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Microsoft IIS VS Undertow

Compare Microsoft IIS VS Undertow and see what are their differences

Microsoft IIS logo Microsoft IIS

Internet Information Services is a web server for Microsoft Windows

Undertow logo Undertow

Undertow is a webserver​ written in Java, providing both blocking and non-blocking API’s based on NIO.
  • Microsoft IIS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-25
  • Undertow Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-09-10

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.

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 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 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

Microsoft IIS videos

Analyzing Microsoft IIS Web Logs - Part 1

More videos:

  • Review - My SEO Video 2017 Microsoft IIS SEO Toolkit

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 Microsoft IIS and Undertow)
Web And Application Servers
Application Server
94 94%
6% 6
Web Servers
96 96%
4% 4
Development Tools
91 91%
9% 9

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 Undertow

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.

Undertow Reviews

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

When comparing Microsoft IIS and Undertow, 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

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

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

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

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