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Apache Web Server vs Microsoft .NET Framework comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft .NET Framework
Ranking in Application Infrastructure
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
53
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

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 Microsoft .NET Framework is 5.8%, down from 7.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Application Infrastructure
 

Featured Reviews

Saurav Kumar - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Pavan Kodur - PeerSpot reviewer
Intuitive, easier to develop, maintain, and migrate from the old framework to newer versions
There are a few areas where they could compete better with products like React or Angular – the popular SPA (Single Page Application) frameworks. Microsoft has its own product called Blazor, but I don't think it's quite as powerful yet as React or Angular. I think that's an area for improvement. For example, HR asked me to build something that worked offline and online. Microsoft products don't really support that well, as I'd have to rely on browser databases. React and Angular are better for that. If I need something faster, I'd definitely use React. So, I see Microsoft lagging a bit in that area.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The open-source nature is one of its most significant advantages."
"The solution's most valuable feature is reporting."
"The product's initial setup phase is straightforward."
"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."
"The solution offers good security."
"The best thing about Apache is that it is open-source, so implementing my platform on-premises is less expansive than other solutions."
"It's very stable, and it hosts one of the biggest of many biggest web applications in the world."
"Apache Web Server is free of cost."
"Firstly, I appreciate the decision to use Microsoft .NET Framework. I find it to be an excellent language, with a history rooted in providing an alternative to Java, albeit with initial challenges. It is gaining popularity and may be voted the most desirable programming language. What I particularly like about .NET is its language efficiency. While C# is the primary language, the platform also supports others, catering to those inclined towards functional programming. Although I started with Shell, I'm still grasping the concept of functional programming. Despite initial reservations about object-oriented programming, I acknowledge its advantages. .NET is a safer option, and despite criticisms, it has evolved over the years. One notable aspect is .NET's transition to an open platform in recent years, distancing itself from being exclusive to Microsoft engineers. I appreciate the versatility of .NET, enabling code production for a wide range of platforms, presenting a strong competition to Java. It allows targeting practically any physical platform, showcasing its flexibility. These qualities contribute to my positive view of .NET, totaling thirteen aspects that I find appealing."
"The tool offers a lot of support, and there is a lot of knowledge material available, along with a lot of community groups."
"A great solution for creating program solutions in a framework for Microsoft Windows quickly and easily."
"It's easy to create and integrate things."
"The solution has assisted our organization in the full-stack development process. The tool can be deployed on all types of devices, including mobiles and desktops. The MAUI capabilities of the solution have been the most beneficial feature for our organization's development needs."
"The new .NET Core has those middlewares, which are awesome from a security standpoint. With the old Framework or the newer Framework, middleware is basically an event pipeline. You configure and register it, and it handles things centrally. A simple example is logging. With the old Framework, you needed to try/catch blocks everywhere. Here, you configure the logging handler once, and it captures exceptions across the application. I really like the middleware pattern."
"I like that ASP.NET is used for the framework and the core web services."
"When we talk about .NET development, we use Visual Studio IDE to create these things. In recent years, there have been a lot of improvements in Visual Studio 2022. It would be a daunting task to list all of the features that have benefited us, as it would require a lot of time and effort. However, there are definitely many improvements year after year in .NET development."
 

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."
"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."
"It would be great if technical support for Apache were available in Iran. It is a very important need."
"In future releases, I would like to see better server optimization."
"There is a security-related problem that depends on the web server's configuration."
"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 interface has room for improvement."
"Its stability could be better."
"The product is nearing its sunset, and we think that by 2028, we won't get support anymore"
"They should have more training materials available that are specific to .NET. We spend a lot of money training our engineers."
"They could enhance support for Python within Visual Studio, as integrating Microsoft products with other frameworks can present a steep learning curve."
"I would like to see a better response time from the technical support."
"Like in C#, Microsoft .NET Framework should provide code reusability options for all kinds of development processes."
"I would like more web integration."
"The initial setup is complex."
"Microsoft .NET Framework has a steep learning curve, which could be improved."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is a free-of-cost solution."
"There is no licensing cost for the product."
"The apache software is free, open-source."
"It is an open-source solution."
"We have an annual license, and we pay extra for extended support."
"In the interim, there's no need to purchase videos for viewing. Microsoft has made significant moves in the .NET space, starting with their response in Visual Studio Code and now providing Visual Studio entirely for free. This is a notable shift from the past when we used to pay substantial amounts for technical subscriptions. Previously, a group of ten developers could cost several thousand dollars annually for licensing. However, the current trend is to offer these tools for free to maintain their dominance in the developer market. The market dynamics have changed, and now developers can freely download Visual Studio, making it a preferred choice over other paid options."
"Do your homework. Consider the partnership program."
"Microsoft .NET Framework is licensed under the Windows License."
"I rate the solution's pricing a two out of ten because .NET is an open-source framework. You don't have to pay for a license."
"Microsoft .NET Framework is very cost-effective for corporate users."
"If you want to develop an enterprise-level application, you have to purchase the enterprise-level development license."
"The solution is free but you need to pay for a license for the hosting service."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
16%
Government
8%
University
6%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
13%
Construction Company
10%
Government
10%
 

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.
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.
What needs improvement with Apache Web Server?
There isn't a dedicated customer support available for Apache Web Server.
What do you like most about Microsoft .NET Framework?
Microsoft .NET Framework continually innovates, particularly in Visual Studio, which focuses on improving languages, debugging, and .NET functionality.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft .NET Framework?
The pricing is rated six out of ten. It provides value for the cost.
What needs improvement with Microsoft .NET Framework?
There is room for Microsoft .NET Framework to improve cloud platform capabilities. They have already made improvements in their new version by making it multi-platform and upgrading it for cloud pl...
 

Also Known As

Apache HTTP Server
MS .NET Framework
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Cisco, Intuit, General Electric, Adobe, VMware, PayPal, HP, EMC, eBay, Apple, SAP, Qualcomm, SanDisk, Allstate, FedEx
Curtin University, Rockwell Automation, Aruba Networks, Insurity Inc., City of Barcelona, Pennsylvania DCNR, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, A1 Telekom Austria AG, Eastman Chemical Company
Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Web Server vs. Microsoft .NET Framework and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
832,138 professionals have used our research since 2012.