Apache HTTP Server vs Pingora
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
Pingora
Rust framework to build fast, reliable network services
| Feature | Apache HTTP Server | Pingora |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Reverse Proxy & Gateways | Reverse Proxy & Gateways |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,050 | ★ 27,153 |
| First released | 1995 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Nginx, IIS | Nginx |
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 Pingora if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Mature project with 27.2k GitHub stars
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache HTTP Server or Pingora better?
Neither is universally better. Pingora 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 Pingora free and open-source?
Yes. Apache HTTP Server is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Pingora under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Apache HTTP Server and Pingora with Docker?
Apache HTTP Server: yes. Pingora: check the project docs for container support.