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Apache HTTP Server vs NGINX Unit vs nginx: What are the differences?
Introduction
Apache HTTP Server is a widely used open-source web server software that is developed and maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. It is known for its stability, security, and modularity. On the other hand, NGINX Unit is a multi-language application server that is designed to run applications in various programming languages. It provides a flexible and dynamic platform for hosting apps, supporting both traditional and microservices architectures. NGINX, the parent company of NGINX Unit, is also known for its high-performance web server software.
1. Flexibility:
Apache HTTP Server has a modular architecture that allows users to install and configure additional modules to add functionality as needed. This flexibility makes it suitable for a wide range of use cases and allows users to customize their server setup to meet specific requirements. In contrast, NGINX Unit provides built-in support for multiple languages and frameworks without the need for additional modules, making it easier and faster to set up and deploy applications.
2. Performance:
NGINX Unit is known for its high-performance capabilities, especially when it comes to handling a large number of concurrent connections. It uses an event-driven, non-blocking architecture that allows it to efficiently handle many connections simultaneously, making it well-suited for high-traffic websites and applications. Apache HTTP Server, while still capable of handling a considerable amount of traffic, may not be as performant in scenarios with a high number of concurrent connections.
3. Ease of Use:
Apache HTTP Server has been around for a long time and has a large user community, which means there is more documentation, resources, and support available. It has a well-established configuration file format and a wide range of tools and utilities for managing and monitoring server instances. NGINX Unit, being a newer project, may have a slightly steeper learning curve for users who are new to NGINX or its specific configuration and management techniques.
4. Scalability:
NGINX Unit is designed to be highly scalable, allowing users to easily scale their application deployments horizontally by adding more instances of NGINX Unit. It also supports automatic service discovery and load balancing, making it easier to scale and distribute traffic across multiple instances. Apache HTTP Server, while still capable of handling large loads, may require additional configurations or third-party tools for achieving the same level of scalability and load balancing.
5. Platform Support:
Apache HTTP Server is a cross-platform web server that can run on various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and various Unix variants. It has a wide range of modules and extensions available, making it compatible with different software stacks and technologies. NGINX Unit, on the other hand, currently supports Linux-based operating systems, which limits its deployment options for users on other platforms.
6. Community Support:
Apache HTTP Server has a large and active user community, which means there are many resources, forums, and communities where users can seek help, share knowledge, and collaborate on development. NGINX Unit, being a relatively newer project, may have a smaller community size in comparison. This can impact the availability of resources and support for users who may encounter issues or need assistance with their deployments.
Summary
In summary, the key differences between Apache HTTP Server and NGINX Unit are their flexibility, performance, ease of use, scalability, platform support, and community support. Apache HTTP Server is known for its modularity and wide user community, while NGINX Unit provides built-in language support and high-performance capabilities. Choosing between the two depends on specific use cases and preferences.
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 NGINX
- High-performance http server1.4K
- Performance893
- 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
- The best of them7
- Supports http/27
- 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 NGINX Unit
- PHP3
- Python2
- Golang2
- Multilang2
- Node.js1
- Ruby1
Cons of NGINX
- Advanced features require subscription10
Cons of NGINX Unit
What is NGINX?
What is NGINX Unit?
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