Most Common Servers for PHP: A Complete Guide to Apache, Nginx, Litespeed, and IIS

M66 2025-10-10

Common Servers Used for PHP

PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a widely used server-side scripting language designed for web development. It can run on various servers, each offering different performance and configuration characteristics.

Apache

Apache is one of the most popular and stable web servers, with excellent PHP support. Its main features include:

Open-source and free, with an active community
Supports multiple operating systems
Modular architecture, easy to extend and manage
Highly compatible with PHP, suitable for small to medium websites

Nginx

Nginx is a high-performance, lightweight web server that has become increasingly popular for PHP-based websites. Its advantages include:

Excellent handling of high concurrency and heavy traffic
Low resource consumption and fast response speed
Ideal for high-traffic websites and reverse proxy setups

Litespeed

Litespeed is a high-performance commercial server optimized for PHP. It excels in both speed and stability:

Powerful caching features that greatly enhance PHP performance
Fully compatible with Apache configuration files for easy migration
Supports enterprise-level traffic and enhanced security environments

IIS (Internet Information Services)

IIS is a web server developed by Microsoft for Windows systems. While not the most common choice for PHP, it can run PHP applications reliably:

Tightly integrated with the Windows operating system
Supports ASP, ASP.NET, and PHP
Best suited for enterprise or Windows-based environments

Other PHP Server Options

Besides the major servers mentioned above, several lightweight or specialized alternatives are also available:

Caddy: A lightweight, automatic configuration web server supporting PHP and automated HTTPS
OpenLiteSpeed: The open-source version of Litespeed with similar high-performance capabilities
Hiawatha: A small, secure, and efficient web server for PHP
Zeus Web Server: A commercial high-performance web server suited for large-scale websites

Conclusion

Each PHP server has its own advantages depending on project requirements. Apache and Nginx remain the most popular options, Litespeed is ideal for performance-driven enterprise applications, and IIS fits best in Windows-based setups. Choosing the right server ensures PHP applications run more efficiently and reliably.