Apache Web Server vs IIS comparison

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3,813 views|3,203 comparisons
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Read 53 IIS reviews
7,247 views|5,808 comparisons
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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: March 2024).
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"Its community is its most valuable feature. Solving problems is easier on Apache because so many people know this product.""It is more secure to use Apache and you will have fewer problems than other web services.""The solution offers good security.""Most of the features I liked were related to the performance during peak hours.""The open-source nature is one of its most significant advantages.""The product's initial setup phase is straightforward.""It's reliable, configurable and generally secure.""The product is very cheap and stable."

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"The product is stable.""The solution is easy to use, easy to maintain and isn't too technical.""Microsoft's technical support has always been very good.""The most valuable feature of IIS is that it's free, and it works.""All the features of Microsoft IIS are valuable.""The most valuable feature of the solution is that it is easy to use and easy to understand.""IIS's best features are its management console and stability.""The solution has been reliable."

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Cons
"Its stability could be better.""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.""It would be great if technical support for Apache were available in Iran. It is a very important need.""The interface has room for improvement.""The GUI for the less experienced users needs some improvement. For some companies, it is hard to configure it if they have not had any experience.""I want the user interface to be more user-friendly.""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."

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"IIS could improve the error logging. There are times we are not able to see the errors. More details would be helpful. Additionally, the configuring of the IIS should be allowed through coding instead of the classic view.""The documentation of IIS could be better. They are not easily accessible. I had to use YouTube and other online resources to learn how to use the solution properly.""IIS has some stability issues and needs restarting.""I would like to see NLB features in IIS.""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.""IIS's memory management could be improved.""It lacks a few performance improvement tools.""Having no support for other than a Microsoft environment and programming languages limits the usage of IIS in many cases."

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Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "The apache software is free, open-source."
  • "It is a free-of-cost solution."
  • "There is no licensing cost for the product."
  • "It is an open-source solution."
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  • "It is licensed with your Windows installation which makes it relatively cheap if you already have a Windows Server sitting around."
  • "This solution comes included with Windows Server."
  • "The price of the cloud system is a bit high."
  • "The price of Windows Server IIS is expensive. They have a large user base, and they charge a little bit too much."
  • "We purchased a Microsoft Windows license and the license for IIS came in the package."
  • "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."
  • "I was using the trial version of IIS inside my virtual machines."
  • "I give the price of the solution a five out of ten."
  • More IIS Pricing and Cost Advice →

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    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:Most of the features I liked were related to the performance during peak hours.
    Top Answer:Some free licenses come under that Apache license. So I don't think we need to pay anything for it.
    Top Answer:Enhanced security features would be great. In future releases, I would like to see better server optimization.
    Top Answer: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… more »
    Top Answer:The product is cost-effective. We do not have to buy it. The tool is included with Windows. We license the Windows environment on a monthly basis. It is expensive. Sometimes, it is cheaper to run… more »
    Ranking
    Views
    3,813
    Comparisons
    3,203
    Reviews
    11
    Average Words per Review
    377
    Rating
    8.7
    Views
    7,247
    Comparisons
    5,808
    Reviews
    33
    Average Words per Review
    296
    Rating
    8.1
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Apache HTTP Server
    Windows Server IIS
    Learn More
    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
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company29%
    Financial Services Firm21%
    University7%
    Government7%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm15%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Government8%
    Comms Service Provider7%
    REVIEWERS
    Computer Software Company18%
    Comms Service Provider14%
    Manufacturing Company11%
    Transportation Company11%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Computer Software Company13%
    Financial Services Firm12%
    Comms Service Provider11%
    Manufacturing Company7%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business27%
    Midsize Enterprise36%
    Large Enterprise36%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise16%
    Large Enterprise62%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business50%
    Midsize Enterprise12%
    Large Enterprise38%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business22%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise63%
    Buyer's Guide
    Apache Web Server vs. IIS
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Apache Web Server vs. IIS and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Apache Web Server is ranked 3rd in Application Infrastructure with 21 reviews while IIS is ranked 1st in Application Infrastructure with 53 reviews. Apache Web Server is rated 8.6, while IIS is rated 8.0. The top reviewer of Apache Web Server writes "Has good security, speed and traffic handling features ". On the other hand, the top reviewer of IIS writes " A simple and easy-to-use solution but not recommended for public apps". Apache Web Server is most compared with NGINX Plus, IBM WebSphere Application Server, Microsoft .NET Framework, Zend PHP Engine and IBM DataPower Gateway, whereas IIS is most compared with NGINX Plus, Tomcat, Oracle WebLogic Server, JBoss and Microsoft .NET Framework. See our Apache Web Server vs. IIS report.

    See our list of best Application Infrastructure vendors.

    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.