Side by side

Hiawatha vs NGINX

Both stand on web server software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Hiawatha

Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1

Visit Hiawatha

NGINX combines web serving and several proxy roles with caching, load balancing, and file-based configuration. Its free plan and wide platform coverage are useful, though it does not include a web application firewall.

Visit NGINX

The facts

	Hiawatha	NGINX
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows	Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	hiawatha.leisink.net	nginx.org
On web server software	#5 of 36	#9 of 36

Hiawatha: what it does well

NGINX: what it does well

Free open-source plan at no cost
Supports HTTP/2, HTTP/3, and SSL/TLS SNI
Provides caching, load balancing, and fault tolerance
Available for Linux, macOS, and Windows

What to know first

Web application firewall is not included
Requires self-hosted deployment

Alternatives to Hiawatha Alternatives to NGINX The whole list