IIS vs Tomcat comparison

Microsoft and Apache are both solutions in the Application Server category. Microsoft is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.3, while Apache is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.8. Microsoft holds a 6.8% mindshare in AppS, compared to Apache’s 19.9% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 94% of Apache users who would recommend it.

IIS

Read 56 IIS reviews

1,545 Views
1,163 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Tomcat

Read 51 Tomcat reviews

4,306 Views
3,427 Comparison Views

94% willing to recommend

IIS

Tomcat

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Feb 2, 2025

IIS and Tomcat compete in the web server and application server category. IIS seems to have the upper hand in environments that require seamless integration with Windows, while Tomcat stands out in cross-platform flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

Features: IIS offers seamless compatibility with Microsoft applications, robust security features, and high performance. In contrast, Tomcat is lightweight, open-source, and excels in cross-platform capabilities, providing easy configuration for Java applications.

Room for Improvement: IIS struggles with compatibility beyond Microsoft platforms and has complex advanced configurations. Tomcat faces challenges with performance in handling static content and scalability for high-traffic applications, along with documentation complexity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IIS is integrated with Windows Server, providing straightforward on-premises deployment and decent technical support. Tomcat's deployment is flexible across platforms, yet support mainly relies on its strong open-source community.

Pricing and ROI: IIS is bundled with Windows Server, offering cost benefits to Microsoft users but can be expensive with additional licensing. Tomcat is free and open-source, providing a low-cost solution for Java applications, though enterprise support may lead to additional expenses.

To learn more, read our detailed IIS vs. Tomcat Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IIS vs. Tomcat

April 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 Server

4th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Infrastructure (1st)

Tomcat

Ranking in Application Server

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IIS is 6.8%, down from 6.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tomcat is 19.9%, down from 20.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Server

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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Erick Karanja

Technical Lead at Cellulant Kenya

Offers high availability, straightforward deployment and easy to use

Tomcat could be a little bit more innovative. Tomcat could come up with a framework that's more lightweight and purely targeted at Java applications. Some other solutions are doing better right now, maybe because they have come up with MicroProfile, which I think is moving forward. It may actually beat Tomcat because of the lightweight nature of the framework, the MicroProfile. They're coming up with new solutions. So, for the future of Tomcat and to maintain the market share they might be looking for, they need to come up with initiatives to ensure that several of us have a lightweight framework to deploy applications on.

Read full review

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."

"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."

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

"The solution is easy to use and connects with Microsoft."

"What I like the most is that it is easy to use."

"When you are working with Microsoft solutions, you will see that the integration with the operating system, and implementing some security features, are easier in IIS than when using another solution."

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

"The tool shows us the operating systems where our servers and applications are running."

More IIS pros

"It is easy to set up."

"It's very stable. No problems at all. I would rate the stability a ten out of ten."

"The scalability overall is good."

"It is a robust solution."

"The ease of use of Tomcat is its most valuable feature. Once we grade particular software, we simply download it and we keep an eye on if Tomcat is working."

"Web apps are very easy to deploy."

"We chose to use Tomcat because it's perfect compared to other containers that we have tested."

"The most valuable feature is the free EE server."

More Tomcat pros

Cons

"The only issue I've encountered is with certificates not working fine sometimes."

"The solution must improve the integration between its databases."

"IIS has some stability issues and needs restarting."

"The security must be improved."

"The solution's black box is not fast."

"The user interface could be improved."

"The graphical user interface has room for improvement and can be more user-friendly."

"The visibility feature of the product is an area with certain shortcomings where improvements are required."

More IIS cons

"Perhaps there could be an easier way to configure some advanced features."

"Tomcat is used mainly for database connections. As of now, we configure that environment for any database configuration. But if any utility can integrate where we can pass the database connection as a string of details, then it should encrypt them and keep them inside. From that security perspective, Tomcat requires improvement. They should integrate this security feature."

"In the solution, we are using the terminal to enter command line codes for operations and management, this is difficult for me. It would be better if we had some administrator UI tools for this."

"Tomcat needs to improve its user interface."

"I have no recommendations for improvements."

"The high availability is not as robust as the competition is such as WebLogic and Jboss."

"Tomcat is a polished product that has been around for a long time. It should be simple and high-performing, with the ability to grow and maintain stability. The fewer features it has, the more stable it will be."

"Java functions should be built better into the solution."

More Tomcat cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"IIS is expensive."

"We purchased a Microsoft Windows license and the license for IIS came in the package."

"The tool is included with Windows."

"The product's price is not high."

"This solution comes included with Windows 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 was using the trial version of IIS inside my virtual machines."

More IIS pricing and cost advice

"The price of the solution is good."

"I rate the product's price an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is a high price, and ten is a low price."

"I give the pricing an eight out of ten."

"Tomcat is an open source solution."

"It is an open-source tool and is free of cost."

"Tomcat's pricing is very cheap."

"It's open-source. We don't pay for the license."

"We are using the open-source version."

More Tomcat pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Educational Organization

42%

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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,...

See all answers

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 do you like most about Tomcat?

Tomcat's ease of use has positively impacted project timelines. Tomcat already has high availability – it doesn't go down so often and doesn't require a lot of maintenance. As long as your applicat...

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What needs improvement with Tomcat?

Resource configuration like JNDI and queue configuration, similar to other servers, should be provided from the admin console for Tomcat. Currently, it is done manually. The server config file must...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Tomcat?

I am using the solution at running level three. It is for running web applications.

See all answers

Comparisons

NGINX Plus vs IIS

Compared 29% of the time

Apache Web Server vs IIS

Compared 23% of the time

Oracle WebLogic Server vs IIS

Compared 16% of the time

JBoss vs IIS

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft .NET Framework vs IIS

Compared 5% of the time

More IIS Competitors

Oracle WebLogic Server vs Tomcat

Compared 30% of the time

JBoss vs Tomcat

Compared 24% of the time

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Tomcat

Compared 20% of the time

Caucho Resin vs Tomcat

Compared 4% of the time

Oracle GlassFish vs Tomcat

Compared 4% of the time

More Tomcat Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IIS

April 2025

Download IIS product report

Buyer's Guide

Tomcat

April 2025

Download Tomcat 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

Tomcat is a reliable and efficient web server, popular for hosting and running Java-based applications. It is praised for its scalability, compatibility with different operating systems and development frameworks, and its ability to handle heavy workloads.

Users appreciate Tomcat's ease of use, robust performance, reliable server functionality, seamless integration with various platforms, extensive documentation, and strong community support.

Apache

Sample Customers

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

1. Adobe Systems 2. Amazon 3. Apple 4. AT&T 5. Bank of America 6. Boeing 7. Cisco Systems 8. Citigroup 9. Dell 10. eBay 11. Facebook 12. General Electric 13. Google 14. Hewlett-Packard 15. IBM 16. Intel 17. JPMorgan Chase 18. Microsoft 19. Netflix 20. Oracle 21. PayPal 22. Salesforce 23. Samsung 24. Sony 25. Target 26. Twitter 27. Uber 28. Verizon 29. Visa 30. Volkswagen 31. Walmart 32. Yahoo

Buyer's Guide

IIS vs. Tomcat

April 2025

Free Report: IIS vs. Tomcat

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