HostGuide

For the beginner in web hosting probably one of the most confusing parts is whether they should have hosting on Linux or Windows web server. There are also many other options on the market, but the most popular are Windows and Linux. After a few hours of researching, we have came to a conclusion, that it does not matter on which platform you are hosted.

Microsoft is the company that develops Windows and most of the Linux distributions are open source and free. Sometimes because of this a Windows server can be more expensive than a Linux server.  This article is written for help to the ones who are confused about what type of server the should choose.

Most of the people, who are beginners in the web hosting world naturally assume that since they have Windows on their PC their server must be an Windows too. That is not true at all. The uploading and updating your site happens mostly through FTP access and both types of the platforms support that feature. However there is a slight difference between the FTP programs because on some the commands are different for both the platforms. Often most of the programs are created with one platform in mind.

The choice for the web server should be dictated by your personal needs. Most people need PHP, MySQL, POP3 and similar services. The Linux server fully provides that. If you however need something developed for Windows like ASP, Access or Windows streaming media, then obviously the choice should be a Windows server.

One other thing, that is being discussed is the stability and reliability of the two types of platforms.  The vast majority of people think that, because Windows is made for home PC’s it is unreliable and is being hacked more often. The statistics however say different – a surprising number of Linux servers has been hacked over the years as well. And in terms of which is faster the answer is that there isn’t a huge difference between both.

The conclusion is that you should choose the web server type on your needs, so choose carefully.