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LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) VS lighttpd

Compare LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) VS lighttpd and see what are their differences

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LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) logo LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS)

LiteSpeed Web Server Documentation - Server General

lighttpd logo lighttpd

A secure, fast, compliant, and very flexible web-server that has been optimized for high-performance environments
  • LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-05-30
  • lighttpd Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-28

LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) features and specs

  • High Performance
    LiteSpeed Web Server is known for its high performance and speed, especially under high traffic conditions. It uses event-driven architecture which helps handle thousands of connections with minimal resource usage.
  • HTTP/3 Support
    LSWS offers full HTTP/3 support, which is beneficial for improved load times and performance by utilizing new protocol advantages over older versions like HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2.
  • Built-in Caching
    LiteSpeed includes built-in server-side caching mechanisms such as LiteSpeed Cache, which significantly boosts loading times and reduces server load.
  • Security Features
    LSWS provides robust security features, including DDoS protection, support for mod_security rules, and features like reCAPTCHA for login pages.
  • Compatibility with Apache
    LiteSpeed is designed to be a drop-in replacement for Apache, and it is compatible with Apache configuration files (.htaccess), making migration smooth and easy.

Possible disadvantages of LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS)

  • License Cost
    Unlike some alternatives like Apache or Nginx, LiteSpeed Web Server is a paid software, which means there are licensing costs associated with its use.
  • Administration Complexity
    For those unfamiliar with it, configuring and managing LiteSpeed might present a learning curve, especially for people accustomed to using free, widely-used software like Apache.
  • Limited Open-Source Contributions
    As LiteSpeed is not open-source, it has a smaller community of developers and limited third-party contributions compared to open-source alternatives.
  • Compatibility Issues
    While LSWS is highly compatible with Apache, certain extensions or modules may not be fully supported, leading to potential compatibility issues with some applications.
  • Resource Usage
    Although LiteSpeed is optimized for high performance, it may appear to utilize more resources than needed when not configured correctly, especially in smaller or low-traffic environments.

lighttpd features and specs

  • Low Memory Footprint
    Lighttpd is known for its low memory usage, making it ideal for environments where memory resources are limited.
  • High Performance
    It is designed to handle large numbers of parallel connections efficiently, making it suitable for high-traffic websites.
  • Easy to Configure
    Lighttpd offers straightforward configuration files that are easy to understand and modify.
  • Supports FastCGI, SCGI, and CGI
    It has built-in support for various interfaces like FastCGI, SCGI, and CGI, allowing it to interact with different types of applications.
  • Event-Driven Architecture
    The event-driven design allows for non-blocking and asynchronous operations, contributing to its speed and efficiency.

Possible disadvantages of lighttpd

  • Limited Module Support
    Lighttpd has fewer third-party modules and plugins compared to more popular web servers like Apache and Nginx.
  • Community Support
    The community around Lighttpd is smaller, which might result in slower updates and fewer tutorials or examples.
  • Learning Curve
    New users might find the initial setup and configuration challenging compared to more widely-used web servers.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some applications or tools that are designed with Apache or Nginx in mind might not work seamlessly with Lighttpd.
  • Less Frequent Updates
    The development and release cycle for Lighttpd updates may not be as frequent as for more popular web servers.

Analysis of lighttpd

Overall verdict

  • Overall, lighttpd is a highly recommended choice for those needing a lightweight and efficient web server, especially where system resources are constrained.

Why this product is good

  • Lighttpd is often considered a good web server because it is designed to be fast, secure, and very lightweight. It effectively handles large volumes of traffic, supports important features like FastCGI, SCGI, Auth, Output Compression, URL Rewriting, and is highly configurable. Its asynchronous architecture allows it to serve multiple requests simultaneously, making it suitable for environments with high concurrency.

Recommended for

    Lighttpd is especially suited for situations where low resource usage is a priority, such as on embedded systems or servers with limited hardware capabilities. It is also useful for hosting static content, serving as a reverse proxy, or when hosting web applications with specific performance requirements.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) and lighttpd)

LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS)

lighttpd

Web And Application Servers
19 19%
Web And Application Servers
81% 81
Web Servers
20 20%
Web Servers
80% 80
Application Server
19 19%
Application Server
81% 81
HTTP/2 Web Server
100 100%
HTTP/2 Web Server
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 LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) and lighttpd

LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) Reviews

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lighttpd Reviews

13 Best XAMPP Alternatives
Lighttpd is a simple and lightweight web server that allows you to do very fast static file serving. It can also be used as a content cache, a reverse proxy, or an HTTP accelerator. Lighttpd is not only lightning-fast but also straightforward to set up; in many cases, you only need one configuration file to work. Lighttpd has been around for some time now, so there are...
Source: thetechtian.com
Top 5 open source web servers
Great article Robin. Most of my experience is with Apache. I first started using it on Windows about 1998 or 1999. When I got into using Linux in 2001 I switched my previous install to that OS and have since deployed it many times. I have tried NGINX and lighttpd but never in production.
Source: opensource.com
Alternative web servers compared: Lighttpd, Nginx, LiteSpeed and Zeus
The huge leap for Lighttpd in January-March of 2007 is most likely due to one or more web hosting or domain registration companies switching over to Lighttpd either for their regular pages, or for parked pages, or both. If anyone knows what happened there in more detail, please feel free to let us know in the comments.
Source: www.pingdom.com

What are some alternatives?

When comparing LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) and lighttpd, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

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

webfs - webfs is a simple HTTP server for mostly static content.

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

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