Apache HTTP Server

Apache HTTP Server (commonly called Apache) is one of the oldest and most widely used web servers. First released in 1995, it powers a significant portion of websites worldwide and is known for its flexibility and extensive module system.

Key Features

• Module system: Extend functionality with 500+ available modules
• Virtual hosts: Serve multiple domains from one server
• .htaccess: Per-directory configuration without server restart
• URL rewriting: Powerful mod_rewrite for URL manipulation
• Cross-platform: Runs on Linux, Windows, macOS

Common Modules

Module	Purpose
mod_rewrite	URL rewriting and redirection
mod_ssl	HTTPS/TLS support
mod_proxy	Reverse proxy and load balancing
mod_php	PHP processing
mod_security	Web application firewall
mod_deflate	Compression
mod_headers	Custom HTTP headers

Configuration Example

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example
    
    <Directory /var/www/example>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
    
    # Redirect to HTTPS
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
    RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
</VirtualHost>

Apache vs Nginx

Aspect	Apache	Nginx
Architecture	Process/thread per connection	Event-driven, async
Memory usage	Higher	Lower
Static files	Good	Excellent
Dynamic content	Native (mod_php)	Proxy to PHP-FPM
Configuration	.htaccess flexibility	Centralized only
Market share	Declining	Growing

What We Like

• Flexibility: .htaccess allows per-directory configuration
• PHP integration: Native mod_php is simple to set up
• Documentation: Decades of community knowledge
• Stability: Battle-tested and reliable

What We Don't Like

• Performance: More resource-intensive than Nginx
• Complexity: Configuration can become unwieldy
• Modern workloads: Not optimised for WebSockets, high concurrency
• Declining relevance: Nginx and cloud services taking over

When to Use Apache

• Legacy applications expecting Apache features
• WordPress and PHP applications needing .htaccess
• Shared hosting environments
• When mod_rewrite rules are already written

Modern Alternatives

For new projects, consider:

• Nginx: Better performance for static and reverse proxy
• CloudFront + S3: Static hosting
• API Gateway: Serverless APIs
• Platform-native: Let Next.js or Nuxt handle serving