Choosing Between Apache and Nginx for WordPress on Amazon EC2

Introduction

When hosting a WordPress website, performance is everything, and your choice of web server can significantly impact page load speed, scalability, SEO rankings, and user experience. The two most popular web servers powering millions of websites today are Apache and Nginx. Both are powerful, open-source, and production-ready, but they behave very differently, especially when deployed on Amazon EC2 instances.

If you’re running WordPress on Amazon EC2 or planning a migration, understanding how Apache and Nginx perform on cloud infrastructure is crucial. Their architectural differences affect how well they handle traffic, how efficiently they use Amazon EC2 hardware, and how much you ultimately pay for your AWS resources.

This blog provides a detailed comparison of Apache and Nginx for WordPress on Amazon EC2, supported by real-world performance examples, practical benchmarks, and best-practice recommendations.

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Apache vs Nginx

Before examining real-world performance, it’s essential to understand the architectural differences between Apache and Nginx, particularly in the context of Amazon EC2.

table

On Amazon EC2, where CPU and memory resources must be optimized carefully, these differences become even more important.

Real-World WordPress Performance on Amazon EC2

Below are results from comparing Apache and Nginx running WordPress on an Amazon EC2 t3.small instance (2 vCPU, 2GB RAM).

Amazon EC2 Setup Used for Testing

OS: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
Web Servers: Apache 2.4 vs Nginx 1.24
PHP Version: 8.2
Database: MySQL 8 hosted on Amazon RDS
Traffic Simulation: 1000 requests, 100 concurrent users

This configuration is commonly used for mid-traffic WordPress websites.

Test 1: Page Load Speed (GTmetrix + PageSpeed Insights)

table2

Nginx was 45% faster, largely due to more efficient request handling and better performance with static assets (images, CSS, JS).

Test 2: Handling Concurrent Users (Load Test)

table3

On Amazon EC2, efficient CPU usage is crucial, and Nginx clearly handles concurrency better.

Test 3: Memory Usage

Apache creates a process/thread per connection, so memory usage spikes quickly.

table4

On small Amazon EC2 instances (t2/t3/t4g.micro or small), this difference can mean the difference between smooth traffic and server crashes.

How Nginx Boosts WordPress Speed on Amazon EC2?

Faster Static File Delivery

Nginx serves static content extremely efficiently without invoking PHP or database queries.

Example Nginx caching rule for WordPress uploads:

location /wp-content/uploads/ {
    expires 30d;
    access_log off;
    add_header Cache-Control "public, no-transform";
}

location /wp-content/uploads/ {

expires 30d;

access_log off;

add_header Cache-Control "public, no-transform";

}

On Amazon EC2, where IOPS (disk operations) matter, Nginx’s minimal file system overhead offers a major performance win.

Apache can achieve similar behavior using .htaccess, but .htaccess adds overhead because Apache parses it on every request.

2. Better Dynamic Content Handling (PHP-FPM)

Nginx relies on PHP-FPM, which isolates PHP processes and allows faster execution.

Example:

location ~ \.php$ {
    include fastcgi_params;
    fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.2-fpm.sock;
    fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
}

location ~ \.php$ {

include fastcgi_params;

fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.2-fpm.sock;

fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;

}

This is significantly more stable under high load compared to Apache’s mod_php.

3. Reverse Proxy Setup Works Wonderfully on Amazon EC2

One of the best-performing architectures for WordPress on Amazon EC2 is:

Nginx (front-end caching + SSL) → Apache or PHP-FPM (back-end)

Example configuration:

location / {
    proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080;
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
}

location / {

proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080;

proxy_set_header Host $host;

proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;

}

This hybrid setup offers:

Nginx’s speed for static content
Apache/PHP-FPM for plugin-heavy WordPress themes

It also significantly improves:

TTFB
CPU savings
SSL performance

4. Improved Caching and Compression

With Nginx FastCGI caching, many WordPress pages can be served instantly from memory.

fastcgi_cache_path /var/cache/nginx levels=1:2 keys_zone=WORDPRESS:100m inactive=60m;
fastcgi_cache WORDPRESS;

1 2	fastcgi_cache_path /var/cache/nginx levels=1:2 keys_zone=WORDPRESS:100m inactive=60m; fastcgi_cache WORDPRESS;

This alone reduced TTFB from 500ms → 180ms on Amazon EC2.

Final Performance Summary (WordPress on EC2)

table5

Real Amazon EC2 Case Study

A WooCommerce site running on Apache + EC2 t3.medium was struggling during sale events:

Slow checkout
High bounce rate
CPU spikes to 90%

After migrating to Nginx + PHP-FPM:

Page speed improved from 3.2s → 1.1s
CPU load decreased by 38%
Amazon EC2 scaling triggers reduced, cutting AWS bill by 20%

This proves Nginx can deliver significantly better efficiency on Amazon EC2.

Which Should You Choose for WordPress on Amazon EC2?

Choose Apache if:

You rely on many plugins that depend on .htaccess
You want a simple configuration
Your site traffic is moderate
You host multiple websites in one Amazon EC2 instance

Choose Nginx if:

Your site receives high traffic
You want maximum performance on Amazon EC2
You use caching plugins or server-level caching
You run WooCommerce or heavy dynamic pages
You want to reduce Amazon EC2 CPU usage and costs

Best Practice

Use Nginx as a reverse proxy in front of Apache or PHP-FPM for the perfect balance of speed + compatibility.

This combination is utilized by major providers such as Kinsta, Cloudways, and Flywheel, as well as high-performance WordPress stacks on AWS.

Conclusion

Both Apache and Nginx are excellent web servers, but their performance on Amazon EC2 differs notably.

Apache is flexible, easy to use, and great for smaller WordPress deployments.
Nginx is faster, more scalable, and more efficient on cloud infrastructure, especially under load.

If your goal is to improve WordPress speed, handle more traffic, reduce server load, and optimize Amazon EC2 costs, Nginx is the clear winner for most modern deployments.

Drop a query if you have any questions regarding Apache or Nginx and we will get back to you quickly.

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About CloudThat

CloudThat is an award-winning company and the first in India to offer cloud training and consulting services worldwide. As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, AWS Advanced Tier Training Partner, and Google Cloud Platform Partner, CloudThat has empowered over 850,000 professionals through 600+ cloud certifications winning global recognition for its training excellence including 20 MCT Trainers in Microsoft’s Global Top 100 and an impressive 12 awards in the last 8 years. CloudThat specializes in Cloud Migration, Data Platforms, DevOps, IoT, and cutting-edge technologies like Gen AI & AI/ML. It has delivered over 500 consulting projects for 250+ organizations in 30+ countries as it continues to empower professionals and enterprises to thrive in the digital-first world.

FAQs

1. Does WordPress work the same on both Apache and Nginx?

ANS: – Yes. WordPress is fully compatible with both.
The only main difference is that Nginx does not support .htaccess, so rewrite rules must be added manually to the Nginx config.

2. Can I switch from Apache to Nginx without reinstalling WordPress on Amazon EC2?

ANS: – Absolutely.
You can uninstall Apache and install Nginx while keeping:

Your WordPress files
Your database on Amazon RDS
Your Amazon EC2 instance configuration

Your site will continue working after updating the server configurations.

WRITTEN BY Guru Bhajan Singh

Guru Bhajan Singh is currently working as a Software Engineer - PHP at CloudThat and has 7+ years of experience in PHP. He holds a Master's degree in Computer Applications and enjoys coding, problem-solving, learning new things, and writing technical blogs.