How To Pick Between Windows And Linux Web Hosting Packages

2011 January 29
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by John

One of the challenges in making decisions on issues that relate to technology is having too much information. There is an abundance of myths and irrelevant information which does not help anyone. This is so even for those who are sourcing operating systems for their web hosting. Some of the myths that you may have heard could include the fact that you should host using the same operating system as you run on your computer. This is incorrect and servers as an example of the many lies that have marred this debate.

Both Linux and Windows have their followers, with each group having their won reasons for believing their preference is best. There are situations to use or not use either of these systems as per their strengths. We shall try and do an impartial assessment of these two and try to establish where to apply either of these and why. Those looking for business web hosting will often find difficultly in making such decisions because they will not only impact the business through cost but may also come with revenue implications. As with all other resources, your choice must always be guided by need. The website you want to host will be a significant factor that influences you choice. If your website is basic, small and is not commercial, then Linux hosting will be best for you. Cost is the main consideration here. The interesting thing is that on the other extreme end where you want to host a website that will run a high number of processes and also have high traffic, Linux is again the preferred choice. Linux is however more suited for advanced users or where the hosting is to be provided by managed dedicated server hosting.

Beginners will find it better to use Windows hosting. The main reason is that it has a very user friendly interface. Microsoft products are readily integrated when using Windows servers. Windows hosting is a costly undertaking which is actually its main setback. Besides paying for the operating systems, all additional software comes at an additional cost.

Your choice of programming application for developing your website could also see you tied to either of these OS. ASP is a Microsoft application that is only usable on Windows based servers. Some applications can run on both Windows and Linux hosting with a good example here being PHP.

In conclusion you can host on either of these systems for most websites without much difference in performance especially if you have a competent administrator. Since Linux offers better stability even with heavier loading, it is the first choice for websites that are high on traffic. The cost of a dedicated server host running on Windows will be higher than that of a similar server running on Linux. Your hosting needs will in some situations not be fully met by running Linux. The best system in such situations is Windows.

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