Best Free Web Servers of 2025

AWebServer enables seamless file sharing from your mobile device to any computer or device effortlessly. It allows users to browse their files over wireless connections using any operating system or web browser. This user-friendly application provides a convenient way to host your own website directly from your Android device, equipped with PHP and all the functionalities offered by Apache. Additionally, it includes MariaDB, the legacy MySQL server, along with a ready-to-use MyPhpAdmin application. The app features an integrated FTP server for easy content uploads and supports Android versions 4.0 and higher. Built upon the robust and reliable Apache 2 server, it is well-regarded for its stability on Android platforms. Enhancements include an improved appearance for Apache index files and updates for 64-bit architecture servers and phpMyAdmin. Furthermore, the app is packaged as a distributed app bundle to minimize its overall size, ensuring efficient performance and usability. Overall, AWebServer stands out as an excellent solution for users looking to easily manage web hosting on their Android devices.

The Apache HTTP Server Project aims to create and sustain an open-source HTTP server compatible with contemporary operating systems such as UNIX and Windows. This project's primary objective is to deliver a secure, efficient, and adaptable server that aligns with the latest HTTP standards while offering reliable HTTP services. Additionally, it fosters community collaboration to continually improve and evolve the server's capabilities.

Since 2024 Jaisocx has supported PHP over HTTP/3. It switches between HTTP/1.1, H2 and H3 depending on the negotiation with HTTP client. Charset detection is a unique feature that detects the text content and displays it correctly, such as in German or French alphabets. It has a built-in engine for securing the endpoints using Basic Auth and JSON Web Token. c) Proxy Endpoints. d) The framework-like solution to publish SQL query results in JSON format is also available out of the box and requires minimal configuration. This software is well-documented on the same company website. f) The software is free. g) It has the Docker Hub repository. h) And Github.com repository that contains some basic samples of Laravel, Symfony, and WordPress apps using Docker Compose.

To get started with KSWEB on your Android device, simply install the application and place your scripts in the htdocs directory on your memory card, enabling you to launch your web content seamlessly. KSWEB serves as a comprehensive toolkit for web developers on the Android operating system, featuring a web server, FTP server, PHP support, MySQL database management system, and a scheduling tool. Notably, this package operates without requiring root access unless you intend to run the server on port 80, which can be advantageous for making your server accessible online. This functionality effectively allows you to carry a compact hosting solution wherever you go! To initiate the web server, all you need to do is open KSWEB, set the desired port and root directory if necessary, and you're ready to go. The application comes with pre-configured settings for all its components, ensuring a hassle-free experience. Additionally, KSWEB is compatible with a variety of popular content management systems and frameworks, including Yii2, Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, and MODX, among others. Should you have any inquiries regarding the setup or operation of a specific CMS, feel free to reach out, and we will gladly assist you!

NGINX Open Source is the web server that supports over 400 million websites globally. Built upon this foundation, NGINX Plus serves as a comprehensive software load balancer, web server, and content caching solution. By opting for NGINX Plus instead of traditional hardware load balancers, organizations can unlock innovative possibilities without being limited by their infrastructure, achieving cost savings of over 80% while maintaining high performance and functionality. It can be deployed in a variety of environments, including public and private clouds, bare metal, virtual machines, and container setups. Additionally, the integrated NGINX Plus API simplifies the execution of routine tasks, enhancing operational efficiency. For today's NetOps and DevOps teams, there is a pressing need for a self-service, API-driven platform that seamlessly integrates with CI/CD workflows, facilitating faster app deployments regardless of whether the application utilizes a hybrid or microservices architecture, which ultimately streamlines the management of the application lifecycle. In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, NGINX Plus stands out as a vital tool for maximizing agility and optimizing resource utilization.

Internet Information Services (IIS) on Windows® Server serves as a versatile, secure, and easily manageable web server suitable for a wide array of online hosting needs. Whether it's media streaming or complex web applications, IIS boasts a scalable and open framework designed to meet even the highest demands with efficiency. Its robust features allow for seamless integration and performance across various internet-based services.

Node.js serves as an asynchronous event-driven JavaScript runtime specifically engineered for creating scalable network applications. Each time a connection is made, a callback function is triggered; however, if there are no tasks to execute, Node.js enters a sleep state. This approach stands in stark contrast to the more prevalent concurrency model that relies on operating system threads. Networking based on threads can be quite inefficient and often presents significant usability challenges. Additionally, Node.js users don't have to concern themselves with the complications of dead-locking the process since the architecture does not utilize locks. In fact, very few functions within Node.js handle I/O directly, ensuring that the process remains unblocked except when synchronous methods from Node.js's standard library are utilized. This non-blocking nature makes it highly feasible to develop scalable systems using Node.js. The design of Node.js shares similarities with, and draws inspiration from, frameworks like Ruby's Event Machine and Python's Twisted, extending the event model even further. Notably, Node.js incorporates the event loop as an integral runtime feature rather than relegating it to a mere library, thus enhancing its efficiency and functionality. This distinctive approach makes Node.js an attractive choice for developers looking to create high-performance applications.

Tornado is a web framework for Python that also serves as an asynchronous networking library, initially created at FriendFeed. Utilizing non-blocking network I/O, it has the capability to manage tens of thousands of simultaneous connections, making it particularly suited for applications requiring long-lived user connections, such as long polling and WebSockets. Unlike most Python web frameworks, Tornado does not follow the WSGI standard and is primarily operated with a single thread per process. Although the tornado.wsgi module offers some WSGI compatibility, it is not the main focus of development, and developers are encouraged to utilize Tornado’s own interfaces, like tornado.web, for building applications. It is important to note that Tornado code is generally not designed to be thread-safe. Since version 5.0, Tornado has been integrated with Python's standard library asyncio module, sharing the same default event loop. This integration allows for seamless mixing of libraries that are built for asyncio with Tornado, enhancing its versatility and functionality. As a result, developers can create highly efficient applications that leverage both Tornado's strengths and asyncio's capabilities.

OpenResty® is a comprehensive web platform that combines an enhanced version of the Nginx core, a refined LuaJIT, numerous well-crafted Lua libraries, a variety of high-quality third-party Nginx modules, and their associated external dependencies. Its primary purpose is to empower developers to effortlessly create scalable web applications, web services, and dynamic web gateways. By utilizing a range of thoughtfully designed Nginx modules—many of which are developed by the OpenResty team—OpenResty® transforms the Nginx server into a robust web application server, allowing web developers to leverage the Lua programming language to script various existing Nginx C modules along with Lua modules. This capability enables the construction of exceptionally high-performance web applications that can manage between 10,000 to over a million connections on a single server. OpenResty® is designed to execute your server-side web application entirely within the Nginx server, effectively utilizing Nginx's event-driven model to facilitate non-blocking I/O with HTTP clients, resulting in improved efficiency and responsiveness for applications. The platform not only enhances performance but also simplifies the development process for complex web solutions.

This project's primary aim is to excel in a singular task: effectively serving static web directories. Many existing solutions tend to be overly complicated with features like CGI support and reliance on third-party libraries, or they fall short by lacking essential functionalities such as TLS, virtual hosts, or support for partial content. Quark seeks to strike a balance by focusing solely on static content while still incorporating advanced features typically found in more cumbersome alternatives, all while prioritizing security through methods such as chroot, privilege dropping, and strict parsing without dynamic memory allocation. We maintain that the majority of the web can operate without dynamic components, arguing that the escalating complexity of server-side applications significantly contributes to the web's growing inefficiency. In contemporary practices, the trend leans towards handling everything server-side, from parsing requests to altering files and databases, and generating HTML, often using inappropriate languages like PHP or JavaScript, which leads to significant security vulnerabilities and inefficiencies. By simplifying these processes, we aim to create a more streamlined and secure web environment.

H2O represents a modern HTTP server that significantly enhances user response times while minimizing CPU usage compared to traditional web servers. Built from scratch, it leverages the advanced capabilities of HTTP/2, such as prioritized content delivery and server push, ensuring an exceptional experience for website visitors. It features comprehensive support for dependency and weight-based prioritization through server-side configurations. Thanks to community contributions, H2O is available as a binary package in various environments, allowing for an initial installation via your preferred package manager before considering a source installation. It is generally advisable to use LibreSSL for running H2O, as it is deemed more secure than OpenSSL and supports additional ciphersuites. Ultimately, choosing H2O can lead to improved performance and security for your web applications.

Jetty serves as both a web server and a servlet container, offering capabilities for HTTP/2, WebSocket, OSGi, JMX, JNDI, JAAS, among other integrations. These elements are open source, allowing for free commercial use and distribution. Jetty finds application in a diverse range of projects and products across development and production environments. Developers have preferred Jetty for years due to its strong history of easy embedding in devices, tools, frameworks, application servers, and contemporary cloud services. It is a robust, standards-compliant framework that is open source and usable commercially, featuring flexibility, extensibility, a small footprint, and support for asynchronous operations, all while being enterprise scalable and dual-licensed under both Apache and Eclipse. It is utilized in large-scale clusters like Facebook Presto and in cloud computing platforms such as Google AppEngine. As Java and the JakartaEE project (previously JavaEE) evolved in 2020, the current recommended Jetty version hinges on factors such as the servlet API version and licensing preferences. Jetty continues to adapt, ensuring it meets the evolving needs of modern software development.

Monkey serves as a lightweight yet robust web server and development stack tailored for Linux and OSX systems. It is engineered for exceptional scalability while maintaining minimal memory and CPU usage, making it an ideal choice for embedded devices. Designed to operate on ARM, x86, and x64 architectures, Monkey not only excels in lightweight applications but also provides a scalable solution suitable for high-performance production servers. With a primary focus on embedded systems, its architecture ensures efficient resource management, promoting low consumption rates. The server employs a hybrid approach that combines a fixed number of threads, each capable of servicing thousands of clients through an event-driven model utilizing asynchronous sockets. Furthermore, the lock-free interaction between the scheduler and worker threads significantly enhances performance, reducing the likelihood of race conditions and establishing Monkey as a superior alternative among web server options. This unique design and capability make Monkey not just a practical solution for embedded devices but also a formidable contender for handling demanding server environments.

Tengine, developed by Taobao, the largest e-commerce platform in Asia, is a web server that builds upon the Nginx HTTP server and boasts a range of advanced capabilities. This server has demonstrated exceptional stability and efficiency, serving some of the top 100 websites globally, including its parent site Taobao and tmall. Since becoming an open-source project in December 2011, Tengine has continued to thrive, with ongoing development led by a dedicated team composed of core members from Taobao, Sogou, and various other internet firms. The project fosters community involvement, encouraging contributions from developers everywhere. Notably, Tengine retains all features from Nginx-1.17.3, ensuring full compatibility with its predecessor. It supports the connect HTTP method for forward proxying and offers enhanced operational monitoring capabilities, including asynchronous logging, rollback features, DNS caching, and memory usage tracking. Furthermore, Tengine optimizes performance by allowing unbuffered uploads directly to HTTP and FastCGI backend servers, effectively reducing disk I/O operations. In addition, it incorporates multiple load balancing techniques, such as consistent hashing, session persistence, and upstream health checks, making it a robust choice for modern web applications. Overall, Tengine is an essential tool for developers seeking a reliable and feature-rich web server solution.

Kestrel serves as a versatile web server for ASP.NET Core applications, being the default server integrated into project templates. It provides support for various protocols including HTTPS and HTTP/2, though the latter is not available on macOS, and facilitates WebSockets through an opaque upgrade feature, along with Unix socket support for enhanced performance when operating behind Nginx. This web server is compatible with all platforms and versions that .NET Core accommodates. Developers must be aware that some browsers necessitate explicit permission to accept the local development certificate, and project templates are pre-configured to utilize HTTPS by default while also integrating HTTPS redirection and HSTS features. Kestrel offers specific configuration options that are particularly beneficial for deployments exposed to the internet, with distinct connection limits for those upgraded from HTTP or HTTPS to other protocols, such as during WebSocket requests. Notably, the server has a default limit for the maximum request body size set at approximately 28.6 MB, or 30,000,000 bytes, ensuring efficient handling of requests. Additionally, the flexibility of Kestrel allows developers to fine-tune these parameters according to their application's specific requirements.

kWS is a fast and efficient web server specifically optimized for Android mobile devices, allowing users to host websites and serve files via HTTP. It adheres to the HTTP-1.0 protocol and offers both basic and digest authentication for enhanced security. Additionally, it supports server-side includes (SSI) and provides functionality for directory indexing, enabling downloads in tar, tgz, and zip formats. Users can enjoy resumable file downloads and built-in Dynamic DNS updates, with the capability to handle up to 20 simultaneous connections and detailed HTTP logging. Moreover, kWS features HTTPS/TLS support, utilizing BKS and PKCS12 keystores, while ensuring file security through password-based encryption with 128-bit AES and Triple DES. The server also incorporates GZip compression, offers directory indexing in JSON and XML formats, and allows for sorting of indexes, making it highly customizable with support for as many as 999 parallel connections per port. Configuration at the directory level is supported, alongside compatibility with multiple Dynamic DNS providers, including ZoneEdit. Furthermore, kWS is designed to automatically start upon device boot, enhancing user-friendliness and accessibility. Overall, this versatile server solution streamlines the process of hosting and file serving on mobile platforms.

Compact Web Server designed for Android 4.0 and newer versions. It operates as a background service, supports various character sets, and is simple to set up. Features an auto-start capability that launches the server automatically upon each device boot. With a streamlined interface, it offers file and folder listings while maintaining low memory usage, making it an efficient choice for users. This server is perfect for those who seek a lightweight yet effective web hosting solution on their mobile devices.

Mongoose transforms software products, devices, or appliances into web servers that can be accessed through a browser. A prevalent application of Mongoose is to integrate a web-accessible control panel for various devices. It provides ready-made examples and tutorials for functionalities such as authentication, live logging, and video streaming. By utilizing Mongoose, users can effortlessly create APIs to manage their devices or applications remotely using a web browser, mobile devices, or automation solutions. Additionally, we have developed a highly memory-efficient and user-friendly JSON library, available under the MIT license, to enhance the capabilities of Mongoose. It supports real-time, full-duplex communication via MQTT or WebSocket protocols, allowing users to exchange unformatted data or encapsulate it in JSON for JSON-RPC usage. Furthermore, Mongoose facilitates the uploading of device data to any cloud server of your preference, whether it's a third-party provider or your own setup, ensuring flexibility and ease of use. This versatility makes Mongoose a powerful tool for modern web-enabled devices.

You now have the capability to operate nearly any type of server you can envision, such as a web server, database server, or storage server! You can easily initiate a server using the 'Simple' tab or dive into advanced options to configure users, permitted IP addresses, and much more! It's possible to manage multiple servers simultaneously without requiring root access. This application will function for a week, after which you'll need to purchase the premium version, and you can only set up two servers in this free version—this limitation is necessary to aid in ongoing development. It offers an impressive suite of 18 network tools! Features include remote control support, a PHP Server, NAS Server, dedicated server, and honeypot options! You can secure your settings with encryption and utilize password protection! The app also supports Tasker/Llama, allowing you to start and stop servers using Wi-Fi, SMS, phone calls, power, or cronjob rules! Additionally, you can utilize the 'Trigger Server' for enhanced functionality! Configure settings like port number, network interface to listen on, backlog, and logging options (to a file), and if you have root access, you can set a port below 1024. The application also includes Widget support and a plethora of other features, ensuring a versatile and user-friendly experience! With all these tools at your disposal, managing your server environment has never been easier or more efficient!

Connect your PC using either WiFi or a USB cable, as ADB is supported for ease of access. For enhanced security, HTTPS is an option. PAW features integration with Tasker/Locale, facilitating effortless automatic startup and shutdown processes. As a fully functional web server, PAW enables you to host your personal web pages directly from your Android device. Simply place your content in the /sdcard/paw/HTML directory, and you're good to go! Not only does this allow you to publish your own web pages, but it also gives you the capability to create dynamic web applications utilizing the Android API, including SQLite database access. With PAW, you can add plugins that range from PHP support to PirateBox or even create your own plugins tailored to your needs. Dive into Android development with PAW by leveraging the Android API and modifying existing code to suit your preferences. A significant portion of PAW's web application is available as editable plain text, giving you the freedom to customize and improve it. Comprehensive documentation and examples are conveniently accessible within the web application itself. Additionally, you have the opportunity to create your own server based on PAW at no cost for personal and educational use, making it a versatile tool for developers and hobbyists alike. This flexibility allows for experimentation and learning, fostering a deeper understanding of web technologies.

Lighttpd (pronounced lighty) is a web server that embodies security, speed, compliance, and flexibility, making it a game-changer in the realm of server efficiency, specifically tailored for high-performance environments. With its minimal memory usage in comparison to other web servers and its ability to effectively manage CPU load, lighttpd offers an impressive array of features, including FastCGI, SCGI, authentication, output compression, URL rewriting, and much more, making it an ideal choice for servers grappling with heavy load issues. Additionally, being open-source and licensed under the revised BSD license, lighttpd is accessible to a wide range of users. It also powers numerous well-known Web 2.0 platforms, demonstrating its reliability and performance in real-world applications. The server's superior input/output infrastructure enables websites to achieve remarkable scalability, significantly outperforming alternatives while utilizing the same hardware resources.

Hiawatha has been developed with a strong emphasis on security, resulting in a webserver that is both robust in code and rich in security features. It effectively protects against threats such as SQL injections, XSS, and CSRF attacks, as well as various exploit attempts. With a unique monitoring tool, users can easily oversee all their webservers in real-time. You don’t have to be an expert in HTTP or CGI to successfully deploy Hiawatha, as its configuration syntax is user-friendly and straightforward. The comprehensive documentation and practical examples provided on the website offer all the necessary guidance to get your webserver configured in just minutes. Despite encompassing all the essential elements of a modern webserver, Hiawatha remains lightweight and compact, making it an excellent choice for older hardware or embedded systems. Special optimization techniques are employed to ensure minimal resource consumption, further enhancing its appeal to users with limited hardware capabilities. Overall, Hiawatha strikes a perfect balance between security and efficiency.

Caddy streamlines your infrastructure by managing TLS certificate renewals, OCSP stapling, serving static files, reverse proxying, Kubernetes ingress, and more. Its modular design allows for enhanced functionality within a single, static binary that can be compiled for any platform. Caddy operates exceptionally well in container environments due to its lack of dependencies, including libc. You can deploy Caddy almost anywhere. It automatically acquires and renews TLS certificates for your websites and even includes OCSP response stapling. The innovative certificate management capabilities of Caddy are among the most advanced and dependable available. Developed in Go, Caddy provides improved memory safety compared to servers built with C. A robust TLS stack supported by the Go standard library underpins a substantial portion of global Internet traffic. Caddy serves as both an adaptable, efficient static file server and a formidable, scalable reverse proxy, making it a versatile choice for a variety of applications. Additionally, its user-friendly configuration and seamless integration make it an appealing option for developers seeking simplicity and effectiveness.

Cherokee stands out as a cutting-edge, feature-laden, ultra-fast, and user-friendly open source web server tailored for the demands of the next generation of secure, highly concurrent web applications. Configuration is seamlessly managed through Cherokee-Admin, an elegant and robust web interface that simplifies the setup process. This server is compatible with a wide array of popular web technologies such as FastCGI, SCGI, PHP, uWSGI, SSI, CGI, LDAP, TLS/SSL, HTTP proxying, video streaming, and content caching, among others. It operates efficiently on platforms like Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris, and BSD, showcasing remarkable lightweight performance and exceptional stability. One of its standout features is the intuitive cherokee-admin interface, which offers a hassle-free way to configure every aspect of the server without the complexities of text file syntax. This focus on user experience makes Cherokee an attractive option for developers seeking both power and ease of use. Additionally, the ongoing development and community support further enhance its capabilities, ensuring it remains relevant in the evolving landscape of web technologies.

Cowboy serves as the premier server for contemporary web applications, offering compatibility with WebSocket, HTTP/2, and REST protocols. This lightweight, efficient, and modern HTTP server is built on Erlang/OTP and strives to deliver a comprehensive web stack. Its capabilities encompass HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, WebSocket, server-sent events, and REST based on Webmachine. With built-in functions for introspection and tracing, developers can monitor system behavior in real-time, and its modular architecture allows for straightforward integration of additional instrumentation. Recognized for its high quality, Cowboy features a compact codebase that ensures optimal performance in terms of both latency and memory utilization, making it suitable for embedding within other applications. The code is crafted in clean Erlang style and undergoes rigorous testing, ensuring full compliance with the Dialyzer. Furthermore, extensive documentation is available, including a function reference, user guide, and various tutorials, making it accessible for users. While familiarity with the HTTP protocol is beneficial, it is not mandatory, as the guide provides thorough coverage of the essentials throughout. Overall, Cowboy continues to be a reliable choice for developers seeking a robust server solution.