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 10.6% mindshare in AIS, compared to Microsoft’s 12.7% 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

2,401 Views
2,053 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IIS

Read 55 IIS reviews

3,617 Views
2,755 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Apache Web Server

IIS

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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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: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server vs. IIS

December 2024

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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

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Application Server (4th)

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Application Infrastructure category, the mindshare of Apache Web Server is 10.6%, up from 9.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IIS is 12.7%, down from 14.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Application Infrastructure

Featured Reviews

Sakthivel Veeramuthu

Technology Lead at Infosys

Easy to optimize for high performance and handle heavy traffic

Most of the features I liked were related to the performance during peak hours. Because I needed to optimize the Apache web server to run it as a high performer during my customers' usage, then I needed to reduce my Apache web server resource usage for that. So that part of the thing is what I was more interested in doing. So, I mainly liked the performance and security.

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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 most significant advantage is the ability to swiftly enable HTTPS services when my DNS is configured correctly."

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

"It's very stable, and it hosts one of the biggest of many biggest web applications in the world."

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

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

"The solution offers good security."

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

"The best thing about Apache is that it is open-source, so implementing my platform on-premises is less expansive than other solutions."

More Apache Web Server pros

"Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten...Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten."

"The solution is easy to use."

"IIS's most valuable feature is user-friendliness."

"The solution has been reliable."

"The product is stable."

"The solution is simple and very easy to manage compared to Linux."

"The solution is easy to use and connects with Microsoft."

"This is definitely a stable solution."

More IIS pros

Cons

"The interface has room for improvement."

"So far, for us, everything is okay."

"I want the user interface to be more user-friendly."

"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."

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

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

"There isn't a dedicated customer support available"

"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."

More Apache Web Server cons

"Scalability issues and security concerns need attention from Microsoft."

"The solution's black box is not fast."

"IIS's memory management could be improved."

"Sometimes, we encounter difficult issues, and getting support from Microsoft to resolve those issues is not easy."

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

"The solution must improve the integration between its databases."

"The solution's stability needs improvement."

"The scalability depends on how you have set it up. If you're running IIS on a single server, it might not be as capable as if you are on many in a cluster or with load balancing and so on."

More IIS cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is an open-source solution."

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

"There is no licensing cost for the product."

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

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

"There is a license needed for the solution."

"There is an annual license to use this solution and the price could be better."

"The price of the cloud system is a bit high."

"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."

"I think it's part of the Windows Server, so you won't have any other costs to add in order to use the IIS service."

"There is no license needed to use the solution."

"I didn't need to get an additional license for the solution since it was included in my server."

More IIS pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

15%

Government

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

15%

Financial Services Firm

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.

See all answers

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.

See all answers

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 28% of the time

Zend PHP Engine vs Apache Web Server

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft .NET Framework vs Apache Web Server

Compared 6% of the time

IBM WebSphere Application Server vs Apache Web Server

Compared 5% 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 13% of the time

JBoss vs IIS

Compared 7% of the time

Microsoft .NET Framework vs IIS

Compared 5% of the time

More IIS Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Apache Web Server

December 2024

Download Apache Web Server product report

Buyer's Guide

IIS

December 2024

Download IIS product report

Also Known As

Apache HTTP Server

Windows Server IIS

Learn More

Apache

Microsoft

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.

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.

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

December 2024

Free Report: Apache Web Server vs. IIS

Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Web Server vs. IIS and other solutions. Updated: December 2024.

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We monitor all Application Infrastructure reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.