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serve vs Static Web Server: catalog facts
serve	Static Web Server
Free Free and open source under the MIT license.	Free Free and open source, dual-licensed under MIT and Apache 2.0.
Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted, Command line
Serves static files and sites over HTTP Supports single-page applications	Single small binary with no dependencies TLS, security headers and Basic Auth built in
Serves static content rather than running an application backend	Serves static content only, with no dynamic scripting Needs separate tooling for building the site itself
Downloadable app	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: MIT OR Apache-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 8, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.