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Best XAMPP Alternatives in 2026

Free#23 of 36 in Web Server Software

The top XAMPP alternatives are NGINX, Apache HTTP Server and LiteSpeed Web Server: 15 web server software our editors would look at instead of XAMPP, in our ranking order.

6.7/10Editor score

Visit Apache Friends

XAMPP6.7 Visit Apache Friends

15 alternatives
Updated Oct 2026
Our XAMPP verdict

XAMPP: A free, open-source bundle for building and testing PHP applications locally. Where it falls short: designed for development rather than production hosting.

Switching from XAMPP? For most web server software buyers the best XAMPP alternative is NGINX, built for high-performance proxying and web serving.

Why People Look for an XAMPP Alternative

Designed for development rather than production hosting
HTTP/2, HTTP/3, and WebSocket support are not supplied
Several bundled tools are Windows-only

Quick Picks by What You Need

Best overallNGINX9.4
High-performance proxying and web serving
Visit NGINX
Best free optionNGINX9.4
Has a free plan
Visit NGINX

All 15 XAMPP Alternatives, Ranked

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

1
NGINX
Best forHigh-performance proxying and web serving
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 6.7
A focused self-hosted choice for serving, proxying, caching, and traffic control.
- WebSocket support
Free plan Our NGINX verdict → Visit NGINX
9.4/10★★★★★
Visit NGINX
2
Apache HTTP Server
Best forBroad, mature self-hosted web serving
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 9.3 vs 6.7
A mature, flexible choice for self-managed websites, applications, and HTTP traffic.
- HTTP/2 support
- Windows support
- WebSocket support
Free plan Our Apache HTTP Server verdict → Visit Apache
9.3/10★★★★★
Visit Apache
3
LiteSpeed Web Server
Best forPaid Linux web hosting and control panels
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 6.7
A capable Apache-compatible server for paid Linux hosting and control panels.
- HTTP/3 support
- HTTP/2 support
- WebSocket support
Free plan Our LiteSpeed Web Server verdict → Visit LiteSpeed
8.9/10★★★★☆
Visit LiteSpeed
4
OpenResty
Best forProgrammable web applications and gateways
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 6.7
OpenResty suits teams building programmable web applications and dynamic gateways.
- HTTP/3 support
- Commercial support
- HTTP/2 support
Free plan Our OpenResty verdict → Visit OpenResty
8.8/10★★★★☆
Visit OpenResty
5
Caddy
Best forSimple HTTPS reverse proxy deployment
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 6.7
A focused, self-hosted choice for simple HTTPS reverse proxy deployment.
- WebSocket support
Free plan Our Caddy verdict → Visit Caddy
8.7/10★★★★☆
Visit Caddy
6
OpenLiteSpeed
Best forLinux hosting with a graphical administration UI
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 6.7
A free, Linux-focused web server with graphical administration and broad web-stack support.
- HTTP/3 support
- HTTP/2 support
- WebSocket support
Free plan Our OpenLiteSpeed verdict → Visit OpenLiteSpeed
8.6/10★★★★☆
Visit OpenLiteSpeed
7
Phusion Passenger
Best forManaged deployment of Ruby, Python, and Node apps
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 6.7
A self-hosted application server with broad Unix support and paid support tiers.
- Commercial support
- HTTP/2 support
- WebSocket support
Free plan · 14-day trial Our Phusion Passenger verdict → Visit Passenger
8.5/10★★★★☆
Visit Passenger
8
uWSGI
Best forMulti-application Python deployments
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 8.4 vs 6.7
A flexible, open-source choice for running and supervising multiple Python applications.
- Commercial support
- Windows support
- WebSocket support
Free plan Our uWSGI verdict → Visit uWSGI
8.4/10★★★★☆
Visit uWSGI
9
lighttpd
Best forLightweight cross-platform web serving
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 8.3 vs 6.7
A lightweight, capable web server for static content, PHP backends, and proxying.
- HTTP/2 support
- Windows support
- WebSocket support
Free plan Our lighttpd verdict → Visit lighttpd
8.3/10★★★★☆
Visit lighttpd
10
Tengine
Best forDynamic NGINX-compatible deployments
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 8.2 vs 6.7
A capable open-source choice for dynamic, NGINX-compatible self-hosted deployments.
- HTTP/3 support
- HTTP/2 support
- WebSocket support
Free plan Our Tengine verdict → Visit Tengine
8.2/10★★★★☆
Visit Tengine
11
H2O
Best forEfficient HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 serving
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 8.1 vs 6.7
An open-source self-hosted server focused on modern HTTP delivery and proxying.
- HTTP/3 support
- HTTP/2 support
- WebSocket support
Free plan Our H2O verdict → Visit H2O
8.1/10★★★★☆
Visit H2O
12
Gunicorn
Best forPython WSGI and ASGI applications
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 6.7
A free, open-source application server for Python web apps on UNIX-like systems.
- Commercial support
- HTTP/2 support
- WebSocket support
Free plan Our Gunicorn verdict → Visit Gunicorn
7.9/10★★★★☆
Visit Gunicorn
13
NaviServer
Best forTcl-based applications and custom extensions
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 7.8 vs 6.7
A programmable, self-hosted web server for teams building with Tcl and custom extensions.
- HTTP/3 support
- HTTP/2 support
- Windows support
Free plan Our NaviServer verdict → Visit NaviServer
7.8/10★★★★☆
Visit NaviServer
14
Hiawatha
Best forSecurity-focused lightweight hosting
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 7.7 vs 6.7
A compact, security-focused server for self-hosted websites and applications.
- HTTP/2 support
- Windows support
- WebSocket support
Free plan Our Hiawatha verdict → Visit Hiawatha
7.7/10★★★★☆
Visit Hiawatha
15
Red Hat 3scale API Management
Best forAPI traffic management rather than web serving
- Better than XAMPP:
- Editor score 7.6 vs 6.7
A hybrid API management platform for policy control, analytics, portals, and monetization.

Pricing on request Our Red Hat 3scale API Management verdict → Visit Red Hat
7.6/10★★★★☆
Visit Red Hat

XAMPP Alternatives: Common Questions

What is the best alternative to XAMPP?

NGINX: #1 in our Web Server Software ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A focused self-hosted choice for serving, proxying, caching, and traffic control.

Is there a free alternative to XAMPP?

Yes. NGINX, Apache HTTP Server, LiteSpeed Web Server, OpenResty and Caddy have a free plan or a free tier (14 of the 15 alternatives on this page).

Why do people look for XAMPP alternatives?

Designed for development rather than production hosting; HTTP/2, HTTP/3, and WebSocket support are not supplied; Several bundled tools are Windows-only.

How do I switch from XAMPP?

Snapshot or back up the data and configs on your XAMPP server. Create the new server with the same operating system and size, and add your SSH key. Copy the data across (rsync or your backup tool) and reinstall your apps or containers. Move the DNS records or IP references to the new server, test it, then cancel XAMPP.

How to Switch from XAMPP

Snapshot or back up the data and configs on your XAMPP server.
Create the new server with the same operating system and size, and add your SSH key.
Copy the data across (rsync or your backup tool) and reinstall your apps or containers.
Move the DNS records or IP references to the new server, test it, then cancel XAMPP.

XAMPP vs Each Alternative

#	Tool	Free plan	Paid from	HTTP/2 support	WebSocket support	Supported platforms	Score
23	XAMPP	Yes	Free			Windows, Linux, macOS	6.7
1	NGINX	Yes	Free		Yes		9.4
2	Apache HTTP Server	Yes	Free	Yes	Yes	Linux, Windows, macOS, and most Unix-like systems	9.3
3	LiteSpeed Web Server	Yes	$110/yr	Yes	Yes	Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, Solaris	8.9
4	OpenResty	Yes	Free	Yes	Yes	Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker	8.8
5	Caddy	Yes	Free		Yes		8.7
6	OpenLiteSpeed	Yes	Free	Yes	Yes	Linux distributions including Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, and derivatives	8.6
7	Phusion Passenger	Yes		Yes	Yes	Ubuntu, Debian, Enterprise Linux, macOS, Amazon Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris and other Unix systems	8.5
8	uWSGI	Yes	Free		Yes	Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, DragonFlyBSD, Windows Cygwin, macOS, Solaris, NexentaOS, SmartOS, OpenSolaris, OpenIndiana, OmniOS, Debian/kFreeBSD, GNU/Hurd	8.4
9	lighttpd	Yes	Free	Yes	Yes	Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, SGI IRIX, Windows via Cygwin, macOS	8.3
10	Tengine	Yes	Free	Yes	Yes	Linux, macOS, and multi-architecture containers	8.2
11	H2O	Yes	Free	Yes	Yes	Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Docker	8.1
12	Gunicorn	Yes	Free	Yes	Yes	UNIX/POSIX, Linux, macOS, Docker	7.9
13	NaviServer	Yes	Free	Yes	Yes	Linux, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, OpenSolaris, IRIX, HP/UX, DEC Tru64, UnixWare, macOS, Windows	7.8
14	Hiawatha	Yes	Free	Yes	Yes	Linux, BSD, macOS, Cygwin/Windows	7.7
15	Red Hat 3scale API Management						7.6

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update