Lighttpd (pronounced “lighty”) is a free and open-source web server optimized for speed-critical environments. The name is a portmanteau of “light” and “httpd”.
Lighttpd was created by Jan Kneschke and first released in March 2003. It was originally written as a proof-of-concept for the C10k problem – demonstrating how to handle 10,000 parallel connections on a single server.
The project was designed to address the limitations of existing web servers (particularly Apache 1.3) in handling high concurrency with minimal resource consumption.
| Version | Release Date | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0.0 | 2003 | Initial release |
| 1.2.x | 2004-2005 | Improved stability, module system |
| 1.3.x | 2006 | Enhanced FastCGI support |
| 1.4.0 | 2007 | Major rewrite, improved performance |
| 1.4.19 | 2008 | Security improvements |
| 1.4.28 | 2010 | Bug fixes, stability improvements |
| Version | Year | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| < 1.4.40 | Pre-2017 | Limited support for large files from CGI/FastCGI/proxies |
| 1.4.40 | 2017 | Removed large file limitation |
| 1.4.45 | 2018 | Improved HTTP/2 preparation |
| 1.4.50 | 2019 | Security enhancements |
| 1.4.55 | 2020 | Performance optimizations |
| 1.4.56 | 2020 | HTTP/2 support added |
| 1.4.59 | 2021 | TLS improvements |
| 1.4.61 | 2021 | Security fixes |
| 1.4.63 | 2022 | Bug fixes |
| 1.4.65 | 2022 | HTTP/2 WebSocket support |
| 1.4.67 | 2023 | Performance improvements |
| 1.4.69 | 2023 | Security updates |
| 1.4.70 | 2023 | Windows support confirmed |
| 1.4.71 | 2024 | Bug fixes |
| 1.4.73 | 2024 | TLS enhancements |
| 1.4.75 | 2024 | Performance optimizations |
| 1.4.77 | 2025 | TLS Encrypted ClientHello (ECH) |
| 1.4.79 | 2025-04 | Security updates |
| 1.4.80 | 2025-08 | Request trailer support (later restricted) |
| 1.4.81 | 2025-08 | Bug fixes |
| 1.4.82 | 2025-09-12 | Current stable (security fixes) |
Security Changes:
server.feature-flags += ("request-trailer-whitelist" => "...")
Bug Fixes:
toupper: modifierpsa_crypto_init() for MBEDTLS_USE_PSA_CRYPTOmbedx509/mbedcrypto link orderRelease Manager: gstrauss
Bug fixes and stability improvements.
Added request trailer support (later restricted in 1.4.82 for security).
Major Security Feature:
Event-Driven Design (2003)
Module System (2004-2007)
HTTP/2 Support (1.4.56, 2020)
HTTP/2 WebSocket (1.4.65, 2022)
TLS 1.3 and ECH (1.4.77, 2025)
| Platform | Support Since | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | 2003 | Primary platform |
| Unix/BSD | 2003 | FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD |
| Solaris | 2004 | Enterprise Unix |
| macOS | 2005 | Darwin support |
| Windows | 1.4.70 (2023) | Limited support |
Lighttpd has been used by many high-profile websites and services:
| Year | Lighttpd | Apache | NGINX |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | ~5% | ~50% | ~10% |
| 2012 | ~3% | ~55% | ~15% |
| 2018 | ~1.5% | ~45% | ~30% |
| 2025 | ~1% | ~26% | ~34% |
Source: W3Techs historical data
| Aspect | Lighttpd | NGINX | Apache |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memory Usage | Very Low (< 1 MB) | Very Low | Moderate-High |
| Configuration | Simple | Moderate | Complex |
| Module System | Good | Dynamic | Extensive |
| HTTP/2 | Yes (1.4.56+) | Yes | Yes (mod_http2) |
| HTTP/3 | No | Experimental | No |
| Windows | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| .htaccess | No | No | Yes |
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Latest Version | 1.4.82 (September 12, 2025) |
| Development Status | Active |
| Release Cadence | ~2-4 months between releases |
| Market Share | ~1% (W3Techs 2025) |
| Primary Use Cases | Embedded, static content, reverse proxy |
| License | BSD-3-Clause |
Any questions?
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