Web Server Market Share in 2026
Enterno.io scanned the Server HTTP header across the top-1M sites (March 2026). Distribution: nginx 38%, Apache 26%, Cloudflare (edge reverse-proxy) 21%, Caddy 3%, LiteSpeed 4%, IIS 2%, others 6%. Trends: nginx has held lead since 2020; Caddy doubled share in 2 years thanks to automatic HTTPS; Apache declines slowly through legacy retention.
Below: key findings, platform breakdown, implications, methodology, FAQ.
Key Findings
| Metric | Pass / Value | Median | p75 |
|---|---|---|---|
| nginx | 38% | — | — |
| Apache httpd | 26% | — | — |
| Cloudflare (reverse proxy) | 21% | — | — |
| LiteSpeed | 4% | — | — |
| Caddy | 3% | — | — |
| Microsoft IIS | 2% | — | — |
| Lighttpd / other | 6% | — | — |
| Server header hidden | 14% | — | — |
Breakdown by Platform
| Platform | Share | Detail | — |
|---|---|---|---|
| nginx (direct) | 38% | HTTP/3: 2% / HTTP/2: 89% | — |
| Cloudflare edge | 21% | HTTP/3: 98% / HTTP/2: 100% | — |
| Apache httpd | 26% | HTTP/3: 0% / HTTP/2: 76% | — |
| Caddy | 3% | HTTP/3: 61% / HTTP/2: 99% | — |
| LiteSpeed (hosting focus) | 4% | HTTP/3: 84% / HTTP/2: 98% | — |
| IIS (Windows Server) | 2% | HTTP/3: 15% / HTTP/2: 71% | — |
Why It Matters
- nginx remains the default for Linux + Unix systems, flexibility in configuration
- Caddy is growing in the small-team / solopreneur segment (automatic HTTPS, simple config)
- Apache — legacy + CMS (WordPress defaults), slow decline via migrations to nginx
- LiteSpeed — a hosting provider favourite (cPanel integration, high performance)
- Server-header hiding 14% — security best practice, Cloudflare + nginx (server_tokens off)
Methodology
Top-1M sites from Tranco list (March 2026). HTTP HEAD requests with Accept: */* from 3 locations. Server header parsed; if absent — Via and X-Powered-By as signals. Server-header hiding (nginx server_tokens off, Apache ServerTokens Prod) classified as "hidden".
Learn more
Frequently Asked Questions
nginx or Apache — which one?
nginx — for high-concurrency (reverse proxy, static files). Apache — for CMS with .htaccess (WordPress, Drupal) and legacy PHP apps. For a new 2026 project — nginx default.
Is Caddy a serious competitor?
Yes, for small-mid projects. Automatic Let's Encrypt, simple config. Downsides: smaller community, fewer docs, slower for extreme scale.
Is IIS still relevant?
Only for Windows-specific workflows (Exchange, SharePoint, legacy .NET). On Linux no reason to use IIS.
How to tell my server?
<a href="/en/check">Enterno HTTP checker</a> shows Server header + Via + X-Powered-By. Or <code>curl -I https://example.com</code>.