefits with Nginx."

"It is scalable."

"Apache Web Server is freeware with no setup or licensing costs, yet it efficiently and stably runs our web applications in the cloud, including Java-based ones with Apache Tomcat and SSL for secure connectivity, providing substantial cost-savings for our organization."

More Apache Web Server pros

"Squid Proxy Cache Server positively impacts my organization because I can filter the internet content that users can access."

"Squid Proxy Cache Server has positively impacted my organization by reducing the cost of internet providing traffic, speeding up the connection, and speeding up the loading for the developers."

"Squid Proxy Cache Server is a great solution, and when you have a different network, you can combine different Squid Proxy Cache Server instances to increase the capability to control and increase the access for web content."

"Squid Proxy Cache Server positively impacts my organization because it is a software that has the ability to organize internet connections, sort them, and generate reports."

"I will definitely encourage others to maintain and implement Squid Proxy Cache Server in their infrastructure because I think your team is really working hard to improve it."

"Squid Proxy Cache Server has positively impacted my organization because, as I mentioned, I do not have to enable internet access for each and every machine."

"The overall main benefits I experienced from using Squid Proxy Cache Server are the ability to control employee web browsing."

"Before, we used Blue Coat Proxy, Cyberoam Proxy, Forcepoint, and other solutions, and the reason we switched to Squid Proxy Cache Server is cost, because those professional proxy solutions have huge yearly cost involvement, and currently with Squid Proxy Cache Server, we are using it at no cost."

More Squid Proxy Cache Server pros

Cons

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

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

"In future releases, I would like to see better server optimization."

"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"

"The only thing that gives me a frown about the Apache Web Server is the command-line configuration."

"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 fast enough in edge cases without crashing under too much traffic during spikes."

"The interface has room for improvement."

More Apache Web Server cons

"In my opinion, Squid Proxy Cache Server can be improved by covering more issues, having more updates, and providing a slightly more updated version of lists and logs and information that we can distribute to other places for a more complete monitoring of it."

"I would rate it ten if we had a dashboard or visible interface with Squid Proxy Cache Server."

"In terms of how Squid Proxy Cache Server can be improved, I believe that a few more details regarding how information is stored in the request-response cycle can be enhanced, especially in hit scenarios, and a few of the security architecture tools can also be improved."

"Squid Proxy Cache Server could be improved by covering more aspects, having more updates, and providing a more up-to-date version of lists and logs that I can distribute to other places, thereby making its monitoring more complete."

"Squid Proxy Cache Server is not stable."

"To improve Squid Proxy Cache Server, I believe more marketing and additional training and certification programs are important."

"I think Squid Proxy Cache Server can be improved by having a nice front-end, one similar to Blue Coat for access management, view management, and direct configuration instead of doing it all through the CLI."

"The configuration of Squid Proxy Cache Server was somewhat difficult for someone new to the product."

More Squid Proxy Cache Server cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is no licensing cost for the product."

"It is an open-source solution."

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

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

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Construction Company

20%

Comms Service Provider

11%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	11

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	6
Midsize Enterprise	2
Large Enterprise	11

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...

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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...

See all answers

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...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Squid Proxy Cache Server?

My experience with Squid Proxy Cache Server regarding pricing, setup cost, and licensing is that it is an open-source product. There is no pricing, setup cost, or licensing cost. You use it and if ...

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What needs improvement with Squid Proxy Cache Server?

I cannot think of how Squid Proxy Cache Server can be improved. It has everything built-in, from Active Directory integration to centralized logging. It has been a proxy cache server for so many ye...

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What is your primary use case for Squid Proxy Cache Server?

My main use case for Squid Proxy Cache Server is that we have machines behind an internet firewall which do not have access to the internet. The only way these machines can access anything outside,...

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Compared 100% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server

October 2026

Download Apache Web Server product report

Buyer's Guide

Squid Proxy Cache Server

September 2026

Download Squid Proxy Cache Server product report

Also Known As

Apache HTTP Server

No data available

Overview

Apache Web Server is a stable, open-source platform known for its cost-effectiveness, multi-platform compatibility, ease of setup, and high security. It supports various web scripting languages and enables HTTPS services, making it a popular choice for many organizations.

Apache Web Server offers extensive features including HTTP server capabilities and modularity. It efficiently handles client requests and is highly flexible, which is why many companies utilize it for hosting applications, developing websites, and more. Community support further enhances its reliability, though improvements like integration with cloud systems such as Kubernetes, a simplified port management, and support for Microsoft's .Net framework are desired. Initial setup challenges exist, and enhanced security features and GUI updates would benefit less experienced users. Apache needs optimization for resource efficiency and compatibility with modern application architectures.

What are the most important features of Apache Web Server?

Open-Source: Apache is free and community-driven.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works on multiple operating systems.
Modular Architecture: Allows scalability and customization.
Secure: Supports HTTPS services and has WAF capabilities.
Performance: Efficiently handles client requests.

What benefits can users expect from using Apache Web Server?

Cost-Effective: No licensing fees associated.
High Reliability: Community support ensures stability.
Flexibility: Easily integrates with numerous frameworks.
Scalability: Modular design aids in scaling operations.
Community Support: Continuous updates and enhancements.

Apache Web Server is widely used across different industries such as financial sectors for hosting applications and core banking systems. Integrated with tools like JMeter and Tomcat, it is pivotal in deploying web servers and acting as a proxy for application servers. In cloud migrations, its open-source WAF features using ModSecurity are invaluable, and companies rely on its capabilities for managing threats and attacks through HTTP/HTTPS connections.

Apache

Squid Proxy Cache Server is a widely-used caching proxy that improves web performance and reduces bandwidth by caching frequently accessed content. It supports HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP protocols, making it a flexible and reliable solution for efficient data management and website acceleration.

Squid Proxy Cache Server provides a robust, high-performance caching solution that optimizes data flow and enhances user experiences by reducing redundant data transmission. It offers advanced caching algorithms and access controls, supporting various network configurations. Its versatility makes it suitable for ISPs, large enterprises, and small to medium businesses looking to improve network speed and reduce costs. Squid offers the ability to control content access, optimize bandwidth usage, and enhance security, positioning itself as a valuable tool for handling complex enterprise caching needs.

What are the most important features of Squid Proxy Cache Server?

Caching: Reduces bandwidth usage and improves load times by storing copies of frequently accessed pages.
Access Control: Customizable user permissions to manage who can access specific data.
Content Filtering: Improves security and compliance by filtering unwanted web content.
SSL Support: Provides secure encryption for web traffic to protect sensitive data.
Load Balancing: Distributes network traffic evenly to ensure optimal resource use and uptime.

What benefits should users look for in Squid Proxy Cache Server reviews?

Improved Speed: Noticeably reduces load times, enhancing user experience.
Cost Efficiency: Lowers expenses related to data usage and infrastructure.
Enhanced Security: Offers robust options to secure network data.
Scalability: Easily adapts to growing networking needs without sacrificing performance.
Reliability: Proven track record of maintaining consistent performance in diverse environments.

In industries like telecommunications and education, Squid Proxy Cache Server is utilized to manage high volumes of traffic and content access. Telecom operators use it to balance traffic loads effectively, ensuring uninterrupted service. Educational institutions leverage its caching capabilities to store large amounts of educational material, providing fast access to resources for students and educators while controlling access to inappropriate content.

Cloud Infrastructure Services

Sample Customers

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

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server vs. Squid Proxy Cache Server

September 2026

Free Report: Apache Web Server vs. Squid Proxy Cache Server

Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Web Server vs. Squid Proxy Cache Server and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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