acme.sh vs Apache HTTP Server
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted reverse proxy & gateways options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
acme.sh
Pure shell ACME client for TLS certificates
VS
Apache HTTP Server
The world's most widely used web server
| Feature | acme.sh | Apache HTTP Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Shell | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 47,426 | ★ 4,050 |
| First released | 2016 | 1995 |
| Replaces | Certbot | Nginx, IIS |
Why pick each one
Choose acme.sh if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 47.4k GitHub stars
- Written in Shell
Choose Apache HTTP Server if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
Frequently asked questions
Is acme.sh or Apache HTTP Server better?
acme.sh is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Apache HTTP Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are acme.sh and Apache HTTP Server free and open-source?
Yes. acme.sh is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Apache HTTP Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run acme.sh and Apache HTTP Server with Docker?
acme.sh: check the project docs for container support. Apache HTTP Server: yes.