Choosing Between Windows or Linux

When discussing choosing between Windows-basd web hosting and Linux-based web hosting we are speaking specifically about the operating system that runs on the web server. One choice is not necessarily better than the other, this decision basically comes down to the type of technologies and tools you wish to use in developing your web site and determining which of the platforms suits those particular tools the best.

Linux is open source, meaning it is free. Therefore, it is cheap for the web hosting provider to install on the server which usually translates to lower pricing on web hosting plans offered. Linux also has a reputation for being more stable and faster, although Windows certainly has made improvements in this area in recent years. Linux supports a wide range of software, applications, languages, and databases such as PHP, Perl, MySQL and many others making it very scalable. However, Linux is not fully compatible with many Microsoft technologies like Access, ASP, Microsoft SQL or VB development tools. Linux is by far the most popular form of web hosting available in the market today and many web hosting companies only provide Linux-based hosting.

The main advantage with Windows web hosting is it's compatible with the various Microsoft technologies available to web developers. If you plan on using ASP (Active Server Pages), Visual Basic scripts, MS Index Server, MS SQL and other Microsoft technologies you would want to choose a web hosting plan based on the Windows platform. On a Windows web hosting account you would also have the ability to use Microsoft development tools like Visual Interdev.