Apache HTTP Server vs Envoy
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?
Apache HTTP Server
The world's most widely used web server
VS
Envoy
Cloud-native high-performance edge and service proxy
| Feature | Apache HTTP Server | Envoy |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,050 | ★ 28,735 |
| First released | 1995 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Nginx, IIS | Nginx, HAProxy |
Why pick each one
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
Choose Envoy if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 28.7k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache HTTP Server or Envoy better?
Neither is universally better. Envoy has the larger community, while Apache HTTP Server is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Apache HTTP Server and Envoy free and open-source?
Yes. Apache HTTP Server is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Envoy under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache HTTP Server and Envoy with Docker?
Apache HTTP Server: yes. Envoy: yes.