Comparison of web server software

Web server software allows computers to act as web servers. The first web servers supported only static files, such as HTML (and images), but now they commonly allow embedding of server side applications.

Some web application frameworks include simple HTTP servers. For example the Django framework provides runserver, and PHP has a built-in server. These are generally intended only for use during initial development. A production server will require a more robust HTTP front-end such as one of the servers listed here.

Overview

Features

Some features may be intentionally not included in a web server to avoid featuritis. For example:

Server Security Virtual
hosting		 Dynamic content Runs in user
or kernel space		 Administration console Additional protocol support
Basic access
authenti-
cation		 Digest access
authenti-
cation		 SSL/TLS
https		 CGI FCGI SCGI WSGI Java
Servlets		 SSI ISAPI SSJS IPv6 HTTP/2 QUIC HTTP/3
AOLserver Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Unknown No No Yes Unknown Unknown user Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
Apache HTTP Server Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Unknown user Yes Yes Yes No No
Apache Tomcat Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Unknown No Yes Yes No Unknown user Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown
Boa No No Yes Yes Yes No Unknown No No No No No user Unknown Yes No No No
BusyBox httpd Yes No No No Yes No No No No No No No user No Yes No No No
Caddy Yes No Yes Yes Partial Yes No No No No No No user No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Caucho Resin Server Yes Yes paid version Yes Yes Yes Unknown No Yes Yes No Unknown user Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown
Caudium Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown No Yes Yes Unknown Unknown user Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown
Cherokee HTTP Server Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Unknown user Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown
HFS Yes No No No No No Unknown No No No Unknown Unknown user Unknown No Unknown Unknown Unknown
Hiawatha HTTP Server Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Unknown user Yes Yes Yes No No
IBM HTTP Server Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown No No Yes No Unknown user Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown
Internet Information Services Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes kernel and user Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown
Jetty Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown No Yes Unknown Unknown Yes user Unknown Unknown Yes Unknown Unknown
Jexus No No Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes user Yes No Unknown Unknown Unknown
lighttpd Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No user No Yes Yes No No
LiteSpeed Web Server Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No Unknown user Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Mongoose Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes No No user Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown
Monkey HTTP Server Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No user No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown
NaviServer Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Unknown No No Yes Unknown Unknown user Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown
NCSA HTTPd Yes Yes Unknown Partial Yes Unknown Unknown No No Yes No No user No No No No No
nginx Yes Yes (module) Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Unknown user No Yes Yes Yes Yes
OpenBSD httpd Yes No Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No No user No Yes No No No
OpenLink Virtuoso Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes No No user Yes No No Unknown Unknown
Oracle HTTP Server Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown No No Yes No Unknown user Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown
Oracle iPlanet Web Server Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown No Yes Yes No Yes user Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown
thttpd Yes Unknown No Yes Yes No Unknown No No No No Unknown user No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown
TUX web server No No No Yes Yes No Unknown No No No No Unknown kernel Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
Xitami Yes Unknown paid version Yes Yes Unknown Unknown No Unknown Yes Unknown Unknown user Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown
Yaws Yes Unknown Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown No No Yes No Unknown user Unknown Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown
Zeus Web Server Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown No No Yes Yes Unknown user Yes No Unknown Unknown Unknown
  1. ↑ The "dynamic content" columns indicate whether the server itself implements the given feature. Other features may be available by delegation (e.g. Apache HTTP Server can delegate to Apache Tomcat for Servlet support).
  2. ↑ support for using RSA BSAFE
  3. 1 2 3 4 support for using openSSL
  4. ↑ support for using Network Security Services
  5. 1 2 via modules
  6. ↑ support for using GnuTLS
  7. 1 2 3 4 This server implements AJP; compatible third-party Servlet containers can be integrated to provide seamless Servlet support.
  8. ↑ This server can use the mod_isapi module for this support.
  9. ↑ via Geronimo
  10. ↑ support for using Java Secure Socket Extension
  11. ↑ While Tomcat does not implement ISAPI directly, it integrates well with Apache mod_jk which contains an ISAPI module for this purpose.
  12. ↑ Requires a JVM and OS that support IPv6.
  13. ↑ with external patch
  14. ↑ Implemented as CGI script httpd_ssi
  15. ↑ CGI implemented for WebSocket connections
  16. ↑ Same capabilities as SSI available with templates
  17. ↑ The experimental_http3 option "enables experimental draft HTTP/3 support...This option will go away in the future".
  18. ↑ Version 1.4.8 of Caudium mentions IPv6 support but this is not explicitly specified on the official website. Maintainers have been sent a Documentation Update Query; please remove this warning notice when they update their website
  19. 1 2 support for using PolarSSL
  20. ↑ Servlet Engines are supported via isapi_redirect.
  21. ↑ Due to lack of support for HTTP/1.1, name based virtual hosts are not fully implemented.
  22. ↑ via Enterprise Manager

Operating system support

See also

References

  1. ↑ "AOLserver 4.5.1 released".
  2. ↑ "Release 2.4.69". 1 October 2026. Retrieved 2 October 2026.
  3. ↑ "Tomcat 11.0.27 (markt)". 12 October 2026. Retrieved 12 October 2026.
  4. ↑ "Boa Webserver". Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  5. ↑ "BusyBox 1.36.1 (stable)".
  6. ↑ "Release 2.11.7". 3 October 2026. Retrieved 3 October 2026.
  7. ↑ "Caudium 1.4.18 available".
  8. ↑ "Official CERN httpd page".
  9. ↑ "Release v1.2.104". 1 April 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  10. ↑ "Release 8.0.5". 4 October 2026. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  11. ↑ "12.3".
  12. ↑ "Release 3.1.7".
  13. ↑ "Release 12.1.14". 5 October 2026. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  14. ↑ "1.4.85". 8 July 2026. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "LiteSpeed Web Server Release Log".
  16. ↑ "Release Monkey v1.8.7".
  17. ↑ "NaviServer 5.0.5".
  18. ↑ "Release 1.31.8". 21 October 2026. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
  19. ↑ https://www.openbsd.org/80.html. Retrieved 20 October 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ↑ "Release 7.2.17". 7 May 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  21. ↑ "Oracle Web Tier Downloads". www.oracle.com. Oracle.
  22. ↑ "Oracle HTTP Server 14.1.2.0.0 - Get Started". Oracle Help Center.
  23. ↑ "Announcing Oracle WebLogic Server and Coherence Version 15.1.1.0". blogs.oracle.com.
  24. 1 2 "Resin Pro Download Archive | Caucho".
  25. ↑ "Release 3.1.0". 27 October 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  26. ↑ "thttpd - tiny/turbo/throttling HTTP server".
  27. ↑ "Release 1.9.2". 26 November 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  28. ↑ "Welcome To Xitami.com".
  29. ↑ "Release 2.3.1". 29 May 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  30. ↑ "Change log - Zope documentation".
  31. ↑ "Nsssl - AOLserver Wiki". Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  32. ↑ "Apache Module mod_ssl". Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  33. ↑ "mod_gnutls". Archived from the original on 2018-05-30. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  34. ↑ "Apache Tomcat 6.0 - SSL Configuration HOW-TO". Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  35. ↑ "Global options". caddyserver.com. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  36. ↑ "Cherokee Web Server | Man pages cherokee-admin | Cherokee Documentation". cherokee-project.com.
  37. ↑ "HFS: Secure your server - rejetto wiki". www.rejetto.com.
  38. ↑ Leisink, Hugo. "Features - Hiawatha webserver". hiawatha-webserver.org. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  39. ↑ "States that the HTTP protocol stack http.sys runs in kernel space, while the rest of the software runs in user space". Technet2.microsoft.com. Archived from the original on 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
  40. ↑ "Secure HTTP". redmine.lighttpd.net. Retrieved 2014-12-09.
  41. ↑ ""LiteSpeed Web Server v5.4 is Here!"". 24 July 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  42. ↑ "JavaServers". Wiki.nginx.org. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  43. ↑ Ghosh, Soumik (2010-09-05). "Enable IPv6 support". Nginx Library. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  44. ↑ "nginx changelog". nginx.org. 2015-09-22.
  45. ↑ "Feature Overview - 10g R2 (10.1.2)" (PDF). Oracle.com. 2010-09-07. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
  46. ↑ "BusyBox on Windows". "The Windows native build is currently broken."
  47. ↑ "Webserver FAQs". Caudium. Retrieved 2012-02-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  48. ↑ John Poole. "Installation on Windows". cherokee-project.com. Retrieved 2014-11-23. "The Windows native build is currently broken."
  49. 1 2 3 4 5 Hugo Leisink. "About - Hiawatha webserver". hiawatha-webserver.org. Archived from the original on 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2014-06-21.