Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Apache HTTP Server VS OpenLiteSpeed

Compare Apache HTTP Server VS OpenLiteSpeed and see what are their differences

Apache HTTP Server logo Apache HTTP Server

Apache httpd has been the most popular web server on the Internet since April 1996

OpenLiteSpeed logo OpenLiteSpeed

OpenLiteSpeed is a powerful, lightweight, open source and high performance HTTP server developed for those users who have to deal with a large number of websites at once.
  • Apache HTTP Server Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-21
  • OpenLiteSpeed Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-15

Apache HTTP Server features and specs

  • Open Source
    Apache HTTP Server is open source, meaning it is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. This promotes a large, active community that contributes to its maintenance and improvement.
  • Cross-Platform
    Apache is compatible with a variety of operating systems, including Unix, Linux, and Windows, providing flexibility and widespread usability.
  • Highly Customizable
    It offers a modular architecture that allows users to enable or disable features as needed, and to extend functionality through modules.
  • Robust Documentation
    Apache provides comprehensive and detailed documentation, which makes it easier for users to install, configure, and troubleshoot the server.
  • Widespread Adoption
    With its long history and widespread use, Apache has proven to be reliable and trusted by many organizations worldwide, ensuring a level of trust and stability.
  • Rich Feature Set
    Apache includes many features out-of-the-box, such as SSL/TLS support, URL redirection, authentication, load balancing, and more.

Possible disadvantages of Apache HTTP Server

  • Performance Overhead
    Compared to some lightweight web servers like Nginx, Apache can have higher memory and CPU usage, which may not be ideal for high concurrency needs.
  • Complex Configuration
    Apache's extensive customization options can lead to a complex configuration process, which may be challenging for beginners or those without specific expertise.
  • Less Efficient in Serving Static Content
    While Apache is highly capable, it may be less efficient at serving static content compared to specialized web servers like Nginx.
  • Initial Learning Curve
    Due to its rich features and configurability, new users might face a steep learning curve when first setting up and using Apache HTTP Server.
  • Module Compatibility Issues
    Sometimes, third-party modules may not always be compatible with the latest versions of Apache, causing potential integration issues.

OpenLiteSpeed features and specs

  • High Performance
    OpenLiteSpeed is known for its high performance and efficiency. It uses an event-driven architecture that can handle thousands of simultaneous connections with minimal resource usage, making it ideal for high-traffic websites.
  • SSL Support
    It comes with native support for SSL and TLS protocols, providing a secure web environment and easy integration of SSL certificates for encrypted communication.
  • Easy-to-use Web Interface
    OpenLiteSpeed provides an intuitive web-based interface that allows users to easily manage configurations, monitor server performance, and apply updates, even without command-line expertise.
  • WordPress Optimization
    It offers features like LSCache, a server-level cache solution specifically designed for WordPress, which significantly boosts the performance and speed of WordPress sites.
  • Free and Open Source
    As an open-source web server, OpenLiteSpeed is free to use, modify, and distribute, providing flexibility and cost-effectiveness for developers and businesses.

Possible disadvantages of OpenLiteSpeed

  • Complex Configuration
    While the web interface is user-friendly, some advanced configuration tasks can be complex and may require a deeper understanding of web server management.
  • Limited Third-party Module Support
    Compared to other servers like Apache, OpenLiteSpeed has fewer available third-party modules, which could limit customization and functionalities for some users.
  • Learning Curve
    For users familiar with servers like Apache or Nginx, there might be a learning curve when transitioning to OpenLiteSpeed due to differences in configuration and management.
  • Smaller Community
    OpenLiteSpeed has a smaller user community compared to more established web servers, which might impact the availability of community support and resources.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some legacy or highly customized applications might experience compatibility issues since OpenLiteSpeed is not as universally supported as Apache or Nginx.

Analysis of Apache HTTP Server

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Apache HTTP Server is generally considered a good and reliable web server.

Why this product is good

  • Apache HTTP Server is one of the most widely used and established web servers in the world. It is open-source, highly configurable, and supports a wide range of features through modules. Its robustness, extensive documentation, strong community support, and flexibility are some of the reasons it remains popular.

Recommended for

  • Developers and organizations looking for a reliable and versatile web server solution.
  • Those who need extensive customization and configuration options for their web environment.
  • Users who prefer an established platform with a large community and extensive documentation.
  • Teams that require compatibility with various operating systems and environments.

Apache HTTP Server videos

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OpenLiteSpeed videos

Create a High Performance Web Server (CyberPanel/OpenLiteSpeed) for WordPress in 10 minutes

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Install WordPress with OpenLiteSpeed Server for Fastest WP Sites

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache HTTP Server and OpenLiteSpeed)
Web And Application Servers
Web Servers
95 95%
5% 5
Application Server
97 97%
3% 3
Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Apache HTTP Server and OpenLiteSpeed

Apache HTTP Server Reviews

9 Best XAMPP Alternatives Cross Platform Web Server
However, compared to XAMPP and other popular web servers in the market Apache HTTP Server is a bit more complicated and is a little difficult to navigate for a complete newbie, but if you want to understand web development from the very fundamentals and understand how Apache as a web server software works then this software can be of great help to you.
Litespeed vs Nginx vs Apache: Web Server Showdown
The most commonly used Web Server is by far Apache HTTP Server from the Software Apache Foundation. Created in 1995 by Rob McCool and Brian Behlendorf, among others. The name is a pun for A PatCHy server, as at the time of it’s inception, Apache was based on some existing code, along with some perhaps “hacky or clunky” software packages, enabling it to run. Additionally, the...
Source: chemicloud.com
10 Best alternatives of XAMPP servers for Windows, Linux and macOS
Apache is an open-source and free web server software that owns about 46% of websites worldwide. The official name is Apache HTTP Server and is maintained and developed by the Apache Software Foundation. This allows website owners to serve content on the web – hence the name “webserver”.
Top 5 open source web servers
As the Apache HTTP Server has been the most popular web server since 1996, it "benefits from great documentation and integrated support from other software projects." You can find more information on the Apache Foundation project page.
Source: opensource.com

OpenLiteSpeed Reviews

We have no reviews of OpenLiteSpeed yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache HTTP Server seems to be a lot more popular than OpenLiteSpeed. While we know about 71 links to Apache HTTP Server, we've tracked only 3 mentions of OpenLiteSpeed. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache HTTP Server mentions (71)

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OpenLiteSpeed mentions (3)

  • How to install the OpenLiteSpeed Web Server on CentOS 7
    In today's interconnected world, web servers serve as the backbone of internet infrastructure, playing a crucial role in hosting websites and web applications. OpenLiteSpeed, an open-source web server from LiteSpeed Technologies, is one such tool that's gaining popularity due to its speed, efficiency, and comprehensive security features. Source: over 3 years ago
  • My Wordpress Hosting Experience - Comments?
    LiteSpeed (and the free-to-use version, OpenLiteSpeed) is a web server application, not hardware. It's a (more or less) drop-in replacement for Apache that uses the same type of config files, but offers some features that Apache doesn't have out of the box. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Autoptimize, Litespeed Cache and WP Cloudflare Super Page Cache in WordPress combined works. But clear cache often messes up site.
    You need to be using Litespeed or OpenLitespeed for the Litespeed plugin to do anything. Source: almost 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache HTTP Server and OpenLiteSpeed, you can also consider the following products

Microsoft IIS - Internet Information Services is a web server for Microsoft Windows

nginx - A high performance free open source web server powering busiest sites on the Internet.

Apache Tomcat - An open source software implementation of the Java Servlet and JavaServer Pages technologies

lighttpd - A secure, fast, compliant, and very flexible web-server that has been optimized for high-performance environments

LiteSpeed Web Server - LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) is a high-performance Apache drop-in replacement.

Forge - Static web hosting made simple