What is a Web Server?
Previously, a web server could be defined as a server capable of running a web page by returning HTML files over an HTTP connection. But with the advent of complex applications, the definition of a web server has changed and now, one can define a web server as any Internet server that responds to HTTP requests and provides content and services.
- IIS vs Apache vs NGINX: Apache Web Server
Apache is an open source web server developed and maintained by a team of developers under the Apache Software Foundation. This is the result of collaborative efforts to create a powerful and secure commercial-grade web server that complies with all HTTP standards. It has been the market leader since entering the web server market in 1995 and remains the web host of choice for its ability to run on multiple platforms. You probably know that Apache is equally effective on almost all operating systems, but the findings can be maximally used in combination with Linux.
- IIS vs Apache vs NGINX: NGINX Web Server
NGINX is a powerful web server developed by Russian developer Igor Sysoev. It is a free and open source HTTP server that can be used as a mail proxy, reverse proxy server if needed. More importantly, it can efficiently support a large number of concurrent users with minimal resources. NGINX, in particular, is of great help when it comes to managing large web traffic situations. You will love NGINX if you are looking for a web server with a lightweight and highly efficient architecture. It is probably the only web host that can handle heavy traffic with very limited hardware resources. You might be surprised to learn that NGINX acts as a kind of shock absorber protecting the Apache server from security holes and traffic spikes.
- IIS vs Apache vs NGINX: IIS Web Server
IIS web server from Microsoft is stable and only works on Microsoft Windows operating system. It’s actually not free, as it’s part of the Windows operating system. You may feel comfortable with IIS if you have used the Windows operating system ecosystem and this is the advantage of IIS because many people have been using Windows for a while. It also comes with support for the .NET framework released by Microsoft and support services for IIS provided directly by Microsoft which is a big bonus in itself.
