Web Server
Definition
Software that receives requests from browsers and sends back web pages. Apache and Nginx are the most common examples.
What is a Web Server?
A web server is software that handles requests from browsers and responds with web pages. When you type a URL, your browser contacts a web server, which finds the requested files and sends them back.
The term also refers to the physical or virtual machine running this software, though technically that's the server hardware.
How Web Servers Work
- Browser sends a request (e.g., "give me homepage.html")
- Web server receives the request
- Server locates the requested file or runs code to generate it
- Server sends the response back to the browser
- Browser renders the page
This happens in milliseconds, multiple times per page load.
Popular Web Servers
Apache
The most widely used web server historically. Powers around 30% of websites. Highly configurable with .htaccess files.
Nginx
Known for performance and efficiency. Powers around 35% of websites. Excellent for high-traffic sites.
LiteSpeed
Commercial server with excellent performance. Popular with WordPress hosting.
IIS
Microsoft's web server for Windows environments.
Caddy
Modern server with automatic HTTPS. Growing in popularity.
Web Server Market Share
| Server | Market Share (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Nginx | 35% |
| Apache | 30% |
| Cloudflare | 20% |
| LiteSpeed | 10% |
| Others | 5% |
What Web Servers Handle
- Static files – HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images
- Routing – directing requests to the right files
- Security – SSL/TLS, authentication, access control
- Compression – Gzip/Brotli encoding
- Caching – storing responses for faster delivery
- Reverse proxy – passing requests to application servers
For Business Owners
You don't usually interact with web servers directly – your hosting provider handles that. But understanding the basics helps when discussing hosting options or troubleshooting performance issues.