http-server vs browser-sync vs lite-server
Web Development Servers Comparison
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What's Web Development Servers?

Web Development Servers are tools that allow developers to serve their web applications locally during the development process. These servers provide a way to host static files, run backend applications, and often include features like live reloading, file watching, and simple HTTP handling. They are essential for testing and debugging applications in a local environment before deploying them to production. browser-sync, http-server, and lite-server are popular npm packages that serve files over HTTP, each with unique features tailored for different development needs.

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http-server2,950,72113,789124 kB142-MIT
browser-sync789,76212,232628 kB5725 months agoApache-2.0
lite-server28,8162,319-744 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: http-server vs browser-sync vs lite-server

Live Reloading

  • http-server:

    http-server does not support live reloading. It simply serves files over HTTP without any automatic refresh or synchronization features. It’s a static file server with no frills or additional functionality.

  • browser-sync:

    browser-sync provides advanced live reloading and synchronized browsing across multiple devices. It automatically refreshes the browser when files change, and you can sync interactions (like scrolling and clicking) across devices, making it great for collaborative work.

  • lite-server:

    lite-server includes live reloading out of the box. It automatically refreshes the browser when files change, making it suitable for quick development and testing. It also supports HTML5 pushState for single-page applications.

Configuration

  • http-server:

    http-server requires no configuration to get started. You can customize a few options via command-line flags, but it’s designed to be simple and straightforward, making it easy to use for quick tasks without any setup.

  • browser-sync:

    browser-sync is highly configurable and allows you to set up custom middleware, proxy existing servers, and define various options through a configuration file or command-line arguments. It’s flexible and can be tailored to fit complex workflows.

  • lite-server:

    lite-server offers basic configuration through a bs-config.json file or inline options. You can customize the port, directory, and other settings, but it’s still designed to be simple and lightweight, focusing on ease of use.

Static vs Dynamic Content

  • http-server:

    http-server serves static files from a directory. It does not support dynamic content, server-side scripting, or any advanced features beyond serving files over HTTP.

  • browser-sync:

    browser-sync is primarily focused on serving static files and enhancing the development experience with live reloading and synchronization. It does not handle dynamic content or server-side rendering.

  • lite-server:

    lite-server serves static files and supports HTML5 pushState, making it suitable for single-page applications. It does not handle dynamic content or server-side rendering.

Ease of Use: Code Examples

  • http-server:

    To use http-server, install it globally or as a dev dependency, then run it from the command line. Here’s a simple example:

    npm install -g http-server

# Serve files from the current directory
http-server
  • browser-sync:

    To use browser-sync, install it globally or as a dev dependency, then run it from the command line. Here’s a simple example:

    npm install -g browser-sync

# Serve files from the current directory with live reloading
browser-sync start --server --files "**/*"
  • lite-server:

    To use lite-server, install it as a dev dependency, then add a script to your package.json. Here’s a simple example:

    npm install lite-server --save-dev

# Add a script to package.json
"scripts": {
  "start": "lite-server"
}

# Run the server
npm start
How to Choose: http-server vs browser-sync vs lite-server
  • http-server:

    Choose http-server if you need a simple, zero-configuration static file server. It’s lightweight, easy to use, and perfect for quickly serving files from a directory without any additional features or setup.

  • browser-sync:

    Choose browser-sync if you need live reloading, synchronized browsing across multiple devices, and advanced features like injecting CSS changes without a full page reload. It’s ideal for projects where real-time collaboration and instant feedback are important.

  • lite-server:

    Choose lite-server if you want a lightweight development server with live reloading and support for HTML5 pushState. It’s great for single-page applications (SPAs) and projects that require a simple server with minimal configuration.

Similar Npm Packages to http-server

http-server is a simple, zero-configuration command-line HTTP server that is ideal for serving static files. It is particularly useful for quickly testing and sharing web applications during development. With its straightforward setup, developers can easily serve files from a specified directory and access them via a web browser. While http-server is a great tool for serving static content, there are several alternatives that offer additional features or different use cases. Here are a few notable alternatives:

  • express is a fast, unopinionated, and minimalist web framework for Node.js. It is widely used for building web applications and APIs, providing a robust set of features for web and mobile applications. Unlike http-server, which is focused on serving static files, express allows developers to create dynamic web applications with routing, middleware, and various HTTP utilities. If you need more control over your server and want to build a full-fledged web application, express is an excellent choice.

  • live-server is a simple development server with live reload capability. It serves static files and automatically reloads the browser when changes are detected in the source files. This makes it particularly useful for front-end development, as it enhances the development workflow by providing immediate feedback on changes. If you are looking for a lightweight server that offers live reloading, live-server is a great alternative to http-server.

  • serve is another static file serving solution that is designed to be simple and efficient. It can serve static files from a directory and also supports features like gzip compression, custom headers, and more. serve is particularly useful for deploying static sites and offers a more feature-rich alternative compared to http-server. If you need additional capabilities while serving static files, serve is a solid option.

To compare these packages, check out the following link: Comparing express vs http-server vs live-server vs serve.

Similar Npm Packages to browser-sync

browser-sync is a powerful tool for web developers that enables live reloading and synchronized browser testing. It helps streamline the development process by automatically refreshing the browser whenever changes are made to HTML, CSS, or JavaScript files. This feature allows developers to see their changes in real-time, improving productivity and reducing the time spent on manual refreshes. Browser-sync can also synchronize interactions across multiple devices, making it easier to test responsive designs.

While browser-sync is a great choice for live reloading and testing, there are several alternatives that offer similar functionalities. Here are a few notable options:

  • http-server is a simple, zero-configuration command-line HTTP server that can serve static files. It is lightweight and easy to set up, making it ideal for quickly serving files during development. While it does not offer live reloading out of the box, it can be combined with other tools to achieve similar functionality.
  • lite-server is a lightweight development server that provides live reloading capabilities. It is built on top of connect and serve and is designed for simplicity. Lite-server automatically watches files and refreshes the browser when changes are detected, making it a good alternative for developers looking for an easy-to-use solution.
  • live-server is another simple development server that provides live reloading. It serves static files and automatically refreshes the browser when changes are made. Live-server is straightforward to set up and is a great choice for developers who want a quick and efficient way to serve their projects.
  • nodemon is a utility that monitors for changes in your source code and automatically restarts your Node.js application. While it is primarily used for server-side development, it can be combined with other tools to provide a more comprehensive development experience. It does not offer live reloading for the browser but is useful for backend development.
  • serve is a static file serving solution that is simple to use and can be easily integrated into various projects. It does not provide live reloading by itself, but it can be used in conjunction with other tools to achieve that functionality.
  • webpack-dev-server is a development server that comes with Webpack. It provides live reloading and hot module replacement, making it a powerful option for projects that use Webpack for bundling. It is particularly useful for larger applications that require more advanced features.

To see how browser-sync compares with these alternatives, check out the comparison: Comparing browser-sync vs http-server vs lite-server vs live-server vs nodemon vs serve vs webpack-dev-server.

Similar Npm Packages to lite-server

lite-server is a lightweight development server that serves static files and provides live reloading capabilities for web applications. It is particularly useful for front-end developers who want a simple way to serve their projects during development without the overhead of a full-fledged server. Lite-server is easy to set up and can be configured to watch for changes in files, automatically refreshing the browser when updates are made.

While lite-server is a great option for local development, there are several alternatives that offer similar functionalities. Here are a few noteworthy options:

  • browser-sync is a powerful tool that enables synchronized browser testing. It allows developers to see changes in real-time across multiple devices and browsers, making it an excellent choice for responsive design testing. Browser-sync can also inject CSS changes without a full page reload, enhancing the development experience.
  • http-server is a simple, zero-configuration command-line HTTP server. It is ideal for serving static files and is often used for quick testing of web applications. While it lacks some of the advanced features of other development servers, its simplicity and ease of use make it a popular choice for quick setups.
  • live-server is another lightweight development server that provides live reloading capabilities. It serves static files and automatically refreshes the browser when changes are detected. Live-server is easy to set up and is particularly useful for small projects or prototypes.
  • nodemon is a utility that monitors for changes in your Node.js applications and automatically restarts the server when changes are detected. While it is primarily used for back-end development, it can be integrated with front-end workflows to enhance development efficiency.
  • serve is a static file serving library that is simple to use and can serve files from any directory. It is often used for deploying static sites and can be a good option for serving files during development.
  • webpack-dev-server is a development server that comes with Webpack. It provides features like hot module replacement, live reloading, and more, making it a powerful choice for projects that use Webpack for bundling. It is best suited for larger applications that require a robust development setup.

For a comprehensive comparison of these packages, check out the following link: Comparing browser-sync vs http-server vs lite-server vs live-server vs nodemon vs serve vs webpack-dev-server.

README for http-server

GitHub Workflow Status (master) npm homebrew npm downloads license

http-server: a simple static HTTP server

http-server is a simple, zero-configuration command-line static HTTP server. It is powerful enough for production usage, but it's simple and hackable enough to be used for testing, local development and learning.

Example of running http-server

Installation:

Running on-demand:

Using npx you can run the script without installing it first:

npx http-server [path] [options]

Globally via npm

npm install --global http-server

This will install http-server globally so that it may be run from the command line anywhere.

Globally via Homebrew

brew install http-server

As a dependency in your npm package:

npm install http-server

Usage:

 http-server [path] [options]

[path] defaults to ./public if the folder exists, and ./ otherwise.

Now you can visit http://localhost:8080 to view your server

Note: Caching is on by default. Add -c-1 as an option to disable caching.

Available Options:

| Command | Description | Defaults | | ------------- |-------------|-------------| |-p or --port |Port to use. Use -p 0 to look for an open port, starting at 8080. It will also read from process.env.PORT. |8080 | |-a |Address to use |0.0.0.0| |-d |Show directory listings |true | |-i | Display autoIndex | true | |-g or --gzip |When enabled it will serve ./public/some-file.js.gz in place of ./public/some-file.js when a gzipped version of the file exists and the request accepts gzip encoding. If brotli is also enabled, it will try to serve brotli first.|false| |-b or --brotli|When enabled it will serve ./public/some-file.js.br in place of ./public/some-file.js when a brotli compressed version of the file exists and the request accepts br encoding. If gzip is also enabled, it will try to serve brotli first. |false| |-e or --ext |Default file extension if none supplied |html | |-s or --silent |Suppress log messages from output | | |--cors |Enable CORS via the Access-Control-Allow-Origin header | | |-o [path] |Open browser window after starting the server. Optionally provide a URL path to open. e.g.: -o /other/dir/ | | |-c |Set cache time (in seconds) for cache-control max-age header, e.g. -c10 for 10 seconds. To disable caching, use -c-1.|3600 | |-U or --utc |Use UTC time format in log messages.| | |--log-ip |Enable logging of the client's IP address |false | |-P or --proxy |Proxies all requests which can't be resolved locally to the given url. e.g.: -P http://someurl.com | | |--proxy-options |Pass proxy options using nested dotted objects. e.g.: --proxy-options.secure false | |--username |Username for basic authentication | | |--password |Password for basic authentication | | |-S, --tls or --ssl |Enable secure request serving with TLS/SSL (HTTPS)|false| |-C or --cert |Path to ssl cert file |cert.pem | |-K or --key |Path to ssl key file |key.pem | |-r or --robots | Automatically provide a /robots.txt (The content of which defaults to User-agent: *\nDisallow: /) | false | |--no-dotfiles |Do not show dotfiles| | |--mimetypes |Path to a .types file for custom mimetype definition| | |-h or --help |Print this list and exit. | | |-v or --version|Print the version and exit. | |

Magic Files

  • index.html will be served as the default file to any directory requests.
  • 404.html will be served if a file is not found. This can be used for Single-Page App (SPA) hosting to serve the entry page.

Catch-all redirect

To implement a catch-all redirect, use the index page itself as the proxy with:

http-server --proxy http://localhost:8080?

Note the ? at the end of the proxy URL. Thanks to @houston3 for this clever hack!

TLS/SSL

First, you need to make sure that openssl is installed correctly, and you have key.pem and cert.pem files. You can generate them using this command:

openssl req -newkey rsa:2048 -new -nodes -x509 -days 3650 -keyout key.pem -out cert.pem

You will be prompted with a few questions after entering the command. Use 127.0.0.1 as value for Common name if you want to be able to install the certificate in your OS's root certificate store or browser so that it is trusted.

This generates a cert-key pair and it will be valid for 3650 days (about 10 years).

Then you need to run the server with -S for enabling SSL and -C for your certificate file.

http-server -S -C cert.pem

If you wish to use a passphrase with your private key you can include one in the openssl command via the -passout parameter (using password of foobar)

e.g. openssl req -newkey rsa:2048 -passout pass:foobar -keyout key.pem -x509 -days 365 -out cert.pem

For security reasons, the passphrase will only be read from the NODE_HTTP_SERVER_SSL_PASSPHRASE environment variable.

This is what should be output if successful:

Starting up http-server, serving ./ through https

http-server settings:
CORS: disabled
Cache: 3600 seconds
Connection Timeout: 120 seconds
Directory Listings: visible
AutoIndex: visible
Serve GZIP Files: false
Serve Brotli Files: false
Default File Extension: none

Available on:
  https://127.0.0.1:8080
  https://192.168.1.101:8080
  https://192.168.1.104:8080
Hit CTRL-C to stop the server

Development

Checkout this repository locally, then:

$ npm i
$ npm start

Now you can visit http://localhost:8080 to view your server

You should see the turtle image in the screenshot above hosted at that URL. See the ./public folder for demo content.

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