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Best Web Server Software in 2026

Web server software runs web services for sites and applications. This list is for people choosing a server on a budget, including self-hosted and hosted setups.

  1. 1

    Abyss Web Server

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
    7.7 Free plan · paid from $59.95 Visit site
  2. 2

    Apache HTTP Server

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
    7.7 Free plan Visit site
  3. 3

    Caddy

    Free plan AndroidAPILinux+4

    Choose Caddy for a self-hosted server or proxy when automatic HTTPS, broad reverse-proxy support, and deployment flexibility matter.

    7.7 Free plan Visit site
  4. 4

    CivetWeb

    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+4
    7.6 Free plan Visit site
  5. 5

    Hiawatha

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
    7.5 Free plan Visit site
  6. 6

    Gunicorn

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted
    7.4 Free plan Visit site
  7. 7

    Mongoose Web Server

    Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+5
    7.4 Free plan · pricing on request Visit site
  8. 8

    NaviServer

    Free plan APILinuxMac+3
    7.4 Free plan Visit site
  9. 9

    NGINX

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1

    NGINX combines web serving and several proxy roles with caching, load balancing, and file-based configuration.

    7.4 Free plan Visit site
  10. 10

    EasyPHP

    Free plan Self-hostedWindows
    7.3 Free plan Visit site
  11. 11

    FrankenPHP

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
    7.3 Open source Visit site
  12. 12

    Monkey HTTP Server

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted
    7.3 Open source Visit site
  13. 13

    OpenResty

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
    7.3 Free plan Visit site
  14. 14

    lighttpd

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
    7.2 Free plan Visit site
  15. 15

    Racket Web Server

    Free plan APILinuxMac+3
    7.2 Free plan Visit site
  16. 16

    H2O

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted
    7.1 Free plan Visit site
  17. 17

    Phusion Passenger

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted
    7.1 Free plan · paid from $23.52 · 14-day trial Visit site
  18. 18

    Static Web Server

    Free plan AndroidLinuxMac+3
    7.1 Free plan Visit site
  19. 19

    Tengine

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
    7.1 Free plan Visit site
  20. 20

    Lwan

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted
    7.0 Open source Visit site
  21. 21

    OpenLiteSpeed

    Free plan LinuxSelf-hosted
    7.0 Free plan Visit site
  22. 22

    Tornado

    Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2
    7.0 Free plan Visit site
  23. 23

    Puma

    Free plan LinuxWindows
    6.9 Free plan Visit site
  24. 24

    XAMPP

    Free plan LinuxMacWeb+1
    6.9 Free plan Visit site
  25. 25

    RoadRunner

    Free plan APILinuxMac+2
    6.8 Free plan Visit site

#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price

Compare free plans, free trials, and paid starting prices. If you need to read or change the code, check the licence. Also check supported platforms, HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 support, WebSocket support, extension options, Windows support, and commercial support.

Questions

Do these web servers have free plans?

Entries show whether a free plan is available. Freemium options may also list a paid starting price.

Can I try a web server before paying?

A free trial is offered by items on this list. Check the individual entry for its trial terms.

Which platforms are covered?

The list covers Linux, self-hosted, Windows, macOS, web, and API platforms.

What protocols should I compare?

Compare HTTP/2, HTTP/3, and WebSocket support against your application's requirements.

How do I check whether I can change the code?

Review the tool's licence and look for an Open source note in its listing before changing or redistributing code.

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