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Nginx vs OpenResty

Based on 1015 and 46 real audits

View Nginx details | View OpenResty details
MetricNginxOpenRestyWinner
Performance5242Nginx
Accessibility8682Nginx
Best Practices8785Nginx
SEO9189Nginx
Security6865Nginx
TTFB496ms520msNginx
Composite7572Nginx
Performance
Nginx
52
OpenResty
42
Accessibility
Nginx
86
OpenResty
82
Security
Nginx
68
OpenResty
65
SEO
Nginx
91
OpenResty
89
Composite
Nginx
75
OpenResty
72

Nginx outperforms OpenResty in 7 of 7 categories, with a stronger composite score (75 vs 72). OpenResty leads in no categories.

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.

When to choose OpenResty

OpenResty 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.

How this comparison was built

Scores are medians across 1015 audited Nginx sites and 46 audited OpenResty 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, Nginx or OpenResty?
Based on real BeaverCheck audits, Nginx sites score higher on Lighthouse performance (52 vs 42 on average).
Which has better security, Nginx or OpenResty?
Nginx sites score higher on security analysis (68 vs 65 on average).
Which has better accessibility, Nginx or OpenResty?
Accessibility scores measured by Lighthouse WCAG 2.1 checks favor Nginx (86 vs 82). 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, Nginx or OpenResty?
Nginx sites score higher on Lighthouse SEO signals (91 vs 89 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), Nginx or OpenResty?
Nginx sites show lower Time to First Byte (496 ms vs 520 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 Nginx or OpenResty for my website?
Both platforms have trade-offs. Nginx scores higher on overall composite score while Nginx 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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