Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

LiteSpeed Web Server VS Undertow

Compare LiteSpeed Web Server VS Undertow and see what are their differences

LiteSpeed Web Server logo LiteSpeed Web Server

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

Undertow logo Undertow

Undertow is a webserver​ written in Java, providing both blocking and non-blocking API’s based on NIO.
  • LiteSpeed Web Server Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-31
  • Undertow Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-09-10

LiteSpeed Web Server features and specs

  • Performance
    LiteSpeed is known for its high performance, handling more traffic with fewer resources compared to traditional web servers like Apache.
  • Built-in Caching
    It comes with LSCache, which provides advanced server-side caching, significantly boosting loading times for web applications.
  • Security
    LiteSpeed includes built-in anti-DDoS features, application-level distributed defense, and the ability to mitigate different kinds of attacks effectively.
  • Easy Apache Replacement
    LiteSpeed is compatible with Apache's htaccess, mod_rewrite, and mod_security, making it easy to switch from Apache without changing configurations.
  • HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 Support
    LiteSpeed supports modern protocols such as HTTP/2 and HTTP/3, making it suitable for the latest website requirements and performance enhancements.

Possible disadvantages of LiteSpeed Web Server

  • Cost
    LiteSpeed is a commercial solution, and its licensing fees can be a disadvantage for smaller businesses or individual developers.
  • Proprietary Software
    Being a proprietary solution, it doesn’t offer the transparency and community support advantages of open-source web servers like Apache and Nginx.
  • Learning Curve
    Switching to LiteSpeed may involve a learning curve, especially for those accustomed to other web server technologies.
  • Limited Customization
    It may not offer the same level of customization and flexibility as some other web servers, particularly in specialized or highly unique environments.

Undertow features and specs

  • Performance
    Undertow is designed to be a lightweight and high-performance web server, which makes it particularly suitable for high-traffic applications.
  • Flexibility
    Undertow can be embedded in applications or run as a standalone server, offering developers flexibility in deployment.
  • HTTP/2 Support
    Native support for HTTP/2 is available, which can significantly improve the performance and efficiency of web applications.
  • Non-blocking IO
    The server supports non-blocking IO, enhancing its ability to handle numerous simultaneous connections efficiently.
  • Modular Architecture
    Undertow has a modular design, enabling developers to include only the modules that their applications need, which keeps the footprint small.

Possible disadvantages of Undertow

  • Documentation
    While improving, documentation may not be as comprehensive or user-friendly as some competing web servers, potentially leading to a steeper learning curve.
  • Ecosystem
    Undertow has a smaller ecosystem compared to more established servers like Apache or Nginx, which might limit available plugins, extensions, and community support.
  • Complexity
    The high level of configurability and flexibility can make Undertow more complex to set up and understand, especially for newcomers.
  • Community Support
    While Undertow has an active user base, it does not have as large or vibrant a community as some other web servers, which could affect the availability of third-party help and resources.
  • Less Proven in Production
    Compared to legacy web servers, Undertow is relatively newer and might not be as battle-tested in a wide variety of production environments.

Analysis of Undertow

Overall verdict

  • Undertow is considered a good choice for developers seeking a performant and modular server. Its ease of use, combined with its flexibility to support various architectures, makes it a solid option, especially if you are working within a Java development ecosystem.

Why this product is good

  • Undertow is a lightweight and flexible web server that is highly efficient for handling both blocking and non-blocking requests. It is designed for high performance and is ideally suited for running scalable Java applications. Undertow is also the default web server in WildFly, which speaks to its robustness and reliability in enterprise environments.

Recommended for

  • Developers building Java applications
  • Teams looking for a lightweight and efficient web server
  • Projects requiring both blocking and non-blocking request handling
  • Deployments that need a server with good integration with Java EE and WildFly

LiteSpeed Web Server videos

What Is LiteSpeed Web Server?

More videos:

  • Review - What Is LiteSpeed Web Server?

Undertow videos

Too Many Bones Undertow - Overview and Review

More videos:

  • Review - Drenge - Undertow ALBUM REVIEW
  • Review - Tool - UNDERTOW Album Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to LiteSpeed Web Server and Undertow)
Web And Application Servers
Application Server
93 93%
7% 7
Web Servers
94 94%
6% 6
Development Tools
81 81%
19% 19

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 and Undertow

LiteSpeed Web Server Reviews

Litespeed vs Nginx vs Apache: Web Server Showdown
LiteSpeed Web Server, abbreviated as LSWS, is almost a newcomer to the webserver ‘scene’. It has gained a huge, perhaps even cult-like following in the last few years among web hosting companies due to its efficiency. With its streamlined architecture, companies running LiteSpeed Web Server could (theoretically) double the maximum capacity of websites their servers, assuming...
Source: chemicloud.com
Top Linux Web Servers: Pros and Cons
LiteSpeed comes in two versions: a free one known as OpenLiteSpeed and a paid enterprise version with extended functionality.
Source: bigstep.com
Alternative web servers compared: Lighttpd, Nginx, LiteSpeed and Zeus
Brief info: LiteSpeed is a commercial web server designed specifically for large websites. One of LiteSpeed’s advantages is that it can read Apache configurations directly which makes it easy to integrate with existing products to replace Apache. The server is lightweight and as the name implies very fast.
Source: www.pingdom.com

Undertow Reviews

We have no reviews of Undertow yet.
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing LiteSpeed Web Server and Undertow, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

Forge - Static web hosting made simple

Phusion Passenger - Phusion Passenger is a multi-language (Ruby, Python, Node) web & app server which can integrate into Apache and Nginx

XAMPP - XAMPP is a free and open-source cross-platform web server that is primarily used when locally developing web applications.