What is LiteSpeed Web Server?

LiteSpeed Web Server is one of the fastest web server applications on the market today. It is a drop-in replacement for Apache, which in turn means cross-compatibility with Apache web server features such as .htaccess, mod_rewrite, and mod_security.

LiteSpeed replaces all of the Apache functionality making it a lot less complex and easier to use, unlike other interim solutions that act as front-end proxies. It comes fully built with anti-DDoS features which mitigate the server load and keeps the server alive during DDoS attempts.

If you're running a WordPress website alongside it being on a LiteSpeed web server, you can make use of the LiteSpeed plugin available for WordPress. The plugin LiteSpeed Cache (LSCWP) is an all-in-one site acceleration plugin, featuring server-level caching as well as a collection of optimizations features. The Cloud Hosting and WordPress plan snappy host has available, is all run on a LiteSpeed webserver to deliver content lightning-fast.

Because LiteSpeed is an event-driven server it is able to handle a lot more concurrent connections compared to Apache which is processed-based. In summary, this means that every process in LiteSpeed is able to handle multiple requests. Unlike Apache, each process can only handle one request at a time.

The Restaurant Analogy

Let's imagine for a moment the webserver happens to be a busy restaurant and the customers are the requests the server needs to handle.

The Process-Based Restaurant

In the process-based restaurant, each employee (process) serves one customer (request). The employee takes the order, makes the food, and then takes payment.

If there are 5 customers in the restaurant, and the restaurant requires 5 employees to assist with the customers. But what happens when you don't have enough staff? The customers would then need to wait, a queue will then form, and then sadly, the customers will leave.

The Event-Driven Restaurant

Now let's picture the same number of customers for the event-driven restaurant.

One employee takes everyone's orders and relays this to the chef. The chef then proceeds to cook all the meals and gives the order back to another employee who delivers the meals.

Once the customer has eaten their food, they pay another employee and leave, and when more customers arrive, there is no queue as the employee who takes the order is available to do so.

Our Servers are LiteSpeed Fast

Are you looking for fast and reliable web hosting? Then check out our Cloud Hosting, WordPress, and Agency plans. We have LiteSpeed on all of our Cloud servers and make use of the LS Cache plugin free of charge.