Linux or Windows : Which One is the Best for Web Hosting?

The operating system on your computer is right in front of you at all times, yet many people seldom notice it or give it a second thought.  Your operating system is responsible for synchronizing your information and programs that you run, storing information, retrieving information, dividing up available memory and bandwidth.   Without the operating system, your computer would just be a hunk of parts sitting lifeless on your desk.

Even with that said, you can still find enthusiastic people that are passionate about their favorite operating system.  These fans can offer up a detailed list of the pros and cons of every operating system out there. Why?  Because even though all the work is done out of site and quietly by the operating system,  what you see as end results on your computer screen or print out on paper are because of the work the operating system does.

When it comes to the web hosting operating system, the same applies, quiet and slow, out of sight, but the work goes on. If one were to get technical about the pros and cons of the operating system for web hosting, we could write four books tonight.  However, there are certain differences in the systems and by looking at those differences; you will see which web host operating system will fit your exact personal need when it comes to web hosting.

For most site owners, the last thing that they want to do is administer the site and server, it is not something they want to take time out to learn about and would rather not deal with it at all.  So, one of the first grading points for an operating system is the ease of administration.

Which operating system is easier to administer is always a tough call, and would always be dependent on your current skill level and the type of tools and level of access that your hosting company gives you.  In general,  I would have to say that windows is easier than  Linux (Unix),  the windows operating system is easier to install and does not have as steep a learning curve as Linux.

The performance of these two systems is also a very hard call to make.  Again as to which operating system to choose is one that the web host can make.  The overall performance of these two operating systems is so close to equal that it is a mute point.  Whether the system works well or does not work well is out of the publishers hands and has to do with many different factors the publisher will never be aware of.  This is a wash as to which system is better.

Aside performance and ease of use, there are other factors to consider such as technical requirements for your website. Linux web hosting is often used for websites built with PHP and MySQL or for simple, static websites. On the other hand, Windows web servers are often used for websites developed with ASP or ASP.Net with a Microsoft SQL Server backend.

Another thing website owner will notice is that Linux hosting is often cheaper than Windows hosting. This is because the Linux operating system and its components (PHP, Perl, MySQL, Ruby on Rails, etc.) are free. But in order to install Windows Server, you need to purchase a licence and so do you if you want to install Microsoft SQL Server.

So when you are looking for a web hosting company make sure it meets your website’s requirements.  You want knowledgeable people with strong expertise behind you to make sure you get the most out of your web site.  Let them decide on what operating system they will use to do their job.