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The Apache HTTP Server, commonly referred to as Apache, is a widely used web server software notable for playing a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web. Introduced in 1995, it quickly became the most popular web server on the Internet. Developed and maintained by the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), Apache is an open-source project that provides web server capabilities for a variety of operating systems including UNIX, Linux, and Windows. It is designed to be highly configurable and extensible through a modular architecture, which allows developers to add or customize features with modules to handle different types of web content efficiently. Apache supports a range of features including sophisticated URL rewriting, server-side programming, database integration, and SSL/TLS encryption for secure connections. Its flexibility, reliability, and extensive support community have made it a foundation of many web applications and websites, maintaining its position as a crucial component of the internet infrastructure even as newer web server technologies emerge.
The Apache HTTP Server ( ə-PATCH-ee) is a free and open-source cross-platform web server, released under the terms of Apache License 2.0. It is developed and maintained by a community of developers under the auspices of the Apache Software Foundation.
The vast majority of Apache HTTP Server instances run on a Linux distribution, but current versions also run on Microsoft Windows, OpenVMS, and a wide variety of Unix-like systems. Past versions also ran on NetWare, OS/2 and other operating systems, including ports to mainframes.
Originally based on the NCSA HTTPd server, development of Apache began in early 1995 after work on the NCSA code stalled. Apache played a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web, quickly overtaking NCSA HTTPd as the dominant HTTP server. In 2009, it became the first web server software to serve more than 100 million websites.
As of March 2025, Netcraft estimated that Apache served 17.83% of the million busiest websites, while Cloudflare at 22.99%, Nginx served 20.11%, and Microsoft Internet Information Services at 4.16% rounded out the top four. For some of Netcraft's other stats, Nginx is ahead of Apache. According to W3Techs' review of all web sites, in April 2025 Apache was ranked second at 26.4% and Nginx first at 33.8%, with Cloudflare Server third at 23.5%.