Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) VS Microsoft IIS

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

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

LiteSpeed Web Server Documentation - Server General

Microsoft IIS logo Microsoft IIS

Internet Information Services is a web server for Microsoft Windows
  • LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-05-30
  • Microsoft IIS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-25

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.

Microsoft IIS features and specs

  • Integration with Windows Server
    Since IIS is developed by Microsoft, it offers seamless integration with Windows Server, leveraging features like Active Directory, .NET Framework, and PowerShell for enhanced performance and manageability.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    IIS features a graphical user interface (GUI) that simplifies the server setup and management process, making it easier for administrators to configure and maintain web applications.
  • Extensive Documentation and Support
    Being a product from Microsoft, IIS offers comprehensive documentation, extensive online resources, and professional technical support, which can be highly beneficial for enterprise users.
  • Security Features
    IIS includes various built-in security features, such as dynamic IP restrictions, request filtering, application pooling, and integration with Windows authentication, making it a secure choice for hosting web applications.
  • Performance and Scalability
    IIS is optimized for performance and can effectively handle multiple requests and high-traffic websites. It also supports load balancing and server farms to enhance scalability.

Possible disadvantages of Microsoft IIS

  • Cost Considerations
    Unlike some other web servers that are open-source and free, IIS may incur licensing costs as it requires a Windows Server license, making it potentially expensive for small-scale deployments.
  • Platform Dependency
    IIS runs exclusively on the Windows platform, which can be a limitation for organizations that use a diverse set of operating systems or prefer open-source ecosystems like Linux.
  • Complex Configuration for Advanced Features
    While IIS offers a user-friendly interface for basic setups, configuring advanced features may require considerable expertise and can become complex, particularly for those unfamiliar with Microsoft's environment.
  • Performance Overheads
    IIS may introduce performance overhead due to the multiple layers of abstraction and integration with Windows features, which can affect performance in some high-demand scenarios compared to lightweight, minimalist web servers.
  • Lower Community Support
    Open-source web servers like Apache and Nginx have large, active communities that contribute to continuous improvement and troubleshooting. IIS, being a proprietary product, has a smaller community in comparison.

LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) videos

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Microsoft IIS videos

Analyzing Microsoft IIS Web Logs - Part 1

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  • Review - My SEO Video 2017 Microsoft IIS SEO Toolkit

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) and Microsoft IIS)
Web And Application Servers
Web Servers
5 5%
95% 95
Development Tools
19 19%
81% 81
Application Server
5 5%
95% 95

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Reviews

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Microsoft IIS Reviews

Apache, IIS, NGINX, GWS : What’s Your Choice?
Utilizing a specific type of virtual or physical server determines the type of web server software you use. If you prefer Microsoft, then you will prefer to use IIS (Internet Information Services / Server) by Microsoft as your primary web server application solution. If you use Linux distribution, you have other alternatives like Apache, NGINX and LiteSpeed.
Source: www.milesweb.in
What Is the Most Popular Web Server Application in 2021?
Despite being bundled with most modern Microsoft software, IIS loses out to Apache on its own devices. The main selling point here is performance. While IIS has kept up with Apache in recent times, Apache has historically been performing much better, which still gives it an edge over IIS.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) and Microsoft IIS, 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

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.

weborf - Weborf is a lightweight webserver designed to rapidly share directories. Runs on POSIX systems.