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Apache Tomcat VS Apache Traffic Server

Compare Apache Tomcat VS Apache Traffic Server and see what are their differences

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Apache Tomcat logo Apache Tomcat

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

Apache Traffic Server logo Apache Traffic Server

Fast, scalable and extensible HTTP/S 2 and 1.1 compliant caching proxy server.
  • Apache Tomcat Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-24
  • Apache Traffic Server Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29

Apache Tomcat features and specs

  • Open Source
    Apache Tomcat is an open-source software, which means it is freely available for use and modifications. This can significantly reduce the cost of ownership and allows for customization.
  • Community Support
    Being a widely-used open-source server, Tomcat has a large and active community of developers and users who contribute to its documentation, plugins, and forums, providing extensive support.
  • Lightweight
    Tomcat is designed to be a lightweight servlet container, making it faster and less resource-intensive compared to full-blown Java EE application servers.
  • Integration with Popular Frameworks
    Tomcat integrates well with popular Java frameworks such as Spring and Hibernate, making it easier for developers to deploy and manage web applications.
  • Easy to Set Up and Configure
    Tomcat is relatively easy to set up and configure, making it suitable for both development and production environments.
  • Frequent Updates
    Regular updates and patches are released to improve performance, security, and compatibility, ensuring the server is up-to-date with the latest web technologies.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Tomcat

  • Limited Functionality
    While Tomcat is a powerful servlet container, it lacks some of the advanced features found in full-fledged Java EE application servers, which might be necessary for complex enterprise applications.
  • Resource Management
    Tomcat's default configuration might not be suitable for high traffic web applications, requiring significant tweaking and tuning to handle heavy loads effectively.
  • Documentation Quality
    The documentation, while extensive, can sometimes be hard to navigate and understand, especially for beginners. This can slow down the learning curve.
  • Limited Built-in Tools
    Compared to other full-stack application servers, Tomcat comes with limited built-in tooling for monitoring, load balancing, and clustering, often requiring third-party solutions.
  • Security Concerns
    As with any open-source project, security vulnerabilities may emerge. It requires constant monitoring and timely updates to ensure security.
  • Lack of EJB Support
    Tomcat does not support Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB), limiting its use in scenarios where EJB is a crucial component of the architecture.

Apache Traffic Server features and specs

  • High Performance
    Apache Traffic Server is designed for high-speed caching and can handle large volumes of traffic efficiently. Its architecture allows it to serve requests with low latency, making it suitable for high-traffic websites and applications.
  • Scalability
    It offers robust scalability features, allowing it to manage multiple terabytes of data and scale up to handle many clients simultaneously, which is beneficial for growing businesses and expanding infrastructure.
  • Extensibility
    Traffic Server supports plugins and extensions, enabling developers to customize and extend its functionality to suit specific needs, which adds flexibility for unique requirements.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, Apache Traffic Server offers a free solution with a strong community support, allowing users to collaborate and contribute to its development and troubleshoot issues.
  • SSL Termination
    It provides the capability to handle SSL termination, which offloads the burden from backend servers, improving overall security and performance for HTTPS traffic.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Traffic Server

  • Complex Configuration
    The configuration of Apache Traffic Server can be complex, especially for beginners, which might require a steep learning curve and extensive documentation reading or seeking community help.
  • Limited Windows Support
    Traffic Server is primarily developed for Unix-based systems and has limited support for Windows, which can be a limitation for organizations that primarily operate in a Windows environment.
  • Community Support
    While it benefits from open-source community support, it may not have the same level of professional support or comprehensive documentation as some commercial alternatives, potentially leading to slower resolution of issues.
  • Resource Intensive
    When handling large amounts of traffic, Apache Traffic Server can become resource-intensive, which may necessitate higher hardware investments to maintain optimal performance.

Apache Tomcat videos

Introducing Apache Tomcat 8.5

More videos:

  • Review - Webinar: Introduction to Apache Tomcat 8
  • Review - Tcat - The Leading Enterprise Apache Tomcat Application Server

Apache Traffic Server videos

Transparent HTTP proxying with Apache Traffic Server

More videos:

  • Review - Yahoo's Adventure with Apache Traffic Server - Shu Kit Chan, Vijay Prashanth Hosahithlu

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Tomcat and Apache Traffic Server)
Web And Application Servers
Proxy Server
0 0%
100% 100
Application Server
100 100%
0% 0
Proxy
0 0%
100% 100

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 Tomcat and Apache Traffic Server

Apache Tomcat Reviews

FOSS | Top 15 Web Servers 2021
Java programs are run using Apache Tomcat. To be more precise, it is a Java servlet – a Java software component that expands the functionality of a web server. Apache Tomcat, released under the Apache License version 2, is used by 0.1% of websites worldwide.
Source: www.zentao.pm
4 Open Source Application Servers (Comparison and Review)
Apache Tomcat is an open-source implementation of several Java technologies. It is the result of a collaboration of the finest developers worldwide. You can get involved with the development in a number of ways.
Source: shadow-soft.com
Top 5 open source web servers
Apache Tomcat is an open source Java servlet container that functions as a web server. A Java servlet is a Java program that extends the capabilities of a server. Although servlets can respond to any types of requests, they most commonly implement applications hosted on Web servers. Such web servlets are the Java counterpart to other dynamic web content technologies such as...
Source: opensource.com
Top 10 Open Source Java and JavaEE Application Servers
It is built upon a modular kernel powered by OSGi, and runs straight on top of the Apache Felix implementation. It is also capable of running with Equinox OSGi or Knopflerfish OSGi runtimes. HK2 abstracts the OSGi module system to provide components, which can also be viewed as services and injected into the run time and uses a derivative of Apache Tomcat as the servlet...

Apache Traffic Server Reviews

We have no reviews of Apache Traffic Server yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache Tomcat should be more popular than Apache Traffic Server. It has been mentiond 17 times since March 2021. 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 Tomcat mentions (17)

  • Java News: WildFly 36, Spring Milestones, and Open Liberty Updates
    Versions 11.0.6 and 9.0.104 of Apache Tomcat deliver new features and improvements. The release notes can be found for both versions. - Source: dev.to / 23 days ago
  • Artifactory: Centralizing Artifact Management for DevOps Success
    Download and Install Tomcat Before downloading, confirm the latest Tomcat build package from the official website. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • How to Deploy Applications Using Tomcat on a Web Server
    First, download the latest version of Tomcat from the official Apache Tomcat website. Choose the version that suits your needs, typically the latest stable release. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Spring Boot Monitoring with Open-Source Tools
    Manual instrumentation allows you to define your Spans within the code itself rather than relying on automatic instrumentation finding the entry point for a trace. Manual instrumentation is especially helpful for applications that don’t use an application server such as Tomcat, JBoss, or Jetty. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Issue with chatgpy
    99% is a huge exaggeration. Two essential deployment tools off the top of my head: Https://tomcat.apache.org/ Https://docs.jboss.org/author/display/AS71/Developer%20Guide.html. Source: about 2 years ago
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Apache Traffic Server mentions (6)

  • API Caching: Techniques for Better Performance
    Apache Traffic Server — A free, fast, and scalable HTTP caching system that improves network efficiency. It supports forward and reverse proxy caching and is configurable to run simultaneously on either or both options. It also provides authentication and basic authorization through plugins. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Wikipedia now has up to 1000X reduction of ATS disk read latency at the p999
    Apache Traffic Server: https://trafficserver.apache.org/ Here’s how they use it along with Varnish: https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Caching_overview. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • How does Content delivery/distribution network work?
    The LARGE majority of CDNs use either Apache Traffic Server (https://trafficserver.apache.org/) or Nginx for their cache webserver, so the mechanisms used are pretty easy to find if you look through the docs. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Using Nginx as an Object Storage Gateway
    Apache Traffic Server (no relation to Apache itself) would be an excellent option: https://trafficserver.apache.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • Build a CDN in about 5 hours
    We have choices. We could use Varnish (scripting! Edge side includes! PHK blog posts!). We could use Apache Traffic Server (being the only new team this year to use ATS!). Or we could use NGINX (we're already running it!). The only certainty is that you'll come to hate whichever one you pick. Try them all and pick the one you hate the least. - Source: dev.to / almost 4 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Tomcat and Apache Traffic Server, you can also consider the following products

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

Squid Proxy - Website Content Acceleration and Distribution. Thousands of web-sites around the Internet use Squid to drastically increase their content delivery. Squid can reduce your server load and improve delivery speeds to clients.

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

3proxy - 3proxy freeware proxy server for Windows and Unix. HTTP, SOCKS, FTP, POP3

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

CCProxy - Want to share Internet connection? Get every computer online through a single Internet connection?