Comparison of web server software explained

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

ServerDeveloped bySoftware licenseLast stable versionLatest release date
AOLserverNaviSoft4.5.22012-09-19 (discontinued)
Apache HTTP ServerApache Software Foundation2.4.582023-10-19
Apache TomcatApache Software Foundation10.1.152023-10-16
BoaJon Nelson and Larry Doolittle0.94.132002-07-30 (discontinued)
BusyBox httpdGlenn Engel, Vladimir Oleynik, BusyBox Team1.36.12023-05-18
CaddyMatt Holt2.8.42024-06-02
CaudiumThe Caudium Group1.4.182012-02-24
CERN httpdCERN, W3C, Tim Berners-Lee, Ari Luotonen and Henrik Frystyk NielsenMIT Copyright Statement with acknowledgement to CERN3.0A1996-07-15(discontinued)
Cherokee HTTP ServerÁlvaro López Ortega1.2.1032013-04-21
GlassFishSun Microsystems, Oracle Corporation, since 2019 Eclipse Foundation6.2.52022-02-13
HiawathaHugo Leisink11.52023-10-13
HFSRejetto2.3m2018-08-16
IBM HTTP ServerIBM proprietary9.0.5.172023-09-19
Internet Information ServicesMicrosoft proprietary10.0.17763.12018-10-02
JettyEclipse Foundation12.0.22023-10-10
JexusBing Liu proprietary6.2.x2020
lighttpdJan Kneschke (Incremental)1.4.762024-04-12
LiteSpeed Web ServerLiteSpeed Technologies6.1.22023-05-24
MongooseCesanta Software7.142024-05-20
Monkey HTTP ServerMonkey Software1.6.92016-06-04
NaviServerVarious4.99.252023-05-01
NCSA HTTPdRobert McCool proprietary1.5.2a1996-10-08 (discontinued)
NginxNGINX, Inc.1.25.42024-03-14
OpenBSD httpdReyk Floeter7.42023-10-16
OpenLinkVirtuosoOpenLink Software8.3.33292023-09-01
Oracle HTTP ServerOracle Corporation proprietary12cR2 (12.2.1.4)[1] 2021-02-??[2]
Oracle iPlanet Web ServerOracle Corporation7.0.272017-10-01
Oracle WebLogic ServerOracle Corporation
(formerly BEA Systems)		 proprietary14c (14.1.1.0) 2020-03-30
Resin Open SourceCaucho Technology4.0.662021-12-08
Resin ProfessionalCaucho Technology proprietary4.0.662021-12-08
thttpdJef Poskanzer for ACME Laboratories2.292018-05-24
TUX web serverIngo Molnár3.2.6.182006-09-20 (discontinued)
WEBrickRuby Community1.8.12023-01-27
XitamiiMatix Corporation5.0a02009-02-19 (discontinued)
YawsClaes Wikström2.1.12022-02-02
Zeus Web ServerZeus Technology proprietary4.3r52010-01-13 (discontinued)
ZopeZope Corporation2.13.302020-02-14
ServerDeveloped bySoftware licenseLast stable versionLatest release date

Features

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

ServerSecurityVirtual
hosting		Dynamic contentRuns in user
or kernel space		Administration consoleAdditional protocol support
Basic access
authenti-
cation		Digest access
authenti-
cation		SSL/TLS
https		CGIFCGISCGIWSGIJava
Servlets		SSIISAPISSJSIPv6HTTP/2QUICHTTP/3
AOLserver[3] user
Apache HTTP Server[4] [5] user
Apache Tomcat[6] user
Boauser
BusyBox httpduser
Caddyuser
Caucho Resin Serveruser
Caudiumuser
Cherokee HTTP Serveruser[7]
HFS[8] user
Hiawatha HTTP Server[9] user[10]
IBM HTTP Serveruser
Internet Information Serviceskernel and user[11]
Jettyuser
Jexususer
lighttpd[12] user
LiteSpeed Web Serveruser[13]
Mongooseuser
Monkey HTTP Serveruser
NaviServeruser
NCSA HTTPduser
nginx (module)[14] user[15] [16]
OpenBSD httpduser
OpenLinkVirtuosouser
Oracle HTTP Server[17] user
Oracle iPlanet Web Serveruser
thttpduser
TUX web serverkernel
Xitamiuser
Yawsuser
Zeus Web Serveruser

Operating system support

ServerWindowsLinuxmacOSBSDSolariseComStationOpenVMSAIXIBM iz/OSHP-UX
AOLserver
Apache HTTP Server
Apache Tomcat
Boa
BusyBox httpd[18]
Caddy
Caucho Resin Server
Caudium[19]
Cherokee HTTP Server[20]
HFS
Hiawatha[21]
IBM HTTP Server
Internet Information Services
Jetty (Java)
Jexus
lighttpd
(Cygwin)
LiteSpeed Web Server
Mongoose
Monkey HTTP Server
NaviServer
NCSA HTTPd
nginx
OpenLinkVirtuoso
Oracle HTTP Server
Oracle iPlanet Web Server
thttpd
(Cygwin)
TUX web server
Xitami
Yaws

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Oracle Web Tier Downloads. www.oracle.com . Oracle. 11 August 2020.
  2. Web site: Release Notes for Oracle HTTP Server . 2022-10-09 . Oracle Help Center . en-us.
  3. Web site: Nsssl - AOLserver Wiki . 2014-07-04.
  4. Web site: Apache Module mod_ssl . 2014-07-04.
  5. Web site: mod_gnutls . 2014-07-04 . 2018-05-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180530180931/https://mod.gnutls.org/ . dead .
  6. Web site: Apache Tomcat 6.0 - SSL Configuration HOW-TO. 2014-07-04.
  7. Web site: Cherokee Web Server | Man pages cherokee-admin | Cherokee Documentation. cherokee-project.com.
  8. Web site: HFS: Secure your server - rejetto wiki. www.rejetto.com.
  9. Web site: Features - Hiawatha webserver. hiawatha-webserver.org . Hugo . Leisink . 2014-07-04.
  10. Web site: Scaling down the project. www.hiawatha-webserver.com. 11 August 2020.
  11. Web site: 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 . 2012-02-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080417180303/http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/975bb1da-4bcf-4064-b0c7-723e45106bf51033.mspx?mfr=true . 2008-04-17 . dead .
  12. Web site: Secure HTTP . redmine.lighttpd.net. 2014-12-09.
  13. Web site: "LiteSpeed Web Server v5.4 is Here!" . 24 July 2019 . 11 November 2019.
  14. Web site: JavaServers . Wiki.nginx.org. 2013-08-15.
  15. Web site: Ghosh . Soumik. Enable IPv6 support . Nginx Library . 2010-09-05. 2013-08-15.
  16. Web site: nginx changelog. www.nginx.com. 2015-09-22.
  17. Web site: Feature Overview - 10g R2 (10.1.2) . Oracle.com. 2010-09-07 . 2012-02-28.
  18. Web site: BusyBox on Windows. "The Windows native build is currentlybroken."
  19. Web site: Webserver FAQs . Caudium . 2012-02-28 . https://archive.today/20021114112842/http://caudium.net/server/faqs.rxml . 2002-11-14 . dead .
  20. Web site: Installation on Windows. cherokee-project.com . John Poole. 2014-11-23. "The Windows native build is currentlybroken."
  21. Web site: About - Hiawatha webserver . hiawatha-webserver.org . Hugo Leisink . 2014-06-21 . 2023-06-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230612074432/https://www.hiawatha-webserver.org/about . dead .

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