Apache Web Server vs Windows Server AppFabric comparison

Apache and Microsoft are both solutions in the Application Infrastructure category. Apache is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.4, while Microsoft is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.7. Apache holds a 11.3% mindshare in AIS, compared to Microsoft’s 2.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Apache users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Apache Web Server

Read 24 Apache Web Server reviews

1,574 Views
1,558 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Windows Server AppFabric

Read 5 Windows Server AppFabric reviews

558 Views
552 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Apache Web Server

Windows Server AppFabric

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 5, 2025

Windows Server AppFabric and Apache Web Server compete in the application hosting and web server category. Apache Web Server seems to have the upper hand due to its flexibility, open-source nature, and broad community support.

Features: Windows Server AppFabric offers distributed caching, session state management, and workflow hosting, making it ideal for enterprise environments. Apache Web Server features a modular architecture, allowing extensive customization, superb cross-platform compatibility, and efficient client request handling.

Room for Improvement: Windows Server AppFabric could improve in cross-platform compatibility and reducing setup costs. Enhanced community engagement and flexibility could also benefit it. Apache Web Server might enhance its enterprise-level support, improve detailed documentation for complex configurations, and address more specific enterprise security concerns.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Windows Server AppFabric integrates seamlessly within Microsoft ecosystems and offers strong enterprise support. Apache Web Server is easy to deploy across various operating systems, backed by vast community-driven support resources.

Pricing and ROI: Windows Server AppFabric typically involves a higher initial setup cost, potentially leading to significant ROI in Microsoft-centric enterprises. Apache Web Server benefits from being open-source, incurring minimal setup costs, and offers a cost-effective solution for smaller to mid-sized deployments.

To learn more, read our detailed Apache Web Server vs. Windows Server AppFabric Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server vs. Windows Server AppFabric

December 2025

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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

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Windows Server AppFabric

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

13th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Apache Web Server is 11.3%, up from 10.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Windows Server AppFabric is 2.2%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Infrastructure Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Apache Web Server	11.3%
Windows Server AppFabric	2.2%
Other	86.5%

Application Infrastructure

Featured Reviews

Dimitrios Zigkos

Enterprise Architect at Smals vzw

Faced limitations with integration and long-term adaptability but benefited from a lightweight architecture for standalone applications

I find valuable and beneficial the independence that comes with Apache Web Server. You can build a small project using a simple application server without bothering too much about how to manage it. The compatibility with multiple operating systems has helped my operations since most of the time we use Linux. Some systems rely on Windows, but they are few; in the past, Windows was the dominant operating system for mainstream PCs and infrastructure, but not for business. All the companies I worked for had 90% Linux and maybe up to 10% Windows. The initial setup of Apache Web Server was straightforward and okay.

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Dennis Ndegwa

Senior System Administrator at Kentainers

Improved on-premise performance has supported faster, secure apps and clearer server monitoring

One thing I appreciate most about Windows Server AppFabric is because it's widely used; it's easier to get solutions online from other communities when I am stuck. Because it is widely used, it's easier to get solutions and also easier to work with. Especially after I found 2019, I have worked with 2019 and I appreciate it. It's easier to get solutions. After implementing Windows Server AppFabric, I can say I love the speed. The functionality and speed are good. Earlier, when they added more people, I could see some lagging. But now, I have no issue even if I double the users, even if I add 30% of users or any applications, it will still be fast. It increased the speed and also security. I've noticed the new one I have is good and secure. I love the security. The monitoring capabilities of Windows Server AppFabric help me improve service visibility and troubleshooting. In a day, I have to go through a lot of the logs and also the utilization. There, I see the CPU. I have to do the utilization, and I can see what is utilizing the most. By doing this, I can be able to tell what, in case I need to do an upgrade, what I might need to provide the upgrade or maybe increase in users that will not affect the operations.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It is more secure to use Apache and you will have fewer problems than other web services."

"It's very stable, and it hosts one of the biggest of many biggest web applications in the world."

"The solution offers good security."

"Most of the features I liked were related to the performance during peak hours."

"I find valuable and beneficial the independence that comes with Apache Web Server; you can build a small project using a simple application server without bothering too much about how to manage it."

"The control panel is very easy to navigate. It's similar to most hosting platforms, so it's user-friendly. Once you get used to it, managing your hosting becomes easy, too."

"Apache Web Server is free of cost."

"The solution's most valuable feature is reporting."

More Apache Web Server pros

"After implementing Windows Server AppFabric, I can say I love the speed."

"The ability to seamlessly deploy, image, and patch without causing downtime is extremely helpful and user-friendly."

"The product's deployment phase was very easy."

"The most valuable feature is AppFabric's hosting solution, which is what we need for running workflows."

"It is very usable and easy to understand. Antivirus and VPN are the main features being used now. It allows my clients to access the network from home, which was very crucial because of the pandemic."

Cons

"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."

"Adding a reverse proxy to Apache Web Server would be a significant improvement."

"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."

"There is a security-related problem that depends on the web server's configuration."

"By optimizing the infrastructure to allow the webserver to directly handle queries from memory—particularly by prioritizing the storage of queries in memory and processing them through the web server interface—I could potentially cut down the required instances from five hundred to two hundred."

"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."

"Lacks integration with some cloud solutions."

"Its stability could be better."

More Apache Web Server cons

"Microsoft will stop supporting the product next year, and we can't run unsupported programs in our systems."

"Its price and licensing policy can be improved. It could be a little cheaper. Licensing is sometimes confusing. There are so many different options. It is difficult to find out what to buy or what to choose for my necessity."

"The product is unable to connect with different cloud services."

"The most important issue I've found is the blue screen errors, particularly when customers use external displays with a P-type cable."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The apache software is free, open-source."

"It is an open-source solution."

"There is no licensing cost for the product."

"It is a free-of-cost solution."

"The product is affordable, in my opinion."

"It is expensive, and its licensing is a bit confusing."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Financial Services Firm

14%

Manufacturing Company

Government

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	8
Large Enterprise	11

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Apache Web Server?

The product's initial setup phase is straightforward.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Web Server?

There are no fees associated with the usage of Apache Web Server in my projects. If you want to have support, then there is some cost, but today I do not know how many companies pay for that servic...

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What needs improvement with Apache Web Server?

I would like to see improvements in the functionality and core of Apache Web Server, focusing on building an infrastructure that can be resilient and robust enough to handle resource shortages, and...

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What do you like most about Windows Server AppFabric?

The product's deployment phase was very easy.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Windows Server AppFabric?

I am overall satisfied with the licensing cost of Windows Server AppFabric. It's a reasonable price because I run multiple servers, so we bought the bulk one. I can say the price was fair.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Windows Server AppFabric?

I do not utilize Windows Server AppFabric's workflow management for now because that's a project that we might be looking at in the coming year, in the first or second quarter.

See all answers

Comparisons

IIS vs Apache Web Server

Compared 32% of the time

NGINX Plus vs Apache Web Server

Compared 24% of the time

Magic xpa Application Platform vs Apache Web Server

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft .NET Framework vs Apache Web Server

Compared 5% of the time

InterSystems Ensemble vs Apache Web Server

Compared 4% of the time

More Apache Web Server Competitors

InterSystems Ensemble vs Windows Server AppFabric

Compared 38% of the time

IIS vs Windows Server AppFabric

Compared 34% of the time

More Windows Server AppFabric Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server

January 2026

Download Apache Web Server product report

Buyer's Guide

Application Infrastructure

January 2026

Download Windows Server AppFabric product report

Also Known As

Apache HTTP Server

No data available

Overview

The Apache HTTP Server Project was founded in 1995 by a group of webmasters, known as The Apache Group, with the aim of developing robust, richly-featured, freely-available and commercial-standard Web (HTTP) server source code. The result was Apache Web Server or Apache HTTP Server, which is an open-source public-domain web server.

This collaborative project has been enhanced ever since with contributions from the core development team and other volunteers situated all over the globe. Also, hundreds of users of this open-source web server have contributed code, ideas, and documentation. The project falls under The Apache Software Foundation, which manages many open-source projects.

Apache

Windows Server AppFabric extends Windows Server to provide enhanced hosting, management, and caching capabilities for Web applications and middle-tier services. The AppFabric hosting features add service management extensions to Internet Information Services (IIS), Windows Process Activation Service (WAS), and the .NET Framework 4. This includes Hosting Services and Hosting Administration tools that make it easier to deploy, configure, and manage Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) based services. The AppFabric caching features add a distributed, in-memory object cache to Windows Server that makes it easier to scale out high-performance .NET applications, especially ASP.NET applications.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Cisco, Intuit, General Electric, Adobe, VMware, PayPal, HP, EMC, eBay, Apple, SAP, Qualcomm, SanDisk, Allstate, FedEx

OSIsoft

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server vs. Windows Server AppFabric

December 2025

Free Report: Apache Web Server vs. Windows Server AppFabric

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