Apache Web Server vs IIS comparison

Apache and Microsoft are both solutions in the Application Infrastructure category. Apache is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.8, while Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.1. Apache holds a 10.9% mindshare in AIS, compared to Microsoft’s 12.8% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Apache users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Apache Web Server

Read 22 Apache Web Server reviews

2,093 Views
1,809 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IIS

Read 55 IIS reviews

3,058 Views
2,314 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Apache Web Server

IIS

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Apache Web Server and IIS based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Application Infrastructure solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Apache Web Server vs. IIS Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server vs. IIS

January 2025

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Helped 838,640 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Apache Web Server

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

4th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IIS

Ranking in Application Infrastructure

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Server (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Apache Web Server is 10.9%, up from 10.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IIS is 12.8%, down from 13.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Infrastructure

Featured Reviews

Saurav Kumar

Senior security architecture at National Payment Corporation Of India

Offers security features that are reliable

When it comes to Apache Web Server, I don't have any suggestions for improvement because we use it in the UAT environment. For production, my company mainly uses NGINX. There is no direct package provided by the product if I want to use WAF. In NGINX, NGINX Plus has the signature update capability, but in Apache, the same feature is not available, making it an area where improvements are required. If WAF can be introduced in Apache Web Server, it would be a good improvement so that its users can implement either the WAF module or ModSecurity, as they choose. For NGINX, I think it has NGINX Management Suite, which is GUI-based and allows you to manage your configuration via the user interface, but Apache fails to offer such capabilities to users. Apache Web Server should provide users with the same capabilities offered under NGINX Management Suite with the help of a simple GUI so that our company doesn't have to do anything on the terminal while directly getting to use the user interface, which can help us with the configuration part.

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VikramSingh6

Operations Executive at Quess

A simple and easy-to-use solution but not recommended for public apps

I would rate the overall solution a six out of ten. We have around five to six developers and engineers for the solution’s deployment and maintenance. You can use the solution if your website is not too big or complicated. However, if it is big and complicated, then you need to use Apache or Red Hat. This tool can be used for internal purposes. But if you plan to host a public app, then I wouldn’t recommend the tool.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The solution's most valuable feature is reporting."

"Its community is its most valuable feature. Solving problems is easier on Apache because so many people know this product."

"The solution offers good security."

"Apache Web Server is free of cost."

"The control panel is very easy to navigate. It's similar to most hosting platforms, so it's user-friendly. Once you get used to it, managing your hosting becomes easy, too."

"It is more secure to use Apache and you will have fewer problems than other web services."

"Most of the features I liked were related to the performance during peak hours."

"The product's initial setup phase is straightforward."

More Apache Web Server pros

"It is a scalable solution."

"The solution integrates well with most Microsoft products."

"The most valuable feature of IIS is that it's free, and it works."

"The solution is very stable. The solution is very simple and easy to use."

"The product is easy to use."

"The solution is very easy to use and offers a quick deployment."

"IIS is useful for the deployment of web applications...Its stability is good."

"We use Windows Server only for Eggplant Manager."

More IIS pros

Cons

"A monitoring interface would be great for this product. The monitoring dashboards for Apache's models are not included in the basic installation. You can install the basic monitoring model, then connect this model to another monitoring system."

"Lacks integration with some cloud solutions."

"The major issue occurs with ports. So, I would like to see easier port management."

"The product's initial setup process could be easier for users."

"Its stability could be better."

"By optimizing the infrastructure to allow the webserver to directly handle queries from memory—particularly by prioritizing the storage of queries in memory and processing them through the web server interface—I could potentially cut down the required instances from five hundred to two hundred."

"Things change very fast. We're always on the lookout for better approaches and tools. If the solution falls behind, we may have to switch."

"Adding a reverse proxy to Apache Web Server would be a significant improvement."

More Apache Web Server cons

"IIS needs to improve its security. Its support needs to be faster and clear. The tool's licensing could be cheaper as well."

"The solution should improve the cluster environment and load balancing."

"It lacks a few performance improvement tools."

"The solution's stability needs improvement."

"We've never had any issues with the solution, but it's still nice to have overall improvements on it. It could be easier and faster to use, for example."

"The documentation isn't very good and the options are very complex."

"I would like to see NLB features in IIS."

"The cost is a bit too high."

More IIS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is no licensing cost for the product."

"The apache software is free, open-source."

"It is an open-source solution."

"It is a free-of-cost solution."

"The product's price is not high."

"The price of Windows Server IIS is expensive. They have a large user base, and they charge a little bit too much."

"They offer a one-time payment model for the product license, and we pay annually for support."

"The tool is included with Windows."

"IIS's pricing is reasonable."

"I give the price of the solution a five out of ten."

"I was using the trial version of IIS inside my virtual machines."

"There is no license required for the product as it is role-based. Whenever you go for a Windows platform server, the role has to be installed directly from the server manager. There is no additional cost that has to be paid for that. It is free to use."

More IIS pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

18%

Computer Software Company

16%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Computer Software Company

15%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Apache Web Server?

The product's initial setup phase is straightforward.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Apache Web Server?

The price of the product is an area handled by the procurement team in my company.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Apache Web Server?

There isn't a dedicated customer support available for Apache Web Server.

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Which is better - IIS or NGINX Plus?

IIS is a flexible, secure, and manageable web server to host anything on the web. IIS’s scalable and open architecture can handle the most demanding tasks. From media streaming to web applications,...

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What do you like most about IIS?

The product is flexible.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IIS?

They offer a one-time payment model for the product license, and we pay annually for support. I rate the pricing an eight out of ten.

See all answers

Comparisons

NGINX Plus vs Apache Web Server

Compared 26% of the time

Microsoft .NET Framework vs Apache Web Server

Compared 7% of the time

Zend PHP Engine vs Apache Web Server

Compared 7% of the time

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Apache Web Server

Compared 6% of the time

Oracle SOA Suite vs Apache Web Server

Compared 5% of the time

More Apache Web Server Competitors

NGINX Plus vs IIS

Compared 32% of the time

Oracle WebLogic Server vs IIS

Compared 15% of the time

Tomcat vs IIS

Compared 14% of the time

JBoss vs IIS

Compared 7% of the time

Microsoft .NET Framework vs IIS

Compared 6% of the time

More IIS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server

February 2025

Download Apache Web Server product report

Buyer's Guide

IIS

February 2025

Download IIS product report

Also Known As

Apache HTTP Server

Windows Server IIS

Overview

The Apache HTTP Server Project was founded in 1995 by a group of webmasters, known as The Apache Group, with the aim of developing robust, richly-featured, freely-available and commercial-standard Web (HTTP) server source code. The result was Apache Web Server or Apache HTTP Server, which is an open-source public-domain web server.

This collaborative project has been enhanced ever since with contributions from the core development team and other volunteers situated all over the globe. Also, hundreds of users of this open-source web server have contributed code, ideas, and documentation. The project falls under The Apache Software Foundation, which manages many open-source projects.

Apache

Internet Information Services (IIS) provides a secure, easy-to-manage, modular and extensible platform for reliably hosting websites, services and applications. With IIS, you get choice and control without giving up reliability or security.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Cisco, Intuit, General Electric, Adobe, VMware, PayPal, HP, EMC, eBay, Apple, SAP, Qualcomm, SanDisk, Allstate, FedEx

Erste Bank Group, NJVC, Samsung Electronics, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Tata Steel Europe, Urban Software Institute

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server vs. IIS

January 2025

Free Report: Apache Web Server vs. IIS

Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Web Server vs. IIS and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.

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