LiteSpeed vs Nginx vs Apache

5 min read

If you’re on GoZen shared or WordPress hosting, you’re already running LiteSpeed. If you’re on a VPS, you can choose. This page compares the three web servers and when to pick each.

Quick Comparison link

LiteSpeed Enterprise link

GoZen runs LiteSpeed on all shared and WordPress hosting. On VPS and Business Cloud plans it’s available as the paid LiteSpeed Site Owner Plus add-on ($16/mo, up to 5 domains).

Why it’s fast:

• Server-level caching: LiteSpeed Cache (LSCache) stores fully rendered pages and serves them without running PHP or querying the database. Plugin-level caches (like WP Super Cache) still go through PHP
• LSAPI: LiteSpeed’s PHP handler keeps persistent connections to PHP processes, so it avoids the overhead of spawning new ones
• HTTP/3 + QUIC: built in, no extra configuration
• Event-driven architecture: handles thousands of concurrent connections without proportional memory growth

When to use it:

• WordPress sites (the LSCache plugin is the largest single speed gain for most WordPress sites)
• WooCommerce stores (private caching for cart/checkout)
• Any cPanel-based hosting
• Sites that rely on .htaccess rules

Considerations:

• Licensed software. On GoZen shared and WordPress hosting the license is included. On VPS and Business Cloud you add LiteSpeed Site Owner Plus; a cPanel VPS runs Apache unless you buy it
• Drop-in Apache replacement (reads .htaccess and Apache configs), so moving from Apache needs little or no rework

Nginx link

Nginx is the most common web server for custom VPS deployments and reverse proxy setups.

Why people choose it:

• Event-driven: handles 10,000+ concurrent connections with little RAM, which suits high-traffic static sites and APIs
• Reverse proxy: the standard choice for putting multiple services behind one server (Nextcloud, APIs, Node.js apps)
• Low resource usage: uses less RAM than both Apache and LiteSpeed under load
• Free and open source: no licensing costs

When to use it:

• Reverse proxy for Docker containers and microservices
• Node.js, Python, or Go applications
• Static file serving (documentation sites, SPAs)
• High-concurrency APIs
• When you don’t need .htaccess (Nginx doesn’t support it)

Considerations:

• No .htaccess support. All configuration goes in server config files. If you’re migrating a WordPress site with complex .htaccess rules, you need to convert them to Nginx directives
• PHP runs via PHP-FPM (a separate process). It’s fast, but not as fast as LiteSpeed’s LSAPI
• No built-in page cache like LSCache. You can set up FastCGI caching, but it takes manual configuration

Nginx on GoZen VPS:

On a self-managed VPS, install Nginx directly:

  sudo apt install nginx -y
sudo systemctl enable nginx
  

Apache link

Apache has been around since 1995 and still runs a large share of the web.

When it still makes sense:

• Legacy applications that depend on .htaccess (mod_rewrite rules, authentication, per-directory configs)
• When you need mod_php for specific PHP configurations
• Development environments that mirror older production setups

When to avoid it:

• New projects. LiteSpeed and Nginx are both faster under load
• High-traffic sites. Apache uses more memory per concurrent connection than the other two
• If you’re starting fresh, pick LiteSpeed (for WordPress) or Nginx (for everything else)

Apache under load: it works well at low traffic. With the old prefork model, Apache needs a separate process for every connection, so memory climbs fast as visitors pile up. The event MPM (the default on current cPanel servers) is much better, but under heavy load it still uses more memory than Nginx or LiteSpeed.

WordPress Performance Compared link

For a cached WordPress page, LiteSpeed with LSCache usually responds fastest, because the cache sits inside the web server and PHP never starts. Nginx with FastCGI caching comes close once it’s configured. Apache with mod_php is the slowest of the three and uses the most memory as concurrent visitors increase. For pages that can’t be cached (cart, checkout, logged-in users), the gap is smaller, and PHP version and database speed matter more than the web server.

Which One on GoZen? link

On Enhance Control Panel, you choose the web server for each server (Apache, Nginx, OpenLiteSpeed or LiteSpeed Enterprise), and the choice applies to every site on it. Sites that need a different web server go on a different server.

Summary link

• Running WordPress or WooCommerce? Use LiteSpeed, mainly for LSCache
• Running a custom stack (Node.js, Python, Docker)? Use Nginx as a reverse proxy
• Running a legacy PHP app with complex .htaccess? Use LiteSpeed (it reads .htaccess) or Apache if you must
• Starting a new project and don’t know yet? Start with Nginx, which works as a web server and as a reverse proxy for most stacks

What to Do Next link

• LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress - configure the caching plugin
• Understanding Your GoZen Hosting Stack - how the full stack fits together
• Enhance Control Panel Guide - choosing the web server on Enhance
• Free Migration - already on Apache or Nginx with another host? We move you over and you can switch web servers on arrival