NGINX vs Apache – Everything You Need to Know in 2023

NGINX is a widely used web server and reverse proxy server that is renowned for its high performance and scalability. It was created by Igor Sysoev in 2004 to address the challenge of handling a large number of simultaneous connections, known as the C10k problem. NGINX’s asynchronous, event-driven architecture allows it to efficiently manage multiple connections with minimal resource consumption.

As a web server, NGINX is capable of serving static content, handling SSL/TLS termination, and supporting various protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket, and HTTP/2. It excels in efficiently delivering static files and can also act as a reverse proxy, distributing client requests to backend servers and returning the responses to the clients. This reverse proxy capability makes NGINX a valuable tool for load balancing, caching, and enhancing the performance and reliability of web applications.

NGINX boasts a flexible configuration system that can be customized to meet specific requirements. It supports URL rewriting and access control mechanisms, allowing administrators to modify incoming URLs and restrict access to resources. NGINX’s extensive ecosystem includes a vast library of third-party modules and extensions that provide additional functionality, enhancing its versatility.

NGINX is available as an open-source project, called NGINX Open Source, which can be freely used and modified. There is also a commercial version called NGINX Plus, which offers additional features, professional support, and enterprise-grade capabilities. Thanks to its robust architecture, rich feature set, and widespread adoption, NGINX has become a popular choice for developers and system administrators seeking a high-performance web server and reverse proxy solution.