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Apache Web Server vs NGINX Plus comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Apache Web Server
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NGINX Plus
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
4th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
31
Ranking in other categories
Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) (7th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Apache Web Server is 11.2%, up from 9.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NGINX Plus is 9.9%, down from 11.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure
 

Featured Reviews

Sakthivel Veeramuthu - PeerSpot reviewer
Easy to optimize for high performance and handle heavy traffic
Most of the features I liked were related to the performance during peak hours. Because I needed to optimize the Apache web server to run it as a high performer during my customers' usage, then I needed to reduce my Apache web server resource usage for that. So that part of the thing is what I was more interested in doing. So, I mainly liked the performance and security.
Michael Olayemi - PeerSpot reviewer
Enables public access and secure configurations through reverse proxy
The primary valuable feature of NGINX for me is its ability to provide a reverse proxy. I have found that this feature supports our local server, and I am able to connect through our DNS system, making it accessible publicly. Additionally, the integration with SSL certificates and the configuration capabilities make it a valuable solution for my use case. Without NGINX, users would not be able to access our application, which means there is positive ROI from using NGINX as it is crucial for the functioning of my organization.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The product is very cheap and stable."
"The most significant advantage is the ability to swiftly enable HTTPS services when my DNS is configured correctly."
"Most of the features I liked were related to the performance during peak hours."
"The solution offers good security."
"Apache Web Server is free of cost."
"Its community is its most valuable feature. Solving problems is easier on Apache because so many people know this product."
"It is scalable."
"Apache has proven to be incredibly reliable, and everything has operated smoothly without encountering any issues."
"I need to highlight that the number one thing about NGINX is that it is free."
"-"
"NGINX provides a cost advantage, value addition, and effective support."
"Its most valuable features are load balancing and application delivery. This is the most efficient application for these features because of stability and its efficiency."
"The robust software architecture allows for it to be scalable and very stable."
"​The flexibility of its modules allow it to be scalable.​"
"NGINX works much better than HAProxy in our current hardware and architecture for HTTP/HTTPS load balancing. ​​"
"​Zero Downtime has always been a strength in recommending infrastructure web services. NGINX allows me to execute such infrastructure with less complications and the ability to switch from server to server easily.​"
 

Cons

"There isn't a dedicated customer support available"
"The major issue occurs with ports. So, I would like to see easier port management."
"In future releases, I would like to see better server optimization."
"Lacks integration with some cloud solutions."
"Adding a reverse proxy to Apache Web Server would be a significant improvement."
"I want the user interface to be more user-friendly."
"For NGINX, I think it has NGINX Management Suite, which is GUI-based and allows you to manage your configuration via the user interface, but Apache fails to offer such capabilities to users."
"The interface has room for improvement."
"They should do in the open source version of what they did to Advanced HTTP, TCP, and UDP load balancing."
"The drawback is that you must obtain a license for everything."
"Improvement needed in NGINX Plus could focus on optimizing memory usage for users."
"It would be great if there was even more automation to make it even easier to maintain."
"The scalability could be improved."
"The solution must improve its performance."
"Lack of a feature to print data on the terminal for verification of network traffic during debugging and testing."
"The user interface could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is no licensing cost for the product."
"The apache software is free, open-source."
"It is an open-source solution."
"It is a free-of-cost solution."
"​NGINX Plus is worth it, if you need it. If you do not need the features or support, the free and open source package is more than capable. ​"
"There's an open-source version of NGINX that is free."
"It's an open source solution, so it's free."
"The price is the cost to contract support with a specialized company, usually during consulting hours.​"
"The cost is reasonable."
"NGINX Plus is an open-source solution with limited additional features. When you try to get additional features in the solution, then you need to pay an extra amount to NGINX Plus."
"I am not so happy with their pricing policy, but this is not the worse thing in my life. I can tolerate it."
"HAProxy is cheaper than NGINX."
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Comparison Review

it_user240036 - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 10, 2016
Apache vs. Nginx
Originally posted https://zitseng.com/archives/10435 Apache or Nginx. This is a question that many website administrators have considered. It’s a question that I’ve also considered several times, and again just the past week. Apache is the most popular web server on the Internet. Nginx, on the…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
16%
University
7%
Government
7%
Financial Services Firm
18%
Computer Software Company
17%
Government
7%
Comms Service Provider
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Apache Web Server?
The product's initial setup phase is straightforward.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Web Server?
Apache Web Server is a free product, with no associated setup costs or licensing fees.
What needs improvement with Apache Web Server?
There is no need for substantial improvements as we have a dedicated team managing the server, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
Which is better - IIS or NGINX Plus?
IIS is a flexible, secure, and manageable web server to host anything on the web. IIS’s scalable and open architecture can handle the most demanding tasks. From media streaming to web applications,...
What do you like most about NGINX Plus?
It performs very well. That's one of the primary reasons we use NGINX.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NGINX Plus?
My use case involves using the free and open-source version of NGINX, making it cost-effective as I haven't incurred any costs.
 

Also Known As

Apache HTTP Server
NGINX
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Cisco, Intuit, General Electric, Adobe, VMware, PayPal, HP, EMC, eBay, Apple, SAP, Qualcomm, SanDisk, Allstate, FedEx
Locaweb, AppNexus, Wix, Reliam, Montana Interactive, MuleSoft, Warpwire, Discovery Education, InkaBinka, WordPress.com, Gogo, GOV.UK, NASA
Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Web Server vs. NGINX Plus and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
860,168 professionals have used our research since 2012.