Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

F5 NGINX VS Apache Tomcat

Compare F5 NGINX VS Apache Tomcat and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

F5 NGINX logo F5 NGINX

F5 NGINX is a web application security solution that allows you to protect your applications, APIs, and customer data across cloud servers, on-premises data centers, and architectures.

Apache Tomcat logo Apache Tomcat

An open source software implementation of the Java Servlet and JavaServer Pages technologies
  • F5 NGINX Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-10
  • Apache Tomcat Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-24

F5 NGINX features and specs

  • High Performance
    NGINX is known for its high-performance capabilities. It can handle a large number of concurrent connections, making it suitable for high-traffic websites and applications.
  • Scalability
    NGINX is designed to scale easily, allowing for efficient load balancing and reverse proxying, which helps distribute client requests across multiple servers.
  • Resource Efficiency
    Due to its event-driven architecture, NGINX makes efficient use of system resources, which means lower memory and CPU usage compared to some other web servers.
  • Advanced Security Features
    NGINX provides strong security features like SSL/TLS termination, Web Application Firewall (WAF), and DDoS mitigation which help protect web applications.
  • Extensibility
    NGINX offers a wide range of configurations and modules that can be tailored to specific requirements, providing flexibility for diverse use cases.

Possible disadvantages of F5 NGINX

  • Steep Learning Curve
    NGINX's rich feature set and extensive configuration options can make it challenging for newcomers to learn and configure appropriately.
  • Complex Configuration Syntax
    The configuration syntax can be complex and difficult to grasp for users who are not familiar with it, potentially leading to configuration errors.
  • Limited Windows Support
    Although NGINX can run on Windows, it is optimized for Unix-like systems, and some features may not be fully supported or may perform less efficiently on Windows.
  • Support and Cost
    While the open-source version is free, enterprise-level support and additional features in the NGINX Plus version require a subscription, which might be costly for some organizations.
  • Dependency on Third-party Modules
    For certain advanced features, you may need to rely on third-party modules, which can vary in quality and support, adding complexity to the implementation.

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.

F5 NGINX videos

Bring Modern Apps to Life with the F5 NGINX Application Platform

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to F5 NGINX and Apache Tomcat)
Web Application Security
100 100%
0% 0
Web And Application Servers
Security Monitoring
100 100%
0% 0
Application Server
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using F5 NGINX and Apache Tomcat. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare F5 NGINX and Apache Tomcat

F5 NGINX Reviews

7 Best Containerization Software Solutions of 2022
F5 NGINX is an excellent option if you are looking for a load balancer that supports containerized applications.
Source: techgumb.com

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...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache Tomcat seems to be more popular. 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.

F5 NGINX mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of F5 NGINX yet. Tracking of F5 NGINX recommendations started around Sep 2021.

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 / 22 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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What are some alternatives?

When comparing F5 NGINX and Apache Tomcat, you can also consider the following products

Imperva SecureSphere - Get the flexibility, reliability, and performance you need to protect your business. SecureSphere covers you both on-premises or in the cloud.

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

ModSecurity - ModSecurity is an Open Source web application firewall developed by Trustwave's SpiderLabs.

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

Barracuda Web Application Firewall - Barracuda Web Application Firewall offers security and DDoS protection against automated & targeted attacks.

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