Lighttpd

Self-Hosted

Lightweight, fast open-source web server

Overview

Lighttpd is a lightweight, high-performance open-source web server optimized for resource efficiency. It uses minimal memory and CPU, making it ideal for embedded systems, low-RAM servers, or high-traffic setups. Supports FastCGI/SCGI/CGI for dynamic content (e.g., PHP), SSL/TLS encryption, URL rewriting, and reverse proxy. Deploy via package managers (Debian/Ubuntu, RHEL/CentOS), Docker, or source code. Runs on Linux, BSD, macOS, Windows—flexible for self-hosted static/dynamic content needs.

Self-Hosting Resources

Find Official Image on Docker Hub View Source & Docs

Below is a reference structure for docker-compose.yml. ⚠️ Do NOT run blindly. Replace placeholders with official values.

docker-compose.template.yml TEMPLATE


version: '3'
services:
  lighttpd:
    image: <OFFICIAL_IMAGE_NAME>:latest
    container_name: lighttpd
    ports:
      - "8080:<APP_INTERNAL_PORT>"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/app/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Key Features

Memory-efficient low-resource design
Supports FastCGI/SCGI/CGI for dynamic content
SSL/TLS encryption & URL rewriting
Reverse proxy functionality

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is Lighttpd hard to install?

No—Lighttpd is easy to install via package managers (e.g., apt-get install lighttpd on Debian/Ubuntu) or Docker. Manual source installation requires basic build tools, but setup for basic use cases (static content) is straightforward with text-based config files.

? Is it a good alternative to Nginx or Apache?

Yes—Lighttpd shines in resource-constrained environments, outperforming Apache in static content speed and using less memory than Nginx for some workloads. However, it lacks the extensive module ecosystem of Nginx/Apache for complex scenarios.

? Is Lighttpd completely free?

Yes—Lighttpd is open-source under the BSD license, meaning it’s free to use, modify, and distribute for personal or commercial purposes with no licensing fees.

Top Alternatives

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Oracle HTTP Server Search Google

Tool Info

Pricing Free/Open Source

Category Web Servers

Platform Self-Hosted

Pros

⊕ Extremely lightweight (perfect for embedded/low-RAM servers)
⊕ Fast static content delivery & efficient dynamic handling
⊕ Modular architecture with flexible configuration

Cons

⊖ Smaller community vs. Apache/Nginx (limited third-party support)
⊖ Configuration syntax differs from mainstream servers (learning curve)
⊖ Fewer built-in modules than Apache/Nginx for advanced use cases