Mod_perl is a module that can be installed on the Apache server for the more effective execution of Perl scripts on the server. The module provides an embedded Perl interpreter directly on the server, thus loading your Perl content faster. Mod_perl allows full access to the Apache HTTP server, so programmers can manage requests and change its configurations. This advantage isn’t offered by the Common Gateway Interface (CGI). However, already existing CGI scripts still work together with mod_perl, their performance is even optimized because the module can emulate a CGI environment.
Perl & The Apache Server
Perl is a dynamic programming language influenced mostly by C but also uses features from shell programming and languages like Lisp. Perl is sometimes used as one of the CGI scripts, for the easier parsing and management of files. However, Perl is suitable for a great variety of applications. It is a widely used tool for the creation of server-side applications and dynamic web content. Perl is often used with Apache and it is part of the open-source software bundle LAMP (Linux, Apache Server, MySQL, and PHP/Perl/Python). The Apache server is the most widely used web server software. For these reasons, mod_perl is great for optimizing the performance of the Apache server. You just need affordable paid or free Perl hosting.