Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Microsoft IIS VS Confluence

Compare Microsoft IIS VS Confluence 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.

Microsoft IIS logo Microsoft IIS

Internet Information Services is a web server for Microsoft Windows

Confluence logo Confluence

Confluence is content collaboration software that changes how modern teams work
  • Microsoft IIS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-25
  • Confluence Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-08-12

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.

Confluence features and specs

  • Integration with Atlassian Ecosystem
    Confluence integrates seamlessly with other Atlassian products like Jira, Bitbucket, and Trello, making it an excellent choice for teams already using these tools.
  • Real-time Collaboration
    Confluence offers real-time collaboration features, including editing, commenting, and task assignments, which enhance team productivity and communication.
  • Document Management
    With version control, easy-to-use templates, and a robust search function, Confluence excels in document management and organization.
  • Customization Options
    It provides numerous customization options including themes, templates, and plugins to suit the specific needs of different teams and projects.
  • Enterprise-Grade Security
    Confluence offers advanced security features such as data encryption, user permissions, and compliance with industry standards, making it suitable for enterprises.

Possible disadvantages of Confluence

  • Complexity for New Users
    The abundance of features can make Confluence overwhelming for new users, creating a steep learning curve.
  • Cost
    Confluence can be expensive, particularly for larger teams or when advanced features and additional plugins are required.
  • Performance Issues
    Users have reported performance issues, such as slow load times, especially with large documents or extensive use of add-ons.
  • Customization Can Be Time-Consuming
    While customization is a strength, it can also be time-consuming to set up and maintain, particularly for non-technical users.
  • Limited Offline Access
    Confluence's functionality is limited without an internet connection, which can be a drawback for teams needing constant access to documents and collaboration tools.

Analysis of Microsoft IIS

Overall verdict

  • Microsoft IIS is a good choice for businesses and developers who are already working within a Microsoft ecosystem or need close integration with Windows applications and services. It offers a solid balance of performance, security, and ease-of-management, making it a viable option for hosting a variety of web applications.

Why this product is good

  • Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Services) is a versatile and powerful web server that integrates seamlessly with Windows Server and other Microsoft technologies. It offers robust security features, efficient management tools, reliable performance, and strong support for .NET applications. IIS is known for its ease of use in Windows environments, offering a user-friendly graphical interface and a wide range of administrative tools, such as the IIS Manager. Additionally, it supports both static and dynamic content hosting and is capable of handling large volumes of traffic efficiently.

Recommended for

  • Organizations using Windows Server environments
  • .NET application developers
  • Businesses needing seamless integration with other Microsoft services
  • Companies looking for reliable security features
  • Web hosting providers serving enterprise-level clients

Analysis of Confluence

Overall verdict

  • Confluence is generally considered a good option for teams seeking a comprehensive collaboration and documentation platform. Its strengths lie in its integration capabilities, customization options, and user-friendly interface. However, for smaller teams or those with simpler needs, it may be more complex and feature-rich than necessary.

Why this product is good

  • Confluence by Atlassian is a popular collaboration tool known for its robust features that facilitate team communication, documentation, and project management. It integrates seamlessly with other Atlassian products like Jira, making it an excellent choice for software development teams. Its flexibility allows users to create and organize content using customizable templates and spaces, supporting both structured and unstructured data. Additionally, Confluence offers a range of plug-ins and integration options, enhancing its functionality even further.

Recommended for

    Confluence is particularly recommended for medium to large-sized organizations, software development teams, and businesses that utilize other Atlassian products. It's ideal for groups that require advanced documentation features, seamless integrations, and strong collaboration tools to optimize their workflows.

Microsoft IIS videos

Analyzing Microsoft IIS Web Logs - Part 1

More videos:

  • Review - My SEO Video 2017 Microsoft IIS SEO Toolkit

Confluence videos

Confluence Cloud Product Demo 2019

More videos:

  • Demo - Atlassian Confluence Demonstration Video
  • Review - (2016) Introduction to Confluence: Create, share, and collaborate on projects in one place

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Microsoft IIS and Confluence)
Web And Application Servers
Project Management
0 0%
100% 100
Web Servers
100 100%
0% 0
Task Management
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 Microsoft IIS and Confluence

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.

Confluence Reviews

Top 10 Notion Alternatives for 2025 and Why Teams Are Choosing Ledger
Confluence is great for documentation-heavy teams, especially when paired with other Atlassian products like Jira. But as a standalone collaboration tool, it lacks the fluidity and connected workflows that many modern teams need.
11 Popular Knowledge Management Tools to Consider in 2025 
Confluence is a web-based collaboration tool developed by Atlassian. It allows teams to create, store, and organize information in one place. This can include project documentation, meeting notes, how-to guides, and company policies.
Source: knowmax.ai
Best Gitbook Alternatives You Need to Try in 2023
Confluence is a collaboration tool from Atlassian that focuses on remote-ready teams that need to organize content. It has a built-in editor and allows for version control, making it easy to track changes and collaborate with team members. Confluence also has a wide range of templates and add-ons available, allowing users to add all types of documents for a knowledge base....
Source: www.archbee.com
Best 25 Software Documentation Tools 2023
Confluence is the perfect way to collaborate with your team. Is a web-based team collaboration and documentation tool. It helps teams work together, share information and create documentation in a centralized and organized manner. It's a platform that allows the team to create, edit, and organize content such as documents, pages, blogs and multimedia.
Source: www.uphint.com
Introduction to Doxygen Alternatives In 2021
Confluence is a tool in the innovation stack category of project management. In Confluence, it is easy to capture the details which is often lost in email inboxes and shared network drives due to the fact that it is easy to browse, update, as well as use.
Source: www.webku.net

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Microsoft IIS and Confluence, you can also consider the following products

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

Trello - Infinitely flexible. Incredibly easy to use. Great mobile apps. It's free. Trello keeps track of everything, from the big picture to the minute details.

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

Notion - All-in-one workspace. One tool for your whole team. Write, plan, and get organized.

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

Slack - A messaging app for teams who see through the Earth!