Nginx, Apache and LiteSpeed serve the same websites, but they differ in how they handle connections, whether they read .htaccess files and how they are licensed. This page compares the three on WordPress, caching, HTTP/3, cPanel compatibility and the reverse proxy role.
| Criterion | Nginx | Apache | LiteSpeed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processing model | Event-driven, asynchronous | MPM prefork, worker or event | Event-driven |
| .htaccess files | Not read | Yes, per directory | Full in Enterprise, rewrite rules only in OpenLiteSpeed |
| .htaccess reload | Not applicable | On every request | Automatic in Enterprise, after a restart in OpenLiteSpeed |
| WordPress | Rewrite rules move into the server configuration | Works directly with .htaccess | Works directly, plus LSCache |
| Page cache | FastCGI cache, configured by hand | mod_cache, configured by hand | LSCache, with CMS plugins |
| HTTP/3 and QUIC | Since 1.25.0, experimental | No native support in 2.4 | Yes, in both editions |
| cPanel | Optional, as a proxy in front of Apache | The classic web server | Plugin in Enterprise only |
| Licence | Open source, BSD | Open source, Apache 2.0 | OpenLiteSpeed GPLv3, Enterprise commercial |
| Reverse proxy | Strong point, widely used | Possible, via mod_proxy | Possible, via external applications |
Nginx manages connections through an event loop with a small number of worker processes. Apache offers three processing modules. Prefork uses one process per connection and no threads. Worker uses threads but keeps a thread busy for the whole keep-alive period. Event adds a listener thread that takes over idle connections and frees the worker threads at once. LiteSpeed is event-driven as well. On a modern Apache, event is the right module, and prefork remains only for modules that do not support threads.
The Apache documentation advises putting rules in the main configuration whenever you can edit it. The reason is that with .htaccess enabled, the server looks for the file in every parent directory on every request. Nginx never reads .htaccess, so WordPress rewrite rules have to be written into the server configuration. LiteSpeed Enterprise reads .htaccess and notices changes by itself. For WordPress, the LiteSpeed Cache plugin uses server-level caching only on LiteSpeed or OpenLiteSpeed.
Nginx has an HTTP/3 module since version 1.25.0, marked experimental and not compiled in by default. Apache httpd 2.4 has no native HTTP/3 support, so a proxy is often placed in front of it. Both LiteSpeed editions support HTTP/3 and QUIC. On licences, Nginx and Apache are open source. OpenLiteSpeed is free and open source, while LiteSpeed Enterprise is commercial, with a free tier. A common VPS layout is Nginx as the reverse proxy in front of an application, or in front of Apache.
A web agency in Iasi hosts around thirty client WordPress sites on one dedicated server. Plugins write rules into .htaccess, and clients cannot touch the server configuration. LiteSpeed Enterprise keeps those files working and adds LSCache, so nobody rewrites the rules by hand for each site.
A software team in Cluj-Napoca runs a Node.js API, a Next.js frontend and PostgreSQL in containers on one VPS. Nginx sits in front, terminates TLS, serves static files and spreads requests across the containers. Nothing here needs .htaccess, so Apache's main advantage never comes into play.
A Bucharest company keeps an older PHP application that has run on Apache for years and ships its rules in .htaccess. The team moves it to a VPS unchanged, keeps Apache, and puts Nginx in front to terminate TLS and serve static files.
Yes. WordPress runs on Nginx with PHP-FPM, but Nginx does not read .htaccess. Permalink rules and anything your plugins write must be moved into the server configuration, and plugins that edit .htaccess will have no effect on Nginx.
For a single site with root access, OpenLiteSpeed is often enough, and it is free. The gap shows with .htaccess: Enterprise reads it automatically, while OpenLiteSpeed supports only rewrite rules and needs a restart. The cPanel plugin exists only in Enterprise.
Yes. Nginx as a reverse proxy serves static files and terminates TLS, while Apache runs PHP and reads .htaccess. This combination keeps older applications compatible and reduces the number of connections Apache has to hold open.
Nginx for reverse proxying and modern applications, Apache for .htaccess compatibility, LiteSpeed for WordPress with server-level page caching.
