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Apache vs Nginx

Based on 539 and 1158 real audits

View Apache details | View Nginx details
MetricApacheNginxWinner
Performance5153Nginx
Accessibility8686Tie
Best Practices8888Tie
SEO9091Nginx
Security6769Nginx
TTFB646ms573msNginx
Composite7475Nginx
Performance
Apache
51
Nginx
53
Accessibility
Apache
86
Nginx
86
Security
Apache
67
Nginx
69
SEO
Apache
90
Nginx
91
Composite
Apache
74
Nginx
75

Nginx outperforms Apache in 5 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (75 vs 74). Apache leads in no categories.

When to choose Apache

Apache doesn't clearly lead Nginx in any category on the sampled sites — pick it based on developer experience, ecosystem, or existing team skills rather than the audit scores.

When to choose Nginx

Choose Nginx when your primary concern is server response time and performance. Its audit data shows consistent strength in these areas across the sampled sites.

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 539 audited Apache sites and 1158 audited Nginx sites in the BeaverCheck database. Every audit runs the same 100+ checks — Lighthouse performance, security headers, accessibility, SEO, server response time — against a real URL. No vendor input, no sponsorship, no affiliate links. Read the full methodology →

FAQ

Which is faster, Apache or Nginx?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, Nginx sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (53 vs 51 on average).
Which has better security, Apache or Nginx?
Nginx sites score higher on security analysis (69 vs 67 on average).
Which has better accessibility, Apache or Nginx?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor Apache (86 vs 86). Both technologies can be made fully accessible with care — the difference reflects common patterns in the sampled sites, not inherent platform limits.
Which is better for SEO, Apache or Nginx?
Nginx sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (91 vs 90 on average), which cover meta tags, crawlability, mobile friendliness, and structured data. Content strategy and backlinks still matter more than platform choice for ranking.
Which has faster server response (TTFB), Apache or Nginx?
Nginx sites show lower Time to First Byte (573 ms vs 646 ms on average). TTFB depends heavily on hosting and CDN setup rather than the technology itself, but the sampled sites suggest a meaningful difference in common deployment patterns.
Should I choose Apache or Nginx for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. Nginx scores higher on overall composite score while Apache may excel in metrics you care about most. Run a free BeaverCheck audit on a real site using each to compare the metrics relevant to your use case.
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