When you talk about web servers, the first names that come to mind are Apache and NGINX. Both are reliable and feature-rich options that can fulfill several business use cases. However, if you are looking for a more performant alternative that has minimal resource usage, then you should consider LiteSpeed.
This guide covers everything you need to know about LiteSpeed, including its key features, benefits, troubleshooting tips, and how to implement it effectively for your website or business.
Overview of LiteSpeed
LiteSpeed is a high-performance web server developed by LiteSpeed Technologies. It’s especially famous for its efficiency in handling large volumes of traffic while using fewer resources compared to other web servers.
Although a proprietary software, LiteSpeed also offers an open-source version called OpenLiteSpeed, a free and flexible alternative for those who prefer open-source solutions or have specific customization requirements.
LiteSpeed is compatible with various widely-used applications like WordPress, Joomla, and Magento. Moreover, it works well with popular control panels like cPanel, Plesk, and WHM. That’s why it’s used by many hosting providers and businesses seeking improved speed, security, configurability, and reliability.
Architecture and key features
LiteSpeed uses an event-driven architecture, which allows it to handle many concurrent connections without having to create excessive processes or threads, which in turn lowers CPU and memory usage. Built-in page caching, for both static and dynamic content, further reduces the server load and improves overall performance.
LiteSpeed natively supports HTTP/2, and QUIC, which ensures faster and more secure data transfer between the server and client through techniques like multiplexing and header compression. Moreover, it’s packed with security-oriented features like DDoS protection, ModSecurity rules support, and anti-exploit configurations.
Another handy LiteSpeed feature is that it can read Apache configuration files (like .htaccess). This makes it easy for users to switch from Apache without having to rewrite their existing configurations.
Lastly, LiteSpeed ADC (Application Delivery Controller) can act as a load balancer to distribute traffic across multiple LiteSpeed servers. This helps improve performance, ensures high availability, and prevents any single server from being overwhelmed.
Use cases
Web hosting providers: LiteSpeed is commonly used by shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting providers due to its ability to handle high traffic with minimal resource usage.
E-commerce websites: Online stores benefit from LiteSpeed's caching and performance features that deliver faster page load times.
Content-heavy sites: Blogs, media sites, and content-driven platforms often choose LiteSpeed to improve the delivery of static and dynamic content under high traffic conditions.
Comparison with other servers
Here’s how LiteSpeed fares against Apache and NGINX:
LiteSpeed vs. Apache
While Apache is more widely adopted and versatile, LiteSpeed offers better performance, especially for high-traffic websites. The primary reason for this is that LiteSpeed's caching and event-driven architecture is more scalable and memory-efficient than Apache’s process-based model.
LiteSpeed vs. NGINX
NGINX also uses an event-driven model and is highly regarded for its speed, but LiteSpeed offers better integration with popular control panels like cPanel and DirectAdmin, as well as superior caching features. NGINX requires additional setups for caching, while LiteSpeed offers it out of the box.
Getting started with LiteSpeed
Let’s begin by installing LiteSpeed. All you have to do is log in to your server and run the following command after replacing serial_number_here with your serial number.
The command automatically detects your operating system and fetches all the required dependencies needed to set up LiteSpeed. You may be prompted to provide different kinds of information during the installation process, including your email address and password.
If you haven’t purchased a license, and want to try out LiteSpeed first, you can replace serial_number_here with ‘TRIAL’ and run the same command. This will set up a trial license for you.
To verify that the installation has been successful, you can run this command:
sudo service lsws status
If the service is in exited mode, you can start it via:
sudo service lsws start
Configuring LiteSpeed
LiteSpeed provides a web-based administration dashboard that you can use to configure different parameters per your needs. You can access it via http://<your-server-ip>:7090
For example, you can:
Create a cluster and define its layout.
Set up virtual hosts for different websites if you’re hosting multiple sites on the server.
Add SSL certificates to secure your websites.
Enable LiteSpeed Cache for faster content delivery. If you're running a CMS like WordPress, you can use the LiteSpeed Cache plugin to integrate caching easily.
LiteSpeed troubleshooting
LiteSpeed, like any multi-layered software, can run into issues and bottlenecks. The following sections discuss and dissect several of these issues.
Installation issues
We will start with common issues that you may face during installation.
Installation fails midway
Description: The LiteSpeed installation process stops or fails during setup.
Detection:
The installation script exits with an error message.
No LiteSpeed services are running after attempting installation.
Troubleshooting:
Ensure that your system meets the minimum requirements for LiteSpeed (RAM, disk space, supported OS). For the latest requirements, refer to the LiteSpeed docs.
Check that you have root or sudo access to run the installation script.
Make sure that all dependencies are installed (e.g., wget, curl).
Disable SELinux temporarily if enabled, as it may block some processes.
Re-run the installation script after clearing any failed partial installations — i.e., by removing LiteSpeed directories.
Repository not found or failing
Description: Unable to add the LiteSpeed repository or install from it.
Detection:
Errors like "Repository not found" or "Failed to connect to LiteSpeed repository" appear when trying to install.
LiteSpeed packages are not listed in your package manager.
Troubleshooting:
Verify that you are using the correct repository URL for your OS version (e.g., Debian, CentOS, Ubuntu).
Ensure that your server has internet access and that your firewall is not blocking repository URLs.
If using Ubuntu or Debian, try clearing the cache using sudo apt clean and then re-adding the LiteSpeed repository.
For CentOS, ensure that you’ve added EPEL before attempting the LiteSpeed installation.
If none of the above tips work, try installing LiteSpeed using the automated script:
Make sure to replace serial_number_here with the actual serial number.
Service fails to start after installation and config
Description: LiteSpeed service won’t start after installation.
Detection:
When running sudo /usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl start, no output or an error message is displayed.
Accessing the web admin interface (http://<server-ip>:7090) results in a connection error.
Checking the status using systemctl status lsws shows “failed” or “inactive”.
Troubleshooting:
Check for port conflicts. Ensure that ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS) aren’t being used by another service like Apache or NGINX.
Disable any other web servers (e.g., Apache, NGINX) before starting LiteSpeed.
Look for errors in the LiteSpeed error log (/usr/local/lsws/logs/error.log) to identify specific problems.
Make sure you have proper permissions for the LiteSpeed installation directory.
If you’re on CentOS or RHEL, ensure that SELinux isn’t blocking LiteSpeed from starting. Temporarily disable it using setenforce 0 for testing.
Configuration issues
Misconfigurations in LiteSpeed settings can cause performance problems, errors, or security vulnerabilities. Here are some common configuration issues and how to detect and fix them.
MaxReqBodySize Set Too Low
Description: File uploads or requests larger than the allowed size are rejected due to a low MaxReqBodySize setting.
Detection:
Users receive "413 Request Entity Too Large" errors when uploading files or submitting forms.
Large POST requests fail consistently, while smaller requests go through.
Logs show request rejection due to body size limits.
Troubleshooting:
Access the WebAdmin console or edit the LiteSpeed configuration file manually to increase the MaxReqBodySize value.
Ensure that the server has enough resources (e.g., memory and storage) to handle larger request sizes.
Restart LiteSpeed to apply changes: sudo service lsws restart
Incorrect virtual host configuration
Description: Misconfigured virtual hosts result in incorrect domain routing or inaccessibility of sites.
Detection:
Requests to the server show the wrong website or result in 404 errors.
Virtual hosts are not properly isolated, causing cross-domain issues.
Troubleshooting:
Double-check the virtual host configuration for each domain to ensure the correct document root, server name, and listener mapping.
Confirm that each virtual host has its own separate configuration and unique listener.
Use LiteSpeed’s WebAdmin interface to manage virtual hosts visually for easier adjustments.
Restart the LiteSpeed service after making changes.
SSL misconfiguration
Description: Incorrect SSL setup leads to insecure connections or site inaccessibility.
Detection:
Browsers display "Your connection is not secure" or SSL-related errors when trying to access the site.
SSL certificates are not recognized or have expired.
Troubleshooting:
Verify that the SSL certificate and private key files are correctly linked in the LiteSpeed configuration.
Ensure that the certificates are valid and not expired. Use tools like SSL Labs to check your SSL setup.
If using Let’s Encrypt, double check that automatic renewal is set up and functioning correctly.
Restart LiteSpeed after fixing the configuration.
Connectivity issues
Next, we will discuss issues related to connectivity.
Site not accessible
Description: Users cannot access your website, receiving "Connection timed out" or "Site can't be reached" errors.
Detection:
Browsers display errors such as "ERR_CONNECTION_TIMED_OUT" or "ERR_CONNECTION_REFUSED".
No response when pinging the server’s IP address.
Troubleshooting:
Start by checking whether LiteSpeed is running: sudo service lsws status. If it isn’t then start it.
Verify that the correct ports (80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS) are open in your firewall settings.
Ensure that the DNS is correctly pointing to your server’s IP. Use dig or nslookup to verify DNS records.
Restart LiteSpeed and check the logs for errors related to the server not binding to the correct IP or ports.
Slow response times
Description: Websites load slowly.
Detection:
Page load times are significantly slower than usual.
Logs show long request processing times.
The ping command shows high latency.
Troubleshooting:
Check for high server load using the top or htop commands. If the server is overloaded, consider increasing available resources (RAM/CPU) or optimizing your web applications.
If not already, enable and configure caching for static content to reduce server load.
Review network settings and ensure that the server’s bandwidth isn’t being maxed out by high traffic or DDoS attacks.
Use traceroute or mtr to identify if there are network issues between the server and the client.
Check for any throttling policies set up in LiteSpeed that may be slowing down requests and adjust accordingly.
Firewall blocking connections
Description: Firewall settings are preventing access to LiteSpeed.
Detection:
Users cannot connect to your site, but the server itself is running and responsive locally.
Running curl or wget on the server works locally, but fails when tested remotely.
Troubleshooting:
Allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic through the firewall:
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
If you are using a cloud provider like AWS or Google Cloud, verify that the Security Groups or network firewall settings are configured to allow incoming traffic on the necessary ports.
Performance issues
Performance issues in LiteSpeed can result in slow loading times, high resource usage, or poor website responsiveness. Below are common performance-related problems and how to troubleshoot them:
High CPU usage
Description: LiteSpeed consumes a large amount of CPU resources.
Detection:
Pages take longer to load or time out under heavy traffic.
Server logs show a backlog of requests being processed slowly.
Troubleshooting:
Optimize website code and database queries to reduce the processing load on the server.
If not done already, enable LiteSpeed’s caching features to reduce CPU load by serving static content.
Check for DDoS attacks or high traffic surges by monitoring traffic patterns and blocking suspicious IPs. You can use dedicated monitoring tools like LiteSpeed monitoring by Site24x7 for this purpose.
Increase server resources (CPU/RAM) if your site has outgrown the current hardware.
Memory leaks
Description: LiteSpeed consumes increasing amounts of memory over time, eventually causing the server to slow down or crash.
Detection:
Gradual increase in memory usage observed with free -m or top.
The server becomes sluggish or crashes after running for extended periods.
Troubleshooting:
Check for known memory leaks in the LiteSpeed version you are using, and update to the latest stable version.
Review any custom modules or third-party plugins that may be causing memory leaks, and disable or update them.
Use swap space to mitigate out-of-memory errors by adding temporary memory:
sudo swapon --show
sudo fallocate -l 1G /swapfile
sudo mkswap /swapfile
sudo swapon /swapfile
As a last resort, restart LiteSpeed periodically to release unused memory.
High disk I/O usage
Description: Excessive disk I/O usage slows down file reads/writes and overall server performance.
Server logs show slow disk operations or high wait times.
Disk read/write operations cause slow performance even when CPU and RAM usages are low.
Troubleshooting:
Check the number of processes accessing the disk, and consider moving static assets to a CDN to reduce disk read/write load.
Enable RAM caching (memory-based) to minimize disk access.
Use faster SSD storage if you are currently using HDDs, as SSDs can handle higher I/O operations.
Limit the number of logs being written or rotate logs more frequently to reduce disk I/O.
Too many open connections
Description: High traffic or poorly optimized settings cause LiteSpeed to exceed the maximum number of allowed connections.
Detection:
Logs show "too many open connections" errors, and users experience connection failures.
Sudden traffic spikes cause the server to become unresponsive.
Troubleshooting:
Access the LiteSpeed web portal to increase the max connection count. It should be available under: Configuration->Server->Tuning->Max Connections.
Use connection throttling or rate limiting to control how many requests each user can make in a given time period.
Monitor and block malicious IPs or bot traffic that could be opening too many connections.
Networking issues
Finally, let’s explore some common networking issues.
Connection timeouts
Description: Users experience timeouts when trying to access websites hosted on LiteSpeed.
Detection:
There are “408 Request Timeout” or “504 Gateway Timeout” errors in the error log.
Users report being unable to connect after a specific period.
Troubleshooting:
Increase the timeout settings in the LiteSpeed configuration. There are different parameters that you can tweak, including “Initial Request Timeout”, “Retry Timeout”, and “Session Timeout”.
Ensure that your upstream servers (for reverse proxy setups) are responsive and not causing the delay.
Check DNS resolution times by using tools like dig or nslookup to rule out domain resolution as the bottleneck.
Reverse proxy issues
Description: Misconfigurations in reverse proxy setups cause failed or slow requests.
Detection:
Users experience slow load times or complete request failures when reverse proxying to other services.
Logs contain errors related to proxy connections or backend server timeouts.
Testing the backend server directly (without reverse proxy) shows no performance issues.
Troubleshooting:
Verify that the backend server is reachable and responsive.
Ensure that LiteSpeed is configured to pass the correct headers to the backend server, especially for SSL-based connections.
Optimize keep-alive settings between LiteSpeed and the backend to reduce connection overhead.
Conclusion
LiteSpeed is a handy alternative to Apache and NGINX that performs well under high load, with a small memory footprint. Whether you're managing a high-traffic website, a dynamic application, or an API-driven service, LiteSpeed can provide the speed and scalability you need.
Was this article helpful?
Sorry to hear that. Let us know how we can improve the article.
Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback. We'll use your feedback to improve our articles.
Write For Us