Loading speed is undoubtedly one of the main factors that determine the overall performance of your website. The first impression is crucial to ensure a positive user experience for your visitors and a high ranking in search engines for your website.
At Nindohost, we constantly conduct performance tests to recommend the best tools to our partners for the success of their online projects.
With this in mind, we have chosen LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) for several years now.
LiteSpeed is a proprietary web server solution that dates back to 2003. Later versions have made LSWS one of the fastest options on the market. A survey conducted in April 2020 by W3Techs placed LiteSpeed firmly in the top 5, powering more than 6.4% of websites online.
Unlike similar web server solutions, such as Apache, for example, LiteSpeed is not free. However, considering all the advantages in terms of performance, the cost is worth it.
Unlike similar web server solutions, such as Apache, for example, LiteSpeed is not free. However, considering all the advantages in terms of performance, the cost is worth it.
1. LiteSpeed is a direct Apache replacement
will be seamless. LiteSpeed is a direct Apache replacement and is 100% compatible with Apache settings. This means that everything that works under Apache will also work under LiteSpeed.
The transition is smooth and easy. There are no changes to your .htaccess or httpd.conf files. Switching to a LiteSpeed web server takes no more than a few minutes, including reconfiguration and installation.
If you're using cPanel hosting or a package that gives you access to WHM, there's even a free plugin you can use to administer LiteSpeed from a graphical interface.
2. LiteSpeed boosts your site's performance
LiteSpeed works well for high-traffic websites, pages that receive thousands of visitors per second. What's great is that it does this with minimal resources (CPU, RAM).
Undoubtedly, LiteSpeed serves static content faster than any other web server. It enhances PHP performance through its custom LSAPI PHP.
For example, if you have a high-traffic WordPress site on a hosting server, LiteSpeed can be of great help. Switching from Apache to LSWS will immediately reduce your server load, sometimes by up to 10 times.
Don't believe it?
We couldn't believe it either until we saw it with our own eyes. Nindohost has been hosting several high-traffic websites for years, and once they switched to a LiteSpeed server, they were able to accommodate over 30% more visitors without losing performance.
3. LiteSpeed enhances your website's security
LSWS also offers great security benefits.
Firstly, as it's 100% Apache compatible, you can use the mod_security module you normally use to block most web attacks. LiteSpeed works with all known rules without any additional configuration needed.
Moreover, LiteSpeed has its own security features that prove very useful when your website is under a DoS or DDoS attack. LSWS has built-in anti-DDoS options such as bandwidth and connection throttling. LiteSpeed developers are also impressively quick to respond to DoS attacks. After one of the most recent attacks, their team released a patch in under two hours.
Naturally, Nindohost's LiteSpeed web servers have been promptly updated and are currently secure as well.
4. LiteSpeed reduces hosting-related costs
LiteSpeed is a paid solution, but the small extra fee you pay to host your site on a LiteSpeed server can save you a lot of money that you might have invested in hardware to achieve the same performance.
Even on shared web hosting, LiteSpeed allows you to access performance similar to a virtual server without worrying about the technical side and system administration skills required to manage a server.
5. LiteSpeed helps your site rank better on search engines
It's 2021, so it's no surprise that website speed is a major factor in customer satisfaction. Search engines also seem to appreciate fast-loading pages.
Google considers over 200 different elements to rank websites, but some still weigh more than others. While Big G leaders like to keep their cards close to their chest, speed is one of the factors they have publicly highlighted as important.
As you can see, LiteSpeed appears to be an excellent option. Touted as the fastest web server technology currently available, there's no better way to ensure optimal speed and performance.
Conclusion
Websites have different targets and objectives. Regardless of the niche, a fast website can only help you better serve your visitors and achieve all your goals.
LiteSpeed can easily replace Apache, which is the choice we made at Nindohost: a LiteSpeed server is now our top recommendation for professional websites, and all our clients who have migrated their sites from an Apache server to a LiteSpeed server are extremely satisfied.
