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Apache HTTP Server vs OpenResty vs nginx: What are the differences?
Introduction
In this article, we will explore the key differences between Apache HTTP Server, OpenResty, and Nginx. These are all popular web servers used for hosting websites and applications. Each of these servers has its own unique features and capabilities, making them suitable for different use cases.
Architecture: Apache HTTP Server follows a traditional architecture where each incoming request spawns a new thread or process to handle it. On the other hand, Nginx and OpenResty follow an event-driven architecture, which enables them to handle a large number of concurrent connections efficiently. This makes them more suitable for high-performance applications with a large number of simultaneous requests.
Modules and Extensions: Apache HTTP Server has a vast ecosystem of modules and extensions, which allows it to be highly customizable. It supports a wide range of programming languages and frameworks. Nginx also has a good number of modules available, but the selection is relatively smaller compared to Apache. OpenResty, on the other hand, is built upon Nginx and provides an extensive set of Lua-based modules, specifically designed for building API gateways, web applications, and microservices.
Performance and Scalability: Nginx and OpenResty are known for their high performance and low resource consumption. They are designed to handle a large number of concurrent connections and are often used as reverse proxies or load balancers. Apache HTTP Server, although being a highly mature and stable web server, may require more resources to handle the same amount of traffic compared to Nginx or OpenResty.
Configuration and Syntax: Apache HTTP Server uses an Apache-specific configuration syntax, often referred to as "httpd.conf". It has a rich set of directives and allows complex configurations. Nginx, on the other hand, uses a simple and intuitive configuration syntax. The configuration is split into separate files, making it easier to manage. OpenResty inherits the Nginx configuration syntax and extends it with additional directives related to Lua modules.
Community and Support: Apache HTTP Server has been around for a long time and has a large and vibrant community. It has extensive documentation and a wide range of resources available online. Nginx also has a strong and active community, although relatively smaller compared to Apache. OpenResty has a growing community with a focus on Lua programming, and there are resources dedicated explicitly to OpenResty.
SSL/TLS Support: Nginx has native support for SSL/TLS and provides ease of implementation for securing websites and applications. Apache HTTP Server also supports SSL/TLS using its mod_ssl module but may require additional configuration. OpenResty, being based on Nginx, inherits its SSL/TLS capabilities and provides seamless integration with Lua modules.
In summary, Apache HTTP Server, Nginx, and OpenResty have various differences in their architecture, modules, performance, configuration syntax, community support, and SSL/TLS capabilities. Understanding these differences can help in choosing the most suitable web server for specific use cases.
I am diving into web development, both front and back end. I feel comfortable with administration, scripting and moderate coding in bash, Python and C++, but I am also a Windows fan (i love inner conflict). What are the votes on web servers? IIS is expensive and restrictive (has Windows adoption of open source changed this?) Apache has the history but seems to be at the root of most of my Infosec issues, and I know nothing about nginx (is it too new to rely on?). And no, I don't know what I want to do on the web explicitly, but hosting and data storage (both cloud and tape) are possibilities. Ready, aim fire!
I would pick nginx over both IIS and Apace HTTP Server any day. Combine it with docker, and as you grow maybe even traefik, and you'll have a really flexible solution for serving http content where you can take sites and projects up and down without effort, easily move it between systems and dont have to handle any dependencies on your actual local machine.
From a StackShare Community member: "We are a LAMP shop currently focused on improving web performance for our customers. We have made many front-end optimizations and now we are considering replacing Apache with nginx. I was wondering if others saw a noticeable performance gain or any other benefits by switching."
I use nginx because it is very light weight. Where Apache tries to include everything in the web server, nginx opts to have external programs/facilities take care of that so the web server can focus on efficiently serving web pages. While this can seem inefficient, it limits the number of new bugs found in the web server, which is the element that faces the client most directly.
I use nginx because its more flexible and easy to configure
I use Apache HTTP Server because it's intuitive, comprehensive, well-documented, and just works
- Server rendered HTML output from PHP is being migrated to the client as Vue.js components, future plans to provide additional content, and other new miscellaneous features all result in a substantial increase of static files needing to be served from the server. NGINX has better performance than Apache for serving static content.
- The change to NGINX will require switching from PHP to PHP-FPM resulting in a distributed architecture with a higher complexity configuration, but this is outweighed by PHP-FPM being faster than PHP for processing requests.
- The NGINX + PHP-FPM setup now allows for horizontally scaling of resources rather vertically scaling the previously combined Apache + PHP resources.
- PHP shell tasks can now efficiently be decoupled from the application reducing main application footprint and allow for scaling of tasks on an individual basis.
I was in a situation where I have to configure 40 RHEL servers 20 each for Apache HTTP Server and Tomcat server. My task was to 1. configure LVM with required logical volumes, format and mount for HTTP and Tomcat servers accordingly. 2. Install apache and tomcat. 3. Generate and apply selfsigned certs to http server. 4. Modify default ports on Tomcat to different ports. 5. Create users on RHEL for application support team. 6. other administrative tasks like, start, stop and restart HTTP and Tomcat services.
I have utilized the power of ansible for all these tasks, which made it easy and manageable.
Pros of Apache HTTP Server
- Web server479
- Most widely-used web server305
- Virtual hosting217
- Fast148
- Ssl support138
- Since 199644
- Asynchronous28
- Robust5
- Proven over many years4
- Mature2
- Perfomance2
- Perfect Support1
- Many available modules0
- Many available modules0
Pros of NGINX
- High-performance http server1.4K
- Performance894
- Easy to configure730
- Open source607
- Load balancer530
- Free289
- Scalability288
- Web server226
- Simplicity175
- Easy setup136
- Content caching30
- Web Accelerator21
- Capability15
- Fast14
- High-latency12
- Predictability12
- Reverse Proxy8
- Supports http/27
- The best of them7
- Great Community5
- Lots of Modules5
- Enterprise version5
- High perfomance proxy server4
- Embedded Lua scripting3
- Streaming media delivery3
- Streaming media3
- Reversy Proxy3
- Blash2
- GRPC-Web2
- Lightweight2
- Fast and easy to set up2
- Slim2
- saltstack2
- Virtual hosting1
- Narrow focus. Easy to configure. Fast1
- Along with Redis Cache its the Most superior1
- Ingress controller1
Pros of OpenResty
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Cons of Apache HTTP Server
- Hard to set up4
Cons of NGINX
- Advanced features require subscription10
Cons of OpenResty
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