---
title: Gzip and Brotli
description: "Text compression for HTML, CSS, and JS. Brotli gives a smaller ratio; gzip is more universal."
canonical: https://penasihathosting.com/en/hosting-wiki/gzip-brotli
type: wiki
locale: en
updated: 2026-10-29
author: Willya Randika
---

# Gzip and Brotli

## Overview

- **Summary:** Text compression for HTML, CSS, and JS. Brotli gives a smaller ratio; gzip is more universal.
- **Author:** Willya Randika ([profile](/penulis/willya-randika))

## Article

**Gzip** and **Brotli** are compression algorithms for text assets such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON, and SVG. The server compresses, the browser decompresses, and the transfer gets smaller and faster.

## The short difference

| Aspect | Gzip | Brotli |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Support | Almost every browser | Modern browsers |
| Ratio | Good | Usually 15–25% smaller for text |
| Compression speed | Fast | Slightly slower |
| When to use | Universal fallback | Priority for static assets |

## How to enable it

- **LiteSpeed/cPanel:** usually on by default; check the `Content-Encoding` response header.
- **Nginx:** enable `gzip on;` and the Brotli module if available.
- **CDN:** many CDNs compress automatically at the edge.
- **WordPress:** a cache plugin usually handles HTML and static assets.

Test with `curl -I -H "Accept-Encoding: br,gzip" https://example.com` and look at the `Content-Encoding` header.

## What to watch for

- **Do not compress images/video.** Those formats are already compressed; the result can be larger.
- **Avoid double compression.** If the CDN already compresses, the origin does not need to do it again.
- **Watch `Content-Length`.** Compression changes the size; do not cache the wrong header.
- **Brotli needs HTTPS in many setups.** Make sure the connection is secure.
- **Compression costs CPU.** On a small server, measure the impact before raising the compression level.

Already-compressed files such as JPEG, PNG, WebP, MP4, and ZIP should not be compressed again. Compression helps large JSON API responses; for very small responses, header overhead can outweigh the saving. Measure with DevTools or `curl` before changing the configuration.

## FAQ

<Accordion>
  <AccordionItem title="Is Brotli always better than Gzip?">
    Brotli usually gives a smaller ratio, but Gzip is more universal and faster to compress. Offer both and let the browser choose.
  </AccordionItem>
  <AccordionItem title="Does compression slow the server?">
    It costs CPU, but that is usually much smaller than the bandwidth and transfer-time savings.
  </AccordionItem>
  <AccordionItem title="How do I confirm compression is active?">
    Look for `Content-Encoding: br` or `gzip` on HTML/CSS/JS responses. If it is missing, check the server or CDN configuration.
  </AccordionItem>
</Accordion>