IIS vs NGINX Controller comparison

Microsoft and F5 are both solutions in the Application Infrastructure category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.2, while F5 is ranked #20 with an average rating of 7.0. Microsoft holds a 11.1% mindshare in AIS, compared to F5’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of F5 users who would recommend it.

IIS

Read 57 IIS reviews

3,221 Views
2,061 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

NGINX Controller

Read 1 NGINX Controller review

91 Views
91 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IIS

NGINX Controller

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between IIS and NGINX Controller based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, IBM, F5 and others in Application Infrastructure.

To learn more, read our detailed Application Infrastructure Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Application Infrastructure

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

IIS

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Server (5th)

NGINX Controller

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

20th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

5.2

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 IIS is 11.1%, down from 12.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NGINX Controller is 0.5%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Infrastructure

Featured Reviews

DanielWildermuth

Testtool expert at Helvetia Versicherungen

Provides integration with Eggplant but problems with stability

We use Windows Server only for Eggplant Manager. Otherwise, I'm not using it At the moment, we have big problems with stability, and I'm not very happy at the moment. So, the stability could be improved. I have been using it for a few years. The initial setup is complex. We have an…

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Satheesh Papisetty

Digital Services & Engagement Senior Manager at AXA

Load balancing and security strengthen operations while error handling needs improvement

The most valuable features of NGINX Controller ( /products/nginx-controller-reviews ) include its load-balancing capabilities and security features. I find the security aspect particularly strong, and it allows for application routing and managing index pages efficiently. Overall, these features fit well within a three-tier architecture, which is essential for our operations.

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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

"It is a scalable solution."

"IIS is easy to configure in terms of websites and other solutions."

"The product is easy to use."

"The solution is very easy to use and offers a quick deployment."

"The solution has been reliable."

"The solution is very stable. The solution is very simple and easy to use."

"The most valuable feature of IIS is it does not consume a lot of resources. It does not consume a lot of resources, such as memory."

"IIS works natively with Windows Server without any issues in publishing certificates."

More IIS pros

"NGINX Controller is cheap compared to other solutions, and it offers significant cost and time savings."

Cons

"If Microsoft IIS could work well with AppOptics or things like PHP, Python, and other custom languages that run on the webserver, it would be ideal. I think there are cases where people need to use Apache instead of IIS when IIS doesn't work well with other web languages."

"The product could be more compatible with Linux and macOS, particularly when applying user configuration policies."

"The customer service and support team can be improved."

"At the moment, we have big problems with stability, and I'm not very happy at the moment. So, the stability could be improved."

"The initial setup could be made easier."

"The platform's stability could be better."

"There is an issue with the network. The tool's price is also high."

"IIS could improve by Microsoft Windows improving the update services. We would like to be able to update all systems that are connected. The WSA service has to be in good order to accomplish this."

More IIS cons

"The technical support from NGINX Controller is not good. They do not offer quick responses or 24/7 support, which is lacking when immediate assistance is needed."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool is included with Windows."

"IIS is expensive."

"There is a license needed for the solution."

"They offer a one-time payment model for the product license, and we pay annually for support."

"I didn't need to get an additional license for the solution since it was included in my server."

"The tool's pricing is on a yearly basis."

"The price of Windows Server IIS is expensive. They have a large user base, and they charge a little bit too much."

"I give the price of the solution a five out of ten."

More IIS pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

Manufacturing Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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,...

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What do you like most about IIS?

The product is flexible.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IIS?

If you have a Windows license, there is no additional cost for IIS. However, you may need to pay for SSL publishing at times.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NGINX Controller?

NGINX Controller is cheap compared to other solutions, and it offers significant cost and time savings.

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What needs improvement with NGINX Controller?

The error handling in NGINX Controller requires improvement. The handling of misconfigurations is not good enough and needs enhancements.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for NGINX Controller?

We use NGINX Controller ( /products/nginx-controller-reviews ) for load balancing purposes. Our use case involves integrating it with a three-tier architecture, where it serves as a critical compon...

See all answers

Comparisons

Apache Web Server vs IIS

Compared 28% of the time

NGINX Plus vs IIS

Compared 27% of the time

Tomcat vs IIS

Compared 12% of the time

Oracle WebLogic Server vs IIS

Compared 11% of the time

Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP) vs IIS

Compared 6% of the time

More IIS Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IIS

July 2025

Download IIS product report

Buyer's Guide

Application Infrastructure

July 2025

Download NGINX Controller product report

Also Known As

Windows Server IIS

No data available

Overview

Internet Information Services (IIS) provides a secure, easy-to-manage, modular and extensible platform for reliably hosting websites, services and applications. With IIS, you get choice and control without giving up reliability or security.

Microsoft

Built to manage NGINX Plus instances at scale, NGINX Controller provides DevOps and developers a self-service, API driven control plane for their most critical application and security services. Manage and monitor load balancers, API gateways, and web application firewalls across any cloud, all from a single pane of glass.

The NGINX Controller API Management Module is an API management solution, combining NGINX Plus as an API gateway with new control‑plane functionality. NGINX Controller is designed to empower Infrastructure & Operations and DevOps teams to define, publish, secure, monitor, and analyze APIs, without compromising performance.

Sample Customers

Erste Bank Group, NJVC, Samsung Electronics, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Tata Steel Europe, Urban Software Institute

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Application Infrastructure

July 2025

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