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ApacheBench

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description ApacheBench Overview

ApacheBench, commonly invoked with the command "ab," is a command-line program for measuring the performance of HTTP web servers. Distributed with the Apache HTTP Server project, it repeatedly requests a specified URL and reports figures such as completed requests, requests per second, transfer rate, and response-time distributions. Developers and system administrators use it for simple, repeatable benchmarks, although its single-endpoint model does not reproduce complex user behavior.

help ApacheBench FAQ

What does the ab command actually measure?

ApacheBench, usually run as ab, repeatedly requests one HTTP or HTTPS URL and reports response timing, completed requests, failures, and requests per second. It is distributed with the Apache HTTP Server project and is intended to give a basic impression of server performance. [Source](https://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/en/programs/ab.html)

What do the -n and -c options mean in ApacheBench?

The -n option sets the total number of requests, while -c sets the number of concurrent requests. For example, ab -n 1000 -c 20 sends 1,000 requests with up to 20 active at once.

Can ApacheBench test an entire web page like a browser?

Not by itself. ApacheBench requests the URL you provide and does not automatically load the page's images, CSS, JavaScript, fonts, or third-party resources like a browser would.

Does ApacheBench support HTTPS?

Yes. The command accepts an HTTPS URL and uses port 443 by default when no port is specified. The Apache documentation also exposes options for headers, cookies, authentication, request methods, time limits, and TLS cipher selection.

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