Apache, Nginx and LiteSpeed explained
What Is a Web Server?
A detailed explanation of web servers — how they handle requests, the differences between Apache, Nginx and LiteSpeed, and why the choice of web server matters for your site's performance.
What is a web server?
A web server is software that receives HTTP requests from a browser and delivers web pages. The most popular ones are: Apache (most widespread, .htaccess), Nginx (fast event-driven, reverse proxy), LiteSpeed Enterprise (LSWS — the fastest, 6x faster than Apache, supports LSCache + HTTP/3) and Caddy (automatic HTTPS). BeoHosting uses LiteSpeed Enterprise for maximum WordPress performance.
- Web server = handles HTTP requests
- LiteSpeed Enterprise = the fastest (6x faster than Apache)
- Apache, Nginx, LiteSpeed, Caddy
- LSCache and HTTP/3 support
- .htaccess compatibility
What is a web server and why does it matter?
A web server is software (or the hardware that software runs on) that receives HTTP requests from a browser and sends back web pages, images, videos and other files. Every time you open any site on the internet, you communicate with a web server.
You can think of it as a waiter in a restaurant — you order a dish (type a URL), the waiter takes the order (the web server receives the request), goes to the kitchen (reads files or runs an application) and brings you the dish (sends the page to your browser).
The three most popular web servers today are Apache, Nginx and LiteSpeed. Each has its strengths — the choice of web server directly affects your site's speed, security and ability to handle high traffic. BeoHosting uses LiteSpeed Enterprise for maximum performance on shared hosting plans.
How does a web server handle requests?
Every time you open a web page, the following process happens in less than a second:
The user types a URL
When you type a site address (e.g. beohosting.com), the browser first uses DNS to find the IP address of the server the site is on.
HTTP request
The browser sends an HTTP/HTTPS request to that IP address. The request contains information about the requested page, the browser and the user's language.
The web server receives the request
The web server (Apache, Nginx or LiteSpeed) receives the request and determines which file or application to call. For static content, it reads the file directly from disk.
Processing dynamic content
For dynamic pages (PHP, Python), the web server forwards the request to the appropriate processor. The PHP interpreter runs the code, accesses the database and generates the HTML page.
HTTP response
The web server sends the generated page back to the browser as an HTTP response. The browser receives the HTML, CSS, images and JavaScript and displays the page to the user.
Static vs dynamic content
Static content
Files that are delivered as they are — without any processing on the server. The web server simply reads them from disk and sends them to the browser.
- HTML pages
- CSS stylesheets
- JavaScript files
- Images (JPG, PNG, SVG)
- Video and audio files
Dynamic content
Content that is generated in real time on the server. The web server calls a programming language (PHP, Python) that accesses the database and builds the page.
- WordPress/Joomla pages
- E-commerce stores
- User profiles
- Search results
- Dynamically generated feeds
Apache vs Nginx vs LiteSpeed
Compare the three most popular web servers and find out which is best for your needs.
Apache HTTP Server
Used by about 30% of websites
Pros
- +The most popular and oldest web server (since 1995)
- +A huge community and documentation
- +Support for per-directory .htaccess configuration
- +A modular system with hundreds of available modules
Cons
- -Slower than Nginx and LiteSpeed under high traffic
- -Higher memory usage per connection
- -.htaccess parsing can slow down performance
Best for: Shared hosting, sites that require .htaccess support
Nginx
Used by about 34% of websites
Pros
- +Extremely efficient under high traffic
- +Minimal memory usage
- +Excellent as a reverse proxy and load balancer
- +Fast delivery of static content
Cons
- -No support for .htaccess files
- -Configuration requires technical knowledge
- -Fewer modules compared to Apache
Best for: VPS/dedicated servers, high-traffic sites, reverse proxy
LiteSpeed
The fastest-growing web server
Pros
- +Up to 6 times faster than Apache for PHP
- +Built-in LSCache — the fastest caching for WordPress
- +Compatible with .htaccess files (a drop-in Apache replacement)
- +HTTP/3 and QUIC support out of the box
Cons
- -Commercial license (not fully free)
- -A smaller community compared to Apache/Nginx
- -OpenLiteSpeed (the free version) has limitations
Best for: WordPress hosting, PHP applications, high-performance shared hosting
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Frequently asked questions about web servers
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(+381) 60 3535 720What is a web server in simple terms?
A web server is a computer (or the software on it) that receives requests from your browser and sends back web pages, images and other files. When you type a site address, your browser sends a request to the web server, which finds the requested page and returns it to you.
What is the best web server for WordPress?
LiteSpeed is considered the best web server for WordPress because it has a built-in LSCache mechanism that dramatically speeds up WordPress sites. Nginx is also an excellent choice, while Apache is the most popular but slower than the competition for PHP applications.
What is the difference between Apache and Nginx?
Apache uses a process/thread model and configuration via .htaccess files, which makes it flexible but slower. Nginx uses an asynchronous, event-driven model that handles a large number of simultaneous connections more efficiently and uses less memory.
Can I change the web server on my hosting?
On shared hosting you usually cannot choose the web server — the provider determines it. On a VPS or dedicated server you have full control and can install Apache, Nginx, LiteSpeed or any other web server of your choice.
What is the difference between static and dynamic content?
Static content consists of files that are delivered as they are (HTML, images, CSS, JS). Dynamic content is generated in real time on the server using programming languages such as PHP, often using data from a database (e.g. WordPress pages).
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