SHSelfHostIndex

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?
AP Apache HTTP Server The world's most widely used web server VS PI Pingora Rust framework to build fast, reliable network services
FeatureApache HTTP ServerPingora
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupRead-the-docs project
Health score86 · Excellent97 · Excellent
CategoryReverse Proxy & GatewaysReverse Proxy & Gateways
LicenseApache-2.0Apache-2.0
LanguageCRust
Setup difficultyMediumHard
Min. RAM128 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, binary, bare-metalbinary, source
GitHub stars★ 4,038★ 27,517
First released19952024
ReplacesNginx, IISNginx

What are Apache HTTP Server and Pingora?

Apache HTTP Server

The Apache HTTP Server is a powerful, flexible open-source web server that can also act as a reverse proxy and load balancer through its mod_proxy modules. It has decades of stability.

  • Mature reverse proxy
  • Extensive module system
  • Per-directory configuration
  • Cross-platform

Pingora

Pingora is an open-source Rust framework from Cloudflare for building fast, secure, and programmable proxies and network services. It powers a large share of Cloudflare's traffic.

  • Programmable proxy framework
  • Memory-safe Rust core
  • High performance
  • Battle-tested at Cloudflare

Read the full Pingora guide →

Apache HTTP Server vs Pingora: key differences

Apache HTTP Server is written in C, while Pingora is built with Rust. Apache HTTP Server is the more established project (first released 1995), while Pingora arrived in 2024. Pingora has the considerably larger community, at 27,517 GitHub stars versus 4,038. Apache HTTP Server lists first-class Docker deployment; Pingora does not.

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
Apache HTTP Server details

Choose Pingora if…

  • Battle-tested at Cloudflare
  • Excellent performance
  • Memory-safe Rust

Watch out for

  • Rust coding required
  • Not a turnkey proxy
Pingora details

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.

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