Both Nginx and Apache are mature products with rich feature sets and high performance. They share common open-source origins, and you can deploy them either on Windows or Linux servers.
However, some key differences might make you choose one over the other.
For example, Apache is a comprehensive solution that supports many different technologies and modules out-of-the-box. In contrast, Nginx relies on third-party modules to expand its functionality.
To see which web server might better suit your needs, let’s dive deeper into these options.
Overview
Apache, the Original Hero Web Server
Created in 1995 by Robert McCool and originally called the “Apache HTTP Server Project” (hence the name), Apache was designed to create a robust, commercial-grade server that is free to use, even with modifications. It became popular very quickly because it could run on many different operating systems, from Unix to Windows.
Because of this long-running popularity, I consider Apache as the “original hero” web server. It’s robust, well documented, and supported by an open community of developers under the auspices of the Apache Software Foundation.
Nginx, the Titan of a New Era
Nginx (pronounced as “Engine X”) is an HTTP and reverse proxy server, a mail proxy server, and a generic TCP/UDP proxy server used to host websites and applications of all sizes. It was first publicly released by Russian developer Igor Sysoev. Nginx’s initial goal was to solve the C10K problem that Apache struggled to manage.
In 2019, Nginx became part of F5 Networks. F5 is a technology company specializing in application security, multi-cloud management, and online fraud prevention.
Market Shares & Features
Market Shares
Key Differences
Features | Nginx | Apache |
---|---|---|
Introduced | 2004 | 1995 |
Current Stable Version | Nginx 1.27.0 | Apache 2.4.63 |
Architecture | Event-driven | Process-driven |
Open Source | Yes | Yes |
Development & Support | Apache Foundation | F5 Networks |
Supported Platforms | Primarily Unix | Unix and Windows |
Multiple Concurrent Requests | Yes | No |
Native Dynamic Content Processing | No | Yes |
Modular | Yes | Yes |
Configuration | Limited | per-directory via .htaccess |
Request Interpretation | Passes URI | Passes File system location |
Core Architecture
Nginx and Apache share some similarities in their core architecture. For example, they both use master-worker processes to improve performance. They even have similar configuration files. Yet the differences in architectural style result in significant broad-view performance variation.
Nginx has a resource-friendly event-driven architecture that uses small but constant amounts of memory under load. This characteristic makes it ideal for hosting websites with high traffic levels or those that have intermittent traffic spikes.
Apache’s process-driven architecture handles each connection via a dedicated thread, which requires more memory. However, it scales better under heavy loads on machines with more CPU cores and RAM.
Memory Usage
Nginx is known for its high performance and low resource consumption. On the other hand, Apache can be memory intensive, especially when running multiple server blocks. While both use memory to handle HTTP requests, Nginx is more lightweight.
The design of Apache meant that it spawned one thread per connection, and each thread would use a certain amount of RAM. As traffic increased, this could lead to problems as more RAM would be required, particularly on servers with less memory. Apache also creates new processes for each request, even from the same user.
Comparatively, Nginx uses one process to handle multiple connections at once.
PHP Handling
Because both of these web servers mainly work with PHP, how they handle the code means significant performance potential. Nginx does not execute PHP directly by default. Instead, it passes the request to PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager), which handles the request and sends a response back to Nginx, which then serves the content back to the client.
Since Nginx does not wait for a response from PHP-FPM to serve another request (similarly to how it does not wait for a response from clients when serving static content), Nginx can handle more requests concurrently than Apache will be able to manage.
Apache uses a module called mod_php to execute PHP code. In this model, every time an HTTP request comes in, Apache spawns a new process or thread (depending on how it’s configured) to handle that request. This process is also responsible for handling any PHP requests within that request.
This model works, but it has some drawbacks. For one thing, spawning a new process for every request can be intensive on the system, especially if there are many simultaneous requests. Generating a new process for every PHP request within a request is even more intensive since the operating system has to spawn a brand new interpreter for each one.
Performance Benchmark
In a detailed performance benchmark report from CyberPanel, several key tests highlight the differences between Nginx and Apache. Watch the following video for the full testing process.
In summary:
- Nginx: Handles up to 10,000 concurrent connections with a low memory footprint. In benchmark tests, it serves static content up to 2.5 times faster than Apache.
- Apache: In comparison, Apache is effective but less efficient than Nginx for static content. With its process-driven architecture, Apache’s performance can degrade under high concurrency due to the overhead of managing multiple processes.
Nginx vs Apache for WordPress
In the context of WordPress performance, Nginx significantly improves load times, especially for static content, making it a preferred choice for high-traffic WordPress sites. Its event-driven architecture allows for efficient handling of concurrent connections, resulting in faster response times and reduced server load.
Apache, on the other hand, offers robust dynamic content processing with modules like mod_php
, which can simplify deployment for WordPress sites that rely heavily on dynamic content. However, Nginx generally provides better performance and resource efficiency for WordPress environments focused on static content delivery.
How to Choose Between Nginx & Apache
As you can see, there’s no clear winner between these web server behemoths. It mainly depends on what you need the webserver to manage.
Choose Apache if:
- Legacy Systems and Compatibility: Apache is often the preferred choice for systems that have been using it for a long time due to its long-standing presence in the market. If your infrastructure relies heavily on .htaccess files for per-directory configuration, Apache is more suitable since it supports these files natively, allowing decentralized configuration and flexibility in shared hosting environments.
- Dynamic Content Processing: If your applications require heavy processing of dynamic content, such as PHP, Python, or Ruby scripts, Apache can be advantageous due to its ability to embed processors directly within its modules. This setup simplifies the execution of dynamic scripts directly within the server.
- Ease of Use and Documentation: Apache’s wide adoption means it has a vast amount of documentation and community support. It’s easier to find guides, tutorials, and support for Apache-related issues, making it a more user-friendly option for beginners or those who prefer a large knowledge base.
Use Nginx if:
- High Performance and Scalability: Nginx is optimized for handling high numbers of concurrent connections, making it ideal for high-traffic websites or applications that require scalability. Its event-driven architecture allows it to handle many connections with low memory usage, making it efficient for static content delivery.
- Load Balancing and Reverse Proxy: Nginx is often used as a reverse proxy and load balancer, distributing incoming traffic across multiple backend servers. This feature makes Nginx a great choice for high-availability setups and environments that require efficient load distribution.
- Static Content Delivery: If your application serves a significant amount of static content, such as images, CSS, or JavaScript files, Nginx excels due to its speed and efficiency in serving static files directly. Its architecture allows for quick delivery of static resources with minimal overhead.
- Configuration Simplicity: While Nginx does not support .htaccess files, its configuration syntax is straightforward and easy to understand. This simplicity can be beneficial for those who want to maintain clean and simple server configurations.
Combined Use
For many setups, using both Apache and Nginx together can leverage the strengths of each.
A common configuration is to place Nginx as a reverse proxy in front of Apache. This allows Nginx to handle static content and concurrent connections efficiently, while Apache manages dynamic content processing. This hybrid approach can optimize performance and resource utilization in complex web environments.
Final Thoughts
Whether you run Apache or Nginx will depend on your needs and the hardware you’re running. You can use either option for serving PHP websites. But there is a lot more to consider than just that.
If you have a simple website, you may not notice any difference between them. But if your site gets more traffic and grows, you’ll need to know how each server performs and scales under load.