NGINX

NGINX (pronounced "engine-x") is a high-performance open-source web server and reverse proxy that powers a large share of the modern web. It serves static files directly, proxies traffic to application backends (PHP-FPM, Node.js, Python WSGI), terminates SSL, load-balances across multiple servers and caches HTTP responses. NGINX is the default web server on most VPS and dedicated Linux hosts, replacing Apache as the standard for high-traffic sites because of its asynchronous event-driven architecture, which handles many concurrent connections with much less memory than Apache's per-process model. Most managed WordPress hosts run NGINX (often with FastCGI cache) under the hood.

How it works

NGINX is configured through a hierarchical text file (nginx.conf) that defines servers, locations, upstreams and caches. It can be a pure web server, a pure reverse proxy, or both. NGINX Plus is the paid commercial version with extra features; the open-source NGINX is what most sites actually run.

Why it matters

For static content and reverse proxying, NGINX is faster and lighter than Apache. For high-traffic sites, the difference matters: NGINX can handle tens of thousands of concurrent connections on modest hardware. Most production stacks now use NGINX in front of an application server, with Apache reserved for legacy compatibility.

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Frequently Asked Questions