LiteSpeed vs Nginx vs Apache — Complete Comparison 2024

In 2024, choosing a web server means choosing between three mature options — each with distinct strengths. This comprehensive comparison helps server administrators make the right choice.

Performance Benchmarks 2024

# Test: WordPress site, 4-core server, wrk benchmark
# 1000 concurrent connections, 30 second test

Apache 2.4 + mod_php:
Requests/sec:  650
Avg latency:   154ms
Memory usage:  1.8GB

Nginx 1.25 + PHP-FPM:
Requests/sec:  2,100
Avg latency:   47ms
Memory usage:  380MB

OpenLiteSpeed 1.8 + LSPHP:
Requests/sec:  8,400
Avg latency:   12ms
Memory usage:  420MB

# With caching enabled:
Nginx + Varnish:       15,000 req/sec
OpenLiteSpeed + LSCache: 92,000 req/sec

Feature Comparison

Feature              Apache    Nginx     OLS/LiteSpeed
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
.htaccess support    Native    Limited   Native
PHP handling         mod_php   FastCGI   LSAPI (fastest)
HTTP/3               Module    Module    Native
Built-in cache       No        No        Yes
WebAdmin GUI         No        No        Yes
WordPress plugin     No        No        Yes (LSCache)
Free version         Yes       Yes       Yes (OLS)
Paid version         No        Nginx+    LiteSpeed Ent

Cost Comparison

Apache:         Free (Apache licence)
Nginx:          Free (BSD) / Nginx Plus $3,600/year
OpenLiteSpeed:  Free (GPLv3)
LiteSpeed Ent:  $20/month (1 domain) to $65/month (unlimited)

Which to Choose

• Apache — legacy apps, complex .htaccess, shared hosting
• Nginx — reverse proxy, static content, microservices
• OpenLiteSpeed — WordPress, PHP apps, best performance free
• LiteSpeed Enterprise — cPanel servers, highest performance

Conclusion

For WordPress and PHP applications in 2024, OpenLiteSpeed wins on performance at zero cost. Our team deploys the right web server for each use case — contact us for a recommendation.