lighttpd

Secure, fast, flexible web server

About lighttpd

lighttpd is a web server engineered for speed, security and low resource use in high-performance environments. It handles busy sites efficiently while using less memory and CPU than heavier servers, and ships an advanced feature set including FastCGI, CGI, authentication, output compression and URL rewriting. Released under an open-source BSD licence, it suits systems of every size, from embedded devices to large production deployments.

lighttpd website preview

Live preview of lighttpd.net via the WordPress mShots service — it can take a few seconds to generate on a first visit.

lighttpd: strengths & things to check

Strengths

Completely free to use — this directory lists no paid plan for it.
Covers web server, open source, self hosted — see the focus areas listed in its key facts.
Has 6 close alternatives in the same category on this page, so switching or comparing is easy.

Things to check

Free tools can change their model or shut down — avoid locking critical work into it without an export path.
Current plan prices are not listed here (they change too often to print reliably) — confirm the exact price on the official site.
It is one of 1164 tools in the Developer Tools category here — compare it against the alternatives below before you commit.

Derived from this listing's own data (pricing model, focus areas and category) — not a hands-on review score.

lighttpd pricing

Pricing model	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Free access	Yes — fully free
Current plan prices	Listed on the official site — prices change, so this directory links out instead of printing a number that may already be stale.
Official site	lighttpd.net

lighttpd key facts

Category: Developer Tools
Pricing: Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Focus areas: web server, open source, self hosted
Official site: lighttpd.net

lighttpd FAQ

How much does lighttpd cost?

Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it. Current plans and prices are listed on the official site (lighttpd.net).

What is lighttpd used for?

Secure, fast, flexible web server Its focus areas in the Developer Tools category: web server, open source, self hosted.

Where can I try lighttpd?

On its official site, lighttpd.net — the Visit Official Site button above goes straight there.

lighttpd vs alternatives

	lighttpd	Anubis	Apache HTTP Server	Atheos
Pricing	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Focus areas	web server, open source, self hosted	bot protection, security, self hosted, open source	web server, apache, hosting, open source	ide, code editor, self hosted, open source
Official site	lighttpd.net	anubis.techaro.lol	httpd.apache.org	atheos.io
Directory status	Listed	Listed	Listed	Listed

Side-by-side from each listing's own directory data. Full alternative cards are below.

About the Developer Tools category

Editors, platforms, and services developers rely on to build and ship software. The Developer Tools category on Tools Hub currently lists 1164 tools. Alongside lighttpd, it includes TensorFlow, Basin, Formcarry, Formspree.

FreeDeveloper Toolsweb-serveropen-sourceself-hosted

Alternatives to lighttpd

Tools in the same Developer Tools category that share focus areas with lighttpd — worth comparing before you commit:

Developer Tools

Anubis

Web AI firewall that protects sites from scraper bots

Freebot-protectionsecurityself-hostedopen-source

Developer Tools

Apache HTTP Server

A fast, reliable and extensible open-source web server for modern systems.

Freeweb-serverapachehostingopen-source

Developer Tools

Atheos

Lightweight open-source web-based IDE that runs anywhere

Freeidecode-editorself-hostedopen-source

Developer Tools

BunkerWeb

Open-source web application firewall that protects web services

Freemiumwafsecurityopen-sourceself-hosted

Developer Tools

cgit

A hyperfast web frontend for Git repositories written in C

Freegitsource-codeopen-sourceself-hosted

Developer Tools

Cockpit

Self-hosted, API-first headless CMS with an open-source MIT core

Freeheadless-cmsapiself-hostedopen-source

More in Developer Tools

Comparing tools in the Developer Tools category? These related listings are worth a look: TensorFlow — An end-to-end platform for machine learning; Basin — Form backend and builder with spam filtering and no server code; Formcarry — Form backend and API for HTML, React and other frameworks.