# LiteSpeed vs OpenLiteSpeed for Hosting Servers: Which to Pick Source: https://srvscripts.com/guides/litespeed-vs-openlitespeed/ Updated: 2026-10-07 Publisher: srvScripts (https://srvscripts.com/) **Short answer:** On a shared hosting server with cPanel or Plesk, pick LiteSpeed Enterprise: it is a drop-in Apache replacement that reads Apache configuration and picks up .htaccess changes without a restart. OpenLiteSpeed is free and fast, but it only understands rewrite rules from .htaccess, needs a restart to load .htaccess changes, and has no cPanel or Plesk integration. Use OpenLiteSpeed for your own sites, single-tenant VPSs, CyberPanel, or DirectAdmin servers where you control every site. Facts checked against LiteSpeed Technologies’ documentation and edition comparison (linked below) on 6 October 2026. The DirectAdmin CustomBuild options were read on our lab server (AlmaLinux 9.8, DirectAdmin 1.712); we did not benchmark the two servers. ## The differences that matter on a hosting server | Feature | LiteSpeed Enterprise (LSWS) | OpenLiteSpeed (OLS) | | --- | --- | --- | | .htaccess | Reads most Apache directives; changes detected automatically, no restart | Rewrite rules only (mod_rewrite syntax); restart needed to load changes | | Apache configuration | Reads Apache config files directly (drop-in replacement) | Own configuration format and WebAdmin console | | Control panels | cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin, CyberPanel, Interworx and others | CyberPanel and DirectAdmin (plus cloud panels such as RunCloud and GridPane) | | ModSecurity | LiteSpeed’s optimised commercial engine | Standard ModSecurity v3 engine | | Worker processes | Set by licence tier | Unlimited | | Cache plugins (LSCache) | Yes | Yes | | HTTP/3 and QUIC | Yes | Yes | | Licence | Commercial, with a free Starter tier | GPLv3, free for any number of domains | | Support | Commercial support | Community support | The .htaccess row is the one that decides most hosting cases. On a shared server, customers edit .htaccess all day: WordPress permalinks, security plugins, redirect plugins, PHP flags, password-protected folders. LSWS handles those like Apache. OLS ignores anything that is not a rewrite rule and only notices rewrite changes after a restart, so a customer who changes permalinks sees no effect until you restart the server. ## .htaccess handling in detail LiteSpeed’s own comparison puts it plainly: OpenLiteSpeed supports Apache rewrite rules but not Apache directives, and you must restart it to load changes to .htaccess. LSWS detects .htaccess changes and supports most Apache directives. In OpenLiteSpeed, .htaccess support is a setting. In the WebAdmin console, under **Server Configuration > General > Rewrite Control** or per virtual host under **Rewrite**, you enable both **Auto Load from .htaccess** and **Enable Rewrite**. After any rewrite change: ``` systemctl restart lsws # or /usr/local/lsws/bin/lswsctrl restart ``` What breaks on OLS that works on LSWS or Apache: - `php_value` and `php_flag` lines in .htaccess (set them in php.ini or the external app instead). - `AuthType Basic` password protection from .htaccess. - `Options`, `Header`, `ExpiresByType` and similar non-rewrite directives. - Any rewrite change a customer makes, until the next restart. Recent LSWS builds also tightened what .htaccess may do: the 6.3.6 changelog adds blocking of important internal-use environment variables set from .htaccess, and automatic blocking of URLs matching `/.env*`. If an old site sets internal variables from .htaccess, test it after updating LSWS. ## Control panel support This settles the choice on most panel servers: - **cPanel and Plesk:** LSWS only. It runs as a drop-in replacement for Apache and reads the panel-generated Apache configuration, so EasyApache or Plesk keep managing vhosts. - **DirectAdmin:** both. CustomBuild has separate build targets. On our DirectAdmin 1.712 lab, `da build` lists both `da build litespeed` and `da build openlitespeed`, and `options.conf` has a `litespeed_serialno` setting for the Enterprise licence. - **CyberPanel:** built around OpenLiteSpeed; LSWS is an option. - **No panel:** OLS is the natural free choice for a handful of your own sites. See our guide to installing it with WordPress on AlmaLinux 10. On DirectAdmin you choose the web server in CustomBuild. Read the current value before you change anything: ``` da build opt_help | grep -A1 "^webserver" grep -E "^webserver=" /usr/local/directadmin/custombuild/options.conf ``` ## Licensing: what you pay for OpenLiteSpeed is GPLv3 and free on any number of domains and any server size. LSWS licences are tiered. The tiers LiteSpeed listed on 6 October 2026: | Licence | Domains | Workers | RAM limit | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Free Starter | 1 | 1 | 2 GB | | Site Owner | 5 | 1 | 8 GB | | Site Owner Plus | 5 | 1 | Unlimited | | Web Host Lite | Unlimited | 1 | 8 GB | | Web Host Essential | Unlimited | 1 | Unlimited | | Web Host Professional | Unlimited | 2 | Unlimited | | Web Host Enterprise | Unlimited | 4 | Unlimited | | Web Host Elite | Unlimited | Configurable | Unlimited | The domain limit counts top-level domains only: subdomains are unlimited, and parked or aliased domains that do not have their own virtual host do not count. On a panel server, going over the limit makes LSWS return 403 errors or fall back to Apache, so pick the tier for the account count you expect next year, not today. Prices change, so check the LiteSpeed licence page rather than relying on figures in blog posts. ## Cache and performance Both servers run the LSCache plugins (WordPress, Magento, Joomla and others), so the page cache that makes LiteSpeed popular for WordPress is not an Enterprise-only feature. Both support HTTP/2, HTTP/3 and QUIC and use the same event-driven design. Differences that show up under load on a shared box: - LSWS lists SSL handshake offloading and asynchronous SSL as Enterprise features. - LSWS has built-in WordPress brute-force protection; on OLS you rely on a plugin or a firewall. - OLS has no worker limit, while LSWS workers follow the licence tier. On a busy multi-core server that can matter more than any other difference. For a single site, the gap between the two is small. For a server with hundreds of customer sites, the .htaccess behaviour and panel integration matter far more than raw speed. ## When to pick which | Situation | Pick | | --- | --- | | Shared hosting on cPanel or Plesk | LiteSpeed Enterprise | | Shared hosting on DirectAdmin with customers who edit .htaccess | LiteSpeed Enterprise | | DirectAdmin or CyberPanel server where you control every site | OpenLiteSpeed is fine | | One to a few of your own WordPress sites on a VPS, no panel | OpenLiteSpeed | | Agency server with many sites but no budget for a licence | OpenLiteSpeed, with a process to restart after rewrite changes | | You need ModSecurity with commercial rule sets at scale | LiteSpeed Enterprise | ## Switching from one to the other Moving from OLS to LSWS is mostly a licence and a reinstall: LSWS reads Apache-style configuration, so on a panel server it takes over the panel’s vhosts. Moving from LSWS to OLS on a hosting server is harder, because every site that depends on non-rewrite .htaccess directives must be fixed first. Before any switch: - List .htaccess files that contain non-rewrite directives: `grep -rlE "^(php_value|php_flag|AuthType|Header|Options)" /home/*/public_html --include=.htaccess`. - Take a full backup and note the current web server and PHP handler. - Switch one test site, or a staging copy, first. - Keep a rollback path: on DirectAdmin, the previous `webserver=` value in options.conf and a `da build` of the old server. **Official documentation:** [LiteSpeed: OpenLiteSpeed vs LiteSpeed Enterprise](https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/editions) · [LiteSpeed: Choosing a licence](https://www.litespeedtech.com/products/litespeed-web-server/choosing-a-license) · [OpenLiteSpeed: Rewrite rules](https://docs.openlitespeed.org/config/rewriterules/) · [LSWS 6.3 changelog](https://docs.litespeedtech.com/lsws/changelog63/) **Related:** [LiteSpeed Enterprise Review: Best Apache Replacement?](/reviews/litespeed-enterprise-review/) · [CustomBuild Web Stack 2026: Apache, nginx or LiteSpeed, Best Pick](/guides/custombuild-web-stack-apache-nginx-litespeed/) · [LiteSpeed Cache WordPress cPanel: Recommended Settings](/guides/litespeed-cache-wordpress-cpanel-setup/) · [LiteSpeed cPanel plugin CVE-2026-48172: the symlink-to-root flaw and how to verify you’re patched](/guides/litespeed-cpanel-plugin-cve-2026-48172/) · [.htaccess Redirect Generator](/tools/htaccess-redirect-generator/) **See also:** [Install OpenLiteSpeed and WordPress on AlmaLinux 10 (No Panel)](/guides/openlitespeed-wordpress-almalinux-10/) · [Stuck lsphp Processes on cPanel LiteSpeed: Diagnose and Kill Safely](/guides/litespeed-stuck-lsphp-processes/) · [PHP-FPM Calculator: pm.max_children and Spare Servers](/tools/php-fpm-calculator/) **See also:** [cPanel vs CyberPanel (2026): Cost, Features and Security](/guides/cpanel-vs-cyberpanel/) · [LiteSpeed 503 Service Unavailable on cPanel: Fix lsphp Limits](/guides/litespeed-503-lsphp-cpanel/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Does OpenLiteSpeed support .htaccess? Only rewrite rules in mod_rewrite syntax, and only after you enable Auto Load from .htaccess. You must restart OpenLiteSpeed to load changes. ### Can I use OpenLiteSpeed with cPanel? No. cPanel and Plesk integrate with LiteSpeed Enterprise only. OpenLiteSpeed works with CyberPanel, DirectAdmin and some cloud panels. ### Does LSCache work on OpenLiteSpeed? Yes. The LiteSpeed Cache plugins for WordPress and other apps work on both editions. ### Is LiteSpeed Enterprise free? There is a Free Starter licence for one domain with 2 GB RAM. Hosting servers need a paid Web Host tier. ### Is OpenLiteSpeed faster than LiteSpeed Enterprise? They share the same core design, and for a single site the difference is small. Enterprise adds features for shared hosting rather than raw speed.