Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

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 August 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Apache Web Server is 11.3%, up from 9.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NGINX Plus is 10.1%, down from 11.4% 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

"It's very stable, and it hosts one of the biggest of many biggest web applications in the world."
"Apache Web Server is free of cost."
"It is more secure to use Apache and you will have fewer problems than other web services."
"The solution's most valuable feature is reporting."
"The product's initial setup phase is straightforward."
"It is scalable."
"The best thing about Apache is that it is open-source, so implementing my platform on-premises is less expansive than other solutions."
"The solution offers good security."
"Application Gateway with application-level firewall tool and load distributor and balancer (also serves for A/B testing)."
"With NGINX, I appreciate its ability to route traffic geographically."
"When I worked in a security research center, we tested NGINX to support DoS and DDoS attacks, and its results were great."
"The overall product rating is ten out of ten."
"The product is resilient."
"It performs very well. That's one of the primary reasons we use NGINX."
"The web proxy and the database proxy are excellent."
"I think installation only took a couple of minutes — no more than 10 minutes."
 

Cons

"Lacks integration with some cloud solutions."
"The GUI for the less experienced users needs some improvement. For some companies, it is hard to configure it if they have not had any experience."
"The major issue occurs with ports. So, I would like to see easier port management."
"Its stability could be better."
"I want the user interface to be more user-friendly."
"Adding a reverse proxy to Apache Web Server would be a significant improvement."
"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."
"Things change very fast. We're always on the lookout for better approaches and tools. If the solution falls behind, we may have to switch."
"NGINX is a very basic load balancer and cannot do as many customizations as F5."
"If NGINX brings some features for health check in the open source version, it would be better. ​"
"The scaling should be built into the software rather than configured from an outside source."
"Make modules easier to enable or disable. The beauty and ugly side of the NGINX modules is you have to know how to compile the module. For beginners or non-very technical aspirant(s) going for NGINX, they have to learn how to compile the modules.​"
"There is room for improvement in the pricing model."
"The solution's GUI is an area with certain shortcomings that need improvement."
"One area of improvement could be that NGINX could provide a means to generate self-signed SSL certificates."
"NGINX Plus is moderately priced, but it could give better value for money."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is a free-of-cost solution."
"It is an open-source solution."
"The apache software is free, open-source."
"There is no licensing cost for the product."
"You pay for each feature that you want."
"The cost is reasonable."
"I use the solution's community edition which is free of cost."
"The list price of NGINX Plus is close to $5,500."
"The solution is free, but you can spend a lot of money with a complex solution."
"It's an open source solution, so it's free."
"Compared to other similar solutions on the market, I think it's over-priced."
"Nginx is free. I don't have experience with the Plus version."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Application Infrastructure solutions are best for your needs.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

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
Computer Software Company
16%
Financial Services Firm
15%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
16%
Computer Software Company
16%
Government
8%
Comms Service Provider
7%
 

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: July 2025.
865,295 professionals have used our research since 2012.