WebCompare Server Features Comparison

Welcome to the WebCompare Server Features Comparison! This is a list of the generally-available, supported server software for the World Wide Web. These software packages are also called "HTTP servers" because their primary purpose it to serve data using the HTTP protocol, but "Web server" is a better term because they often do much more than just speak a protocol.

New in version 4.2

• Supports HTTP/1.1 persistent connections. The server can keep a connection with an HTTP/1.1 client open for more than a single request. This is described in section 17 of draft -03 of the HTTP/1.1 specification.
• Understands full URIs in HTTP/1.1 requests. HTTP/1.1 specifies that servers must be able to understand two types of requests: those with absolute paths (old-style locators), and those with full URIs. The latter is new to HTTP/1.1. This is described in section 9.1.2 of draft -03 of the HTTP/1.1 specification.
• Supports HTTP/1.1 PUT. The PUT method was poorly defined in HTTP/1.0. PUT is commonly used to allow a remote user to add material to a Web site. In HTTP/1.1, the PUT method is more clearly defined in section 9.1.2 of draft -03 of the HTTP/1.1 specification.
• Supports HTTP/1.1 byte ranges. HTTP/1.1 clients can request part of the content of an item using byte ranges, as described in section 7.14 of draft -03 of the HTTP/1.1 specification. Byte ranges are optional for HTTP/1.1 clients and servers, but servers that support it will be able to restart aborted transmissions more easily.
• Type of server-side imagemaps. There are two different ways to do imagemaps: the CERN way, which is used by servers with CERN legacies (or who prefer the CERN method) and the NCSA way. The difference is in the formatting of the map file. The two types of map files are described at:
  CERN: http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/Daemon/User/CGI/HTImageDoc.html
  NCSA: http://hoohoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/docs/setup/admin/Imagemap.html
  Most servers support one or the other, and a few support both.
• Allows non-blocking DNS. The server only blocks sending the response if the DNS information is required for security, for passing to a CGI script, for logging, and so on.

A few new servers were added:

• Oracle Web server, which many of you have been asking about (the folks at Oracle finally answered the questions!)
• Searchlight, a popular BBS that now is also a Web server

Introduction

Folks seem to like this chart: it was downloaded over 15,000 times last month.

This list includes all Web servers which seem to be currently supported. Other WWW servers certainly exist, but they are either sparsely supported (or completely unsupported), or the authors didn't feel like responding to requests for information about their server. We actively solicit the authors of all Web servers to participate, but we can't force them to.

Please note that the information in this list comes from the authors of the software, not from any determination we at WebCompare have made by looking at the server software or documentation. In the past, some readers have told us that some of the information in the chart is wrong, and we always go back to our contacts with these comments. Sometimes, it is a misunderstanding of the feature, but more often it has been that the server author didn't tell us that they added something to the server.

Features in the Chart

One of the features that is often requested that isn't listed here is performance. Unfortunately, no good Web server performance tests exist yet. The ones that are out there do not measure anything even vaguely like real-world performance, and thus are fairly meaningless. (In this way, the Web market is much like the CPU market...) WebCompare will most likely be creating performance measuring tests in the future, but until then, performance performance-related features won't be listed.

For an extended description of what each feature means, please see the feature descriptions. Some of these descriptions refer to the draft versions of the HTTP/1.0 and HTTP/1.1 specifications (the drafts have yet to be finalized into RFCs). The HTTP/1.0 draft and HTTP/1.1 draft are available from WebCompare.

In upcoming issues, we will certainly be adding features relating to the evolving HTTP/1.1 standard. The features being added to HTTP/1.1 are still in flux, but the standard looks like it will settle down a great deal this month and probably be quite stable within a month or two. At that point, you should expect to see much better functionality and performance on the Web.

Of course, there will be even more features listed in the future. If there are features that you would like to see added to the list, please send a message to editors@webcompare.com.

Other Resources

If you're more interested in which servers are popular than in the features of the servers, you should certainly take a look at NetCraft. They maintain a great site that does a Webcrawl survey of which sites are using which kinds of servers.

There are a few other lists of Web server software available around the Web (gotta love that self-reference!). One list that has more software, but don't talk about features, is at Yahoo.

Getting Support

There are some servers not listed here because the companies that sell them do not respond to repeated requests to be added to the list. Many people have asked why CompuSource's PowerWeb are not listed; the simple answer is that the company has not responded to many requests for their information. It is sad that many large companies have such a hard time sitting down and listing their actual features. There are also some servers that are not listed because they are unauthorized and unsupported ports of freeware servers in the list. It is not uncommon for someone to port a freeware Unix server to a different operating system, get it mostly working, then not finish the port and not keep up with new versions of the original server. These partially-working ports are specifically not listed here unless they are well supported by the porting team.

For example, long-time readers of this list will notice that CERN httpd is no longer listed. After CERN handed the code over to the W3C, it has been barely supported, if at all. An occaisional patch shows up every now and then, but no one's working on the code. W3C may come out with a new server in the future, but for now, the venerable CERN server is unsupported. If you really want to try it, you can find the source code and information on the W3C Web site.

Some authors/companies of the servers described in this list answered immediately and were quite responsive, while some barely answered or answered weeks after being asked. You may want to consider which server you use based on how actively it is supported and how quickly your questions get answered. As many people who run Web sites are now discovering, having no or little support for their Web server software can be disasterous to their site and their health.

Note that some of the packages listed here, particularly the commercial ones, have additional features that can make Web administration easier, and some have other nifty features that differentiate them from their competitors. Of course, the technical support also varies greatly from server to server. You should probably check out each of the servers that are appropriate for your operating system before committing to one.

Servers Covered In This List

Full name	Short name	Link to server's chart	Link to server's own URL	Version
Alibaba	Alibaba	chart	URL	2.0
Amiga Web Server	AmigaWeb	chart	URL	2.0
Apache	Apache	chart	URL	1.02
Apache-SSL-US	ApacheSSL	chart	URL	1.0.3+1.1
Common Lisp Hypermedia Server	CL-HTTP	chart	URL	58.12
Commerce Builder	Commerce Builder	chart	URL	1.5
COSMOS Web Server	COSMOS	chart	URL	1.0
OSU DECthreads server	DECthreads	chart	URL	2.0
EMWAC Freeware HTTPS	EMWAC	chart	URL	0.99
EnterpriseWeb	EnterpriseWeb	chart	URL	1.0 beta
Esplanade	Esplanade	chart	URL	1.2
Esplanade Secure Edition	Esplanade Secure	chart	URL	1.2
ExpressO HTTP Server	ExpressO	chart	URL	B1.8
Fnord Server	Fnord	chart	URL	0.6.0.23
FolkWeb	FolkWeb	chart	URL	1.01
GN	GN	chart	URL	2.24
GNNserver	GNNserver	chart	URL	2.03
GoServe for OS/2	GoServe	chart	URL	2.48
IBM Internet Connection Server	IBM Connection	chart	URL	4.0
IBM Internet Connection Secure Server	IBM Connection Secure	chart	URL	4.0
JSB INTRAnet Jazz Server	Jazz	chart	URL	0.9
MacHTTP from Quarterdeck	MacHTTP	chart	URL	2.2
Microsoft Internet Information Server	Microsoft IIS	chart	URL	1.0
NCSA HTTPd	NCSA	chart	URL	1.5a
NetPresenz	NetPresenz	chart	URL	4.0.1
Netscape Enterprise Server	Netscape Enterprise	chart	URL	2.0
Netscape FastTrack Server	Netscape FastTrack	chart	URL	2.0
Open Market Secure WebServer	Open Market Secure	chart	URL	1.1
Open Market WebServer	Open Market WebServer	chart	URL	1.1
Oracle WebServer	Oracle	chart	URL	2.0
Purveyor WebServer	Purveyor	chart	URL	1.2
Quarterdeck WebServer	Quarterdeck WebServer	chart	URL	1.0
Sioux	Sioux	chart	URL	1.0.1
Spinnaker Web Server	Spinnaker	chart	URL	2.0
Spinner	Spinner	chart	URL	1.0b13
SPRY SafetyWeb Server	SPRY SafetyWeb	chart	URL	1.1
SPRY Web Server	SPRYWeb	chart	URL	1.1
Stairways Web Server	Stairways	chart	URL	1.0d2
SU/httpd	SU/httpd	chart	URL	1.0
SuperWeb Server	SuperWeb	chart	URL	1.1
TECWeb Server	TECWeb	chart	URL	1.1
thttpd	thttpd	chart	URL	1.00
VBServer	VBServer	chart	URL	2.0
W4-Server	W4	chart	URL	2.4
Web Server/400	WebServer400	chart	URL	1.2
Webshare	Webshare	chart	URL	1.2.3
WebSite from O'Reilly & Associates	WebSite	chart	URL	1.1E
WebSTAR 95/NT from Quarterdeck	WebSTAR 95/NT	chart	URL	2.0
WebSTAR Mac from Quarterdeck	WebSTAR Mac	chart	URL	1.2.4
Webware Commercial Edition	Webware Comm	chart	URL
WN	WN	chart	URL	1.13
Zeus Server	Zeus	chart	URL	1.0.1

Features Chart

Operating Systems

Launching and Logging

Protocol Support and Includes

Security

The following are the descriptions of the additional security features of the servers, as described by the server's author or company selling the server.

• AmigaWeb: Does not generate directory listings.
• CL-HTTP: Digest Authentication implemented
• EnterpriseWeb: Built-in routines and exits for third-party security products.
• Esplanade Secure: Different key lengths for US and global market.
• GNNserver: Can restrict administrator access by IP address
• GoServe: All requests are filtered by a script, so security at any granularity is possible.
• MacHTTP: Allows extensions to the security model through CGIs that interpret password information
• Microsoft IIS: Read or execute permissions for virtual directories, script mapping for hiding application executables, administrator control for password length, password uniqueness, minimum/maximum password aging, automatic account lock-out with manual or automatic reset.
• NCSA: Kerberos and MD5
• Netscape Enterprise: Chroot (UNIX), multiple user information directories, client-side certificates, access control for HTTP-Put.
• Netscape FastTrack: Chroot (UNIX), multiple user information directories, client-side certificates, access control for HTTP-Put.
• Open Market Secure: Script-based authentication, limit secure access based on issuer of a certificate, require secured access to a region without specifying the protocol (S-HTTP, SSL or PCT), multiple protocols supported without requiring multiple copies of the daemon.
• Open Market WebServer: Script-based authentication, limit secure access based on issuer of a certificate, require secured access to a region without specifying the protocol (S-HTTP, SSL or PCT), multiple protocols supported without requiring multiple copies of the daemon.
• Oracle: Oracle7 based user authentication
• Purveyor: External authentication (usernames/passwords can reside in external database or NT registry username database)
• Sioux: Client authentication in SSL using X.509 certificates; the ability to customize access control based on client certificate attributes.
• Spinnaker: Workgroups
• VBServer: Gateways are provided full HTTP header, plus extra info. Will only serve files with extensions HTM, GIF, JPG, and ZIP.
• WebSTAR Mac: Allows extensions to the security model through CGIs that interpret password information.
• Webware Comm: Restict by date/time
• WN: Limiting access to CGI and execs
• Zeus: Non-forking authentication API for complete flexibility and extensibility of security features

Other Features

The following are the descriptions of the pricing of the servers, as described by the server's author or company selling the server. This list only includes non-trivial pricing information, not things like "free" or "varies".

• Alibaba: Aactual pricing info found on our Web server.
• ApacheSSL: $495.00 commercial, free non-commercial, $295.00 upgrade from Netscape Commerce
• Commerce Builder: $795
• COSMOS: From $2000 to $ 20000, based on the hardware platform, the number of processors, andd additional software modules.
• FolkWeb: $120 registration fee and $72 for educational purposes
• GNNserver: Free. To get support, customers must subscribe to the GNN Hosting Service.
• NetPresenz: Single-user license: US$10. World-wide site license: US$2000. Universities or companies site license: US$500.
• Netscape FastTrack: FastTrack w/Navigator Gold is $295. FastTrack w/Navigator Gold and LiveWire is $495.
• Oracle: $2495; pricing may vary internationally
• Purveyor: Prices start at $295, vary by platform, with lower prices for North America.
• Sioux: South Africa R2500 (+- US$500). Free for academic use, 30 day commercialevaluation period.
• Spinnaker: $495, demo available
• SPRY SafetyWeb: $245; support plans also available.
• SPRYWeb: $895; support plans also available.
• SuperWeb: $795.00. This server license allows the user to install remote features (administration and aurthoring) on an unlimited number of clients.
• VBServer: $150; $75 Educational
• WebSite: WebSite 1.1 has a list price of $499
• Zeus: Zeus Server is 599 UKP; Zeus Secure Server is 999 UKP; free to academic institutes and charitable organisations. Above prices include 90 days of unlimited technical support; additional support is low cost.

The following are the descriptions of the best features of the servers, as described by the server's author or company selling the server. They were limited to 25 words or less, so this probably doesn't reflect everything they think is great about the server.

• Alibaba: Alibaba SSL is a high performance WWW server for conducting secure electronic commerce and communications on the Internet and Intranets, with the ability of easy administration.
• AmigaWeb: It's small, fast and robust. The map/module facility makes for a very flexible server when more maps are added - see http://www.phone.net/aws/maps/ for details.
• Apache: Highly configurable, extendable, robust, fast, standards-compliant, pre-forking, efficient, constantly evolving, user motivated, user supported, collaboratively developed, well tested, user satifying, hugely popular.
• ApacheSSL: Supports SSL, SSL user authentication, highly configurable, extensible, inexpensive, fast, pre-forking, efficient, free for non-commercial use, includes CA tools, hugely popular.
• CL-HTTP: Computed responses, HTML synthesis, mobile code support, persistent connections
• Commerce Builder: SMX application language, online store software, proxy, newsgroup system.
• COSMOS: Distinction between service structure definition with graphical tools and physical documents; allows multi-profile (such as language) services, session control mechanism.
• DECthreads: Very efficient multi-threaded architecture. Script execution can be distributed to multiple nodes and script processes are resued.
• EMWAC: The price
• EnterpriseWeb: Security features incorporate multiple options and models. Use authentication files from other web servers with EnterpriseWeb, or use the existing VM authentication package.
• Esplanade: Dynamically convert over 40 document and image formats, "point and click" based Web to database connector, extensive log reporting capability, ease of setup and administration.
• Esplanade Secure: Dynamically convert over 40 document and image formats, "point and click" based Web to database connector, extensive log reporting capability, ease of setup and administration.
• ExpressO: ExpressO is an HTTP server written in native Java. The server is extensible and platform independent.
• Fnord: Free, small, efficient, easy to maintain
• FolkWeb: Easy to use, fast 32-bit multithreaded server
• GN: Serves both HTTP and Gopher from a single program
• GNNserver: GNNserver integrates an HTML authoring tool (GNNpress), a full-featured RDBMS (Illustra), text search, a fast embedded scripting language (Tcl), and a complete C API.
• GoServe: Performance, response time measurement, integrated scripting, user interface, simple setup.
• IBM Connection: Easy to set up and administer; backed by worldwide support, and service.
• IBM Connection Secure: Supports both SSL and S-HTTP; easy to set up and administer.
• Jazz: Includes the JSB AlphaBrowser, allowing users of character terminals to view Web documents in a text-only mode.
• MacHTTP: Low cost, most widely used shareware
• Microsoft IIS: Easy to setup and manage, great platform for Internet/intranet application development with the Internet Database Connector and the Internet Server API.
• NCSA: Free, reliable, pre-forking server with easily readable source code. Currently the most widely used server on the Web.
• NetPresenz: NetPresenz uses Apple's standard file sharing security and configuration. Single program does FTP, Web (including CGI) and Gopher, for just a $10 shareware fee.
• Netscape Enterprise: An easy-to-use, programmable, high performace Web server. Text search, revision control, configuration rollback, SNMP, high-performance API, and a simple forms-based UI.
• Netscape FastTrack: An easy-to-use, programmable, high performace Web server. Text search, revision control, configuration rollback, high-performance API, and a simple forms-based UI.
• Open Market Secure: Industry-leading performance due to multi-threaded architecture. Supports SSL and S-HTTP, and offers extended logging and reporting capabilities.
• Open Market WebServer: Industry-leading performance due to multi-threaded architecture. Also includes forms-based GUI for ease-of-use, and extended logging and reporting capabilities.
• Oracle: Integrated Web Request Broker with scaleable plug-and-play cartridge architecture. Fully integrated Java Interpreter with native integration to Oracle7.
• Purveyor: Purveyor is loaded with administrative features and is extremely easy to use. All features are GUI based and tightly integrated into operating system.
• Quarterdeck WebServer: Most cost effective Web Server for Windows 3.1
• Sioux: Fast, configurable, extensible, robust, pre-forking, load-balancing, internationallyacceptable security
• Spinnaker: Interactive conferencing, user profiles, file submissions
• Spinner: SPML (http://spinner.infovav.se/spml), non-forking, thus using much less resources (especially memory), modularity and the GAI (Graphical Administration Interface).
• SPRY SafetyWeb: Easy to use, high performance. Includes HotMetal Pro HTML authoring tool.
• SPRYWeb: Easy to use, high performance
• Stairways: First Webserver for the Bebox, multithreaded
• SU/httpd: The server is written in its own extension language, Scheme, and the basic server architecture is designed for maximum flexibility.
• SuperWeb: Remote administration with a common local/remote GUI, bundled HTML editor, and Image map editor.
• TECWeb: Combines a superset WWW server and RDBMS client to dynamically generate HTML files incorporating SQL acquired information. Very cost effective, scalable, manageable corporate WWW publishing.
• thttpd: Memory-efficient, fast, robust; allows sysadmin-specified bandwidth throttles.
• VBServer: No CGI. Gateways are extensions to the server.
• WebServer400: Integrated database support without programming. Exceptional hardware and software reliability. Extensive security model supplied by operating system. Exceptional multi-home support (unlimited hosts/machine, completely independant configuration)
• Webshare: Allows CGI scripting in REXX
• WebSite: The software's power and performance, its intuitive graphical user interface, the comprehensive information in the enclosed book, and the suite of included support applications.
• WebSTAR 95/NT: Customizable Control Center, multiple document trees
• WebSTAR Mac: Ease of use, remote administration, user defined actions, pre and post processing.
• Webware Comm: Fully featured and easy to install Web server that operates on all NetWare versions 3.x 4.x. Simplifies CGI tasks. 30 day demo available.
• WN: Security and flexibility
• Zeus: Zeus Server is simply the fastest server money can buy, combining SSL, administrative ease and minimal resource requirements in an advanced powerful full-featured package.

Individual Servers

• Alibaba
• Amiga Web Server
• Apache
• Apache-SSL-US
• Common Lisp Hypermedia Server
• Commerce Builder
• COSMOS Web Server
• OSU DECthreads server
• EMWAC Freeware HTTPS
• EnterpriseWeb
• Esplanade
• Esplanade Secure Edition
• ExpressO HTTP Server
• Fnord Server
• FolkWeb
• GN
• GNNserver
• GoServe for OS/2
• IBM Internet Connection Server
• IBM Internet Connection Secure Server
• JSB INTRAnet Jazz Server
• MacHTTP from Quarterdeck
• Microsoft Internet Information Server
• NCSA HTTPd
• NetPresenz
• Netscape Enterprise Server
• Netscape FastTrack Server
• Open Market Secure WebServer
• Open Market WebServer
• Oracle WebServer
• Purveyor WebServer
• Quarterdeck WebServer
• Sioux
• Spinnaker Web Server
• Spinner
• SPRY SafetyWeb Server
• SPRY Web Server
• Stairways Web Server
• SU/httpd
• SuperWeb Server
• TECWeb Server
• thttpd
• VBServer
• W4-Server
• Web Server/400
• Webshare
• WebSite from O'Reilly & Associates
• WebSTAR 95/NT from Quarterdeck
• WebSTAR Mac from Quarterdeck
• Webware Commercial Edition
• WN
• Zeus Server

Contacting WebCompare