Apache vs Nginx vs LiteSpeed:Choosing a Web Server

Apache is the long-established, highly flexible web server with per-directory .htaccess configuration. Nginx is an event-driven server known for efficiently serving static files and acting as a reverse proxy, configured centrally without .htaccess. LiteSpeed is a commercial, event-driven server that is compatible with Apache configuration and .htaccess and includes a built-in page cache. All three run PHP sites well when configured properly; the right choice depends on your stack, control panel and team.

How each one works

Apache HTTP Server

Apache uses modules and multi-processing modules (MPMs). Modern setups use the event MPM with PHP running in PHP-FPM, which is far more efficient than the older prefork + mod_php model. Its defining feature is .htaccess: per-directory configuration files that applications and users can change without access to the main configuration.

Nginx

Nginx uses an asynchronous, event-driven architecture that handles many simultaneous connections with little memory. It does not run PHP itself: it passes PHP requests to PHP-FPM. Configuration is centralised; there is no .htaccess, so rewrite rules must be translated into Nginx configuration. It is widely used as a reverse proxy and load balancer in front of applications.

LiteSpeed Web Server

LiteSpeed is event-driven, reads Apache configuration and .htaccess, runs PHP through its own LSAPI, and includes LSCache, a server-level full-page cache controlled by CMS plugins. OpenLiteSpeed is the open-source edition, with different configuration and .htaccess handling. See LiteSpeed Web Server explained.

Comparison

	Apache	Nginx	LiteSpeed
Architecture	Process/thread (event MPM available)	Event-driven	Event-driven
.htaccess	Yes	No	Yes
PHP	PHP-FPM (recommended) or other handlers	PHP-FPM	LSAPI
Built-in page cache	Via modules	FastCGI/proxy cache	LSCache
Reverse proxy	Yes	Very common use	Yes
Licence	Open source	Open source (commercial Nginx Plus available)	Commercial (OpenLiteSpeed open source)
Common with control panels	cPanel, Plesk	Plesk, custom stacks	cPanel and others as an option

Which suits which situation

Choose Apache when:

• your applications rely heavily on .htaccess rules;
• you want maximum compatibility with existing guides and hosting conventions;
• you run it with the event MPM and PHP-FPM for good performance.

Choose Nginx when:

• you build a custom stack (for example Laravel, Node.js or containers) and are comfortable with central configuration;
• you need a reverse proxy, load balancer or efficient static file server;
• you are happy to translate .htaccess rules into Nginx configuration.

Choose LiteSpeed when:

• you host many PHP/WordPress sites and want Apache compatibility with built-in caching;
• you use a control panel that supports it and accept the licence cost.

Combinations are common: Nginx in front as a reverse proxy and cache, Apache behind it for .htaccess compatibility.

Performance in practice

Benchmarks vary widely depending on configuration, caching, PHP setup and hardware, so be sceptical of headline numbers. In real deployments:

• the cache strategy matters more than the web server choice;
• a properly configured PHP-FPM pool matters for every option;
• Apache with the old prefork + mod_php model uses much more memory than modern configurations.

See server performance tuning.

Example: the same rule in Apache and Nginx

A WordPress permalink rule shows the main difference in configuration style.

Apache (.htaccess):

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]

Nginx (server configuration):

location / {
    try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
}

location ~ \.php$ {
    include fastcgi_params;
    fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
    fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.3-fpm.sock;
}

In Apache, the rule lives with the site and changes take effect immediately; in Nginx, it lives in the central configuration and needs a reload (nginx -t && systemctl reload nginx). LiteSpeed reads the Apache version directly.

A common combination: Nginx in front of Apache

Some servers use Nginx as a reverse proxy on ports 80 and 443, serving static files and caching, while Apache runs behind it on another port to process .htaccess and PHP. This combines Nginx's efficiency with Apache's compatibility, at the cost of two web servers to configure. Make sure the backend receives the real visitor IP and protocol through trusted proxy headers, or applications may log the wrong IP and misdetect HTTPS.

Migrating between web servers

• Apache to LiteSpeed is usually straightforward, thanks to .htaccess compatibility.
• Apache to Nginx requires translating rewrite rules, redirects and access controls, then testing every route.
• Keep the old configuration until the new one has been tested on a staging server.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which web server is most secure?

All three are mature and actively maintained. Security depends far more on updates and configuration than on the choice.

Can WordPress run on Nginx?

Yes. You add the equivalent of WordPress's permalink rules to the Nginx configuration, since .htaccess is not read.

Is Nginx always faster than Apache?

Not necessarily. For static files and many idle connections Nginx is very efficient, but a well-configured Apache with PHP-FPM and caching performs well for typical PHP sites.

Related reading

For the fundamentals, see what is a VPS, and compare the ServerNeed VPS plans if you want to choose your own web server.

Sources

• Apache HTTP Server documentation
• nginx documentation
• LiteSpeed Web Server documentation