Linux and Windows are the two main operating systems used for web hosting. Linux hosting is generally cheaper since many Linux distributions are free and require fewer system resources. It also has advantages for supporting popular scripts like WordPress and databases like MySQL. However, Windows hosting is required to use Microsoft-specific technologies like ASP.NET. For most websites, Linux hosting is sufficient but Windows hosting may be needed if using Visual Basic, MS Access, or other Windows-only technologies. The best choice depends on the requirements of the individual website.

1. Windows vs Linux Hosting
Picking the right hosting solutions in India - Linux vs Windows
Hosting
Windows Hosting or Linux Hosting?
Are you wondering which web hosting solution you should use - Linux or Windows? Here is a
short guide on Windows vs Linux web hosting.
Linux and Windows operating systems are the two main types of operating system platforms
on which you may host your website. Each has its own set of unique features, advantages
and disadvantages.
The right question isn’t “Which one is the best - Windows or Linux?” but “Which web hosting
is the right choice for your needs?”.
But before that you must realize that the operating system that you use on your desktop has
nothing to do whit the one used by your web host to serve your webpage. Many people think
that if they use Windows operating system on their PC, they have to use a windows hosting
plan - that’s absolutely not true!! This statement is not true. Which operating system you run
on your computer is irrelevant in making your decision. This means that if you are running
Windows 98, Windows XP, Windows® 2000 or using an Apple Macintosh, you can still
choose Linux as your hosting platform. The same rule applies if you had developed your
website with MS FrontPage, usually Linux systems have FrontPage Extensions installed so
you can often host your website developed in windows based applications on a Linux server..
Now let’s make a Linux Hosting Overview:
Nowadays most of the web designers are choosing Linux servers to host their websites.
Everyday Windows is losing costumers to Linux hosting and the web hosts are exploring this
fact offering daily new promotions and Linux plans. And why are the web designers
choosing Linux plans? First a short and very important advantage: the price, the web host
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2. Windows vs Linux Hosting
companies usually use free editions of Linux systems like Linux Red Hat, Linux Fedora Core
or even FreeBSD operating system, this fact lowers the final price for the costumer because
the web hosts don’t have to pay for the server operating system. All the Linux operating
systems are under the GNU license, this means that anyone can access the source code and
modify it, very important to optimize the server and resolve any problem or security issue,
Linux systems are the most flexible and stable. It’s easier to upgrade and expand. By default
these servers are installed in text mode, the system uses fewer resources and dedicates all its
power to the WebPages hosted. Supports Perl, CGI-BIN, PHP, Shells, MySQL, PostgresSQL,
MS FrontPage extensions and much more.
Windows Hosting Overview:
Everyone knows Windows server operating systems family! It’s true that it is losing points to
Linux hosting, is true that is more expensive than a Linux hosting plan but Windows is still
Windows!! And it supports some tools that Linux cannot run.
Only Windows plans support Scripting languages for dynamic content such as Active Server
Pages (ASP) and ASP.NET, Cold Fusion, Active Perl and Visual C++. Only Windows hosting
will run Microsoft specific applications such as MS SQL databases, MS Access Databases
and IIS. This is very important and if you’re planning to use any of those languages or
applications in you website, you have to buy a Windows hosting plan!.
If you have decided to purchase a hosting account there are a few important aspects that
have to be determined in advance in order to avoid problems in the future. Most
inexperienced individuals might not know that there are two options when it comes to what
operating system will be used on the hosting account which includes either Linux or Windows.
Analysing Your Webhosting Needs
Linux hosting accounts are currently the most popular alternatives for anyone wishing to start
a website or a blog. Nearly all internet hosting companies offer Linux hosted solutions with
prices varying considerably depending on the host, server hardware and the specifications
offered by each individual package. Most affordable solutions cost only a few dollars (few
hundres Rupees) per month and these offer all the requirements anyone wanting to start a
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3. Windows vs Linux Hosting
small or medium sized website will need. For more complex and feature rich options, a
dedicated Linux server is definetly the best alternative.
If you don’t know whether Linux hosting is the right option for you there are a few pointers that
could help in the assessment process. Many popular scripts are developed specifically or
work better on Linux servers. Examples of such scripts include Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal,
OsCommerce and phpBB to mention only a few. These scripts are mostly developed using
the PHP scripting language with MySQL database, which performs exceptionally better on
Linux servers and thus explaining why most people will prefer to use Linux based hosting
services.
Windows hosting solutions provide basically the same functions as their Linux counterpart
except when utilizing ASP and ASP.Net that is exclusively native to Windows. Another aspect
worth mentioning about Windows servers is that they are the only alternative that can run the
Visual Basic and the VB Scripting language. In reality both alternatives work exceptionally well
when used in distinct ways, making it very hard to determine which alternative is superior to
the other, even if such a comparison is possible. When uncertain on which solution to opt for,
the best practice is to research the requirements needed to host the site and only purchase
the hosting account when all the details have been gathered.
Which is Better - Windows or Linux Hosting? A Comparison.
People often ask which hosting platform one should choose: Linux or Windows. Below,
we've listed the major differences between the two that you should consider in making your
decision.
Market Share for Top Servers Across All Domains
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4. Windows vs Linux Hosting
Source: Netcraft. Visit netcraft.com for more information.
Supported Features
Features Linux Windows
MS FrontPage 2000,2002 x x
Flash x x
Shockwave x x
RealAudio / Video x x
CGI-Script x x
Perl x x
PHP x x
SSH x
MySQL x
Miva x
ASP x
MS Access x
MS SQL x
Visual Basic Scripts x
Windows Media x
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5. Windows vs Linux Hosting
Performance
In low-stress conditions Windows and Linux servers have very similar performances but under
high load Linux is believed to be superior to Windows.
Reliability
The general consensus is that Linux is more reliable. It is believed that Linux servers have
less downtime. Microsoft's Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 (now even Windows 2007) are
much more stable and reliable than previous versions, but there are still cases where a
server will require a reboot to resolve an issue.
Functionality
This is where these two platforms differ the most. There isn't much that can be achieved using
one platform that can't be done on the other one. The main difference are the underlying
technologies. For example, if you need a database driven website, you can choose either
PHP/MySQL combination under Linux or ASP/MS SQL combination under Windows®2000.
Security
Out of the box, neither Linux or Windows is very secure for Internet use. A web server has to
be constantly managed and security patches need to be applied to keep a server secure. But
the known threats to Windows machines are much more than for Linux servers.
Price
Linux holds an edge due to the fact that the most of the software we use is open source (free)
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and that it's easier to maintain Linux servers than Windows servers for the same level of
reliability and performance. In upcoming economies like Indian, China, Argentina, Brazil etc,
price is a big issue and the low cost Linux servers are in big demand. Unless you genuinely
plan to use Windows platform specific features, it probably makes sense to choose the Linux
platform.
We hope this discussion will help resolve some of your doubts regarding Windows v/s Linux
hosting . Both have
their pros and cons. Whether Linux webhosting or Windows webhosting is good for you,
depends entirely on your hosting needs!
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