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IIS vs IIS PHP Windows comparison

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Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

IIS
Ranking in Application Server
4th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
61
Ranking in other categories
Application Infrastructure (1st)
IIS PHP Windows
Ranking in Application Server
8th
Average Rating
9.2
Reviews Sentiment
5.1
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Application Server category, the mindshare of IIS is 8.0%, up from 5.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IIS PHP Windows is 0.9%. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Server Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
IIS8.0%
IIS PHP Windows0.9%
Other91.1%
Application Server
 

Featured Reviews

Frederic Hautecoeur - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior System Integrations Architect at bs-team
Integrated web hosting has simplified secure services and has supported long-term growth
To be honest, I do not see any major areas for improvement. Perhaps something simple and minor. It should not go more complex than it is at the moment. The only disadvantage I see is that the documentation is a bit difficult to find. There is a lot of configuration that is very hard to get information about.
Ersin Akyüz - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Software Developer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
A reliable and flexible platform for hosting PHP applications and WordPress websites in Windows environments.
One of the most valuable features of IIS is its graphical management interface, which simplifies website configuration and administration. IIS Manager makes it easy to create new websites, configure application pools, manage bindings, and adjust server settings without relying heavily on command-line tools. Compared to Apache or Nginx, where configuration often involves manually editing files, IIS provides a more centralized and user-friendly management experience. I particularly appreciate how straightforward it is to manage multiple websites and configure PHP applications within a Windows environment. This approach can save time on routine administrative tasks, especially for developers and administrators who regularly work with Windows based infrastructure.

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 flexible."
"All the features of Microsoft IIS are valuable."
"The initial setup of IIS is easy. The process takes only five minutes."
"The solution is easy to use, easy to maintain and isn't too technical."
"It helps scan and mitigates our vulnerabilities using the best protocols to secure our environment."
"The solution is easy to use and connects with Microsoft, and the solution is very robust."
"The solution is the easiest way to publish applications which have been designed by older development tools."
"It is a lightweight web host that is easy to configure for simple webpages."
"In my experience, the best features IIS PHP Windows offers include allowing us to host the PHP application with better performance compared to XAMPP, which we were previously using because XAMPP was giving slow performance."
"IIS PHP Windows impacts my organization positively because my applications perform very well here when compared with XAMPP."
"The flexibility of using PHP for both front-end and back-end, along with integrating with SQL databases, has positively affected my day-to-day work and project outcomes, speeding up processes and making them more reliable."
"The most valuable feature is IIS Manager, which makes website administration straightforward. Creating websites, managing application settings, and configuring PHP hosting through a graphical interface is convenient, particularly in Windows environments. Microsoft’s enterprise technical support has also been excellent in my experience."
"If you want to host your PHP or Laravel-based application in Windows, you can definitely use this extension, and using this extension you can host your PHP or Laravel application in IIS and it will have super speed."
"IIS PHP Windows has positively impacted my organization by helping to deploy customer websites that have very small budgets, allowing the organization to assist those clients, which builds trust with them."
 

Cons

"IIS needs to improve its security. Its support needs to be faster and clear. The tool's licensing could be cheaper as well."
"It should be more user-friendly because unless you know how IIS works as a Microsoft product, a system admin cannot just manage it."
"The documentation is not very detailed. They need to improve it and add to it. They should ensure there are lots of visuals to help users better understand the solution."
"The level of technical support the solution offers could be improved."
"The product could be more compatible with Linux and macOS, particularly when applying user configuration policies."
"The areas of this solution that need improvement are monitoring, debugging, and troubleshooting."
"The solution's black box is not fast."
"The solution must improve the integration between its databases."
"One area for improvement is resource efficiency. In my experience, running PHP applications on Windows with IIS can require more memory and CPU resources than comparable Linux based environments. Windows Server licensing can also increase hosting costs, making IIS less attractive for smaller projects without specific Windows requirements."
"I chose a rating of seven out of ten because IIS PHP Windows is good for small enterprises with manageable aspects, but it has very high resource usage and requires a Windows server license, contributing to the overall cost."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is good."
"There is no license needed to use the solution."
"The tool is included with Windows."
"The solution provides multiple licensing options."
"I think it's part of the Windows Server, so you won't have any other costs to add in order to use the IIS service."
"The product's price is not high."
"I was using the trial version of IIS inside my virtual machines."
"The licensing cost is dependent on the usage."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
Construction Company
40%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Healthcare Company
9%
Outsourcing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business30
Midsize Enterprise12
Large Enterprise22
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business9
Large Enterprise2
 

Questions from the Community

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IIS?
For the pricing, setup cost, and licensing for IIS, as a Microsoft product, I didn't think much about separately purchasing an IIS product as it is part of Microsoft Windows. We bought a developmen...
What needs improvement with IIS?
I see that IIS has maintained the same interface for a long time, so they could potentially use more automation or integrate Copilot into it to make it easier to use. I have not accessed or checked...
What needs improvement with IIS PHP Windows?
One area that could be improved is resource efficiency, particularly CPU and memory consumption. In my experience, running PHP applications on Windows with IIS can require more system resources tha...
What is your primary use case for IIS PHP Windows?
My primary use case for IIS PHP Windows is hosting and managing PHP-based websites, particularly WordPress applications, in Windows Server environments. Throughout my career as a software developer...
What advice do you have for others considering IIS PHP Windows?
I would rate IIS PHP Windows 8 out of 10. It is a reliable solution for hosting PHP applications, particularly in environments where Windows Server is already part of the infrastructure. One of its...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

Windows Server IIS
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Erste Bank Group, NJVC, Samsung Electronics, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Tata Steel Europe, Urban Software Institute
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about IIS vs. IIS PHP Windows and other solutions. Updated: November 2026.
920,769 professionals have used our research since 2012.