Apache vs LiteSpeed: Servers Comparison for WordPress?

David Beroff · Aug 3, 2023

Hello WordPress enthusiasts and hosting experts,

I am currently preparing a detailed comparison between Apache and LiteSpeed web servers specifically for WordPress hosting environments. If you have experience with either or both of these servers in the context of WordPress, I would highly appreciate your insights. Please share your thoughts on the key differences, advantages, and disadvantages of using Apache and LiteSpeed for hosting WordPress websites.

In my response, I will consider factors such as performance, scalability, resource usage, compatibility with WordPress plugins and themes, ease of configuration, and any other aspects that I find significant in this comparison.

Your expertise will play a crucial role in helping me create an informative guide that will assist our audience in making well-informed decisions regarding their WordPress hosting choices.

Thank you for your valuable contribution to my project!

Looking forward to reading your comparisons!

Dr. McKay · Aug 5, 2023

In the context of WordPress hosting environments, Apache and LiteSpeed are two popular web servers with distinct features and characteristics.

Apache is one of the most widely used web servers and has a long-standing reputation in the hosting industry. It is known for its flexibility, stability, and vast community support. Apache works well with WordPress and supports a wide range of plugins and themes. However, one drawback is that Apache can consume more server resources under high traffic loads, which may impact performance and scalability.

On the other hand, LiteSpeed is a proprietary web server known for its exceptional performance and efficiency. LiteSpeed's unique features, such as LiteSpeed Cache, can significantly boost WordPress site speed and reduce resource consumption, making it an attractive option for high-traffic websites. LiteSpeed is also compatible with most Apache configurations, which simplifies the migration process. However, being a proprietary solution, LiteSpeed may come with licensing costs, which could be a consideration for budget-conscious users.

Apache is a reliable and widely supported web server with moderate performance, while LiteSpeed excels in speed and resource efficiency. If performance and scalability are top priorities, and you are willing to consider a commercial solution, LiteSpeed might be a better choice for your WordPress hosting environment. However, if you value community support and budget-friendliness, Apache remains a strong contender, especially for smaller-scale websites. Ultimately, the choice between Apache and LiteSpeed will depend on the specific needs and resources of your WordPress project.

chillnet · Aug 8, 2023

Hi

Over the years, I've been using both Apache and OpenLiteSpeed servers for WordPress sites. I also used it extensively with cloud, vps, shared, and dedicated hosting environments. Just to be clear, I have not purchased Litespeed; I have only been using OpenLiteSpeed.

The best performance with minimal resources can be achieved through OpenLitespeed (Stackscript) with the LS cache plugin and vhost configured properly.
With the Apache route, I'd need to double the resources for the server and get a paid caching plugin to compete with the low-spec ols performance.

Worth mentioning is that the load-time of both OLS and Apache on a Cpanel server is much worse than on vps or dedicated.

The Server Stack used:

Installation Script

#!/bin/bash

### Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Required

### Install OpenLiteSpeed and WordPress

bash <( curl -sk https://raw.githubusercontent.com/litespeedtech/ls-cloud-image/master/Setup/wpimgsetup.sh )

### Regenerate password for Web Admin, Database, setup Welcome Message

bash <( curl -sk https://raw.githubusercontent.com/litespeedtech/ls-cloud-image/master/Cloud-init/per-instance.sh )

### Reboot server

reboot

Included Packages

Component	Version
Linux	Ubuntu 22.04
OpenLiteSpeed	Latest from LiteSpeedtech Repo
MariaDB	Latest from APT
PHP	Latest from LiteSpeedtech Repo
phpMyAdmin	Latest from phpMyAdmin
LiteSpeed Cache	Latest from WordPress.org
memcached	Latest from APT
redis	Latest from APT
Certbot	Latest from Certbot
Postfix	Latest from APT

Custom Packages

Component	Version
CSF - Config Server Firewall	Latest from CSF

Additionally, I'll list some of the caching and security plugins we use with Avada themes.

WordPress Plugins
Litespeed-cache
Avada fusion-builder
Avada fusion-core
Avada fusion-white-label-branding
pwa
filebird-pro
fluent-smtp
wordfence
simple-cloudflare-turnstile

This setup will take about a day to fully complete. Basic security hardening is strongly advised. It's better to do it right from the start.
I'd also setup custom headers for HSTS, CORS ect..

Much more can be said, but I'll leave it there for now.
Hopefully this can give some insight.

Apache vs LiteSpeed: Servers Comparison for WordPress?

David Beroff

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Dr. McKay

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chillnet

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