Linux hosting vs. Windows hosting

When hosting a web application or website on a VPS or dedicated server, most cloud providers give users the option of choosing their preferred operating system (OS) in addition to other hosting products. The two most common choices are Windows and Linux. Although Linux is more widely used, there are some situations where Windows is better.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of everything you need to consider before making a decision when comparing Linux hosting to Windows hosting.

Linux hosting involves hosting a website or web application on a server running a Linux operating system. Linux is the most popular server operating system, with over 70% market share. This is an open source OS, so no license is required to install it on your server. This is one of the reasons why it is more popular than Windows.

Linux server OS is typically used to run websites and apps built using languages ​​such as PHP and Perl, and databases such as PostgreSQL, MariaDB, and IBM Db2. When installing Linux on your server, there are many other language and database options to choose from.

Similar to the desktop version of Linux, the server version also has several distributions that users can choose from. Popular Linux distributions for servers include:

• AlmaLinux
• Ubuntu
• CentOS
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES)
• debian

Windows hosting refers to hosting a website or web application on a server running a server version of the Windows operating system. Unlike Linux, Windows is not open source. A server OS built and supported by Microsoft.

Which of these editions you choose depends largely on the features you need and your hosting budget. The DataCenter version includes all features provided by Microsoft and is an ideal choice for large organizations with relatively large data centers. Most notably, it provides the ability to create virtual machines (VMs).

Here are some of the benefits of choosing Linux as your server OS:

Linux is an open source server operating system that anyone can install on their server for free. This makes it the best alternative for small businesses and startups that can’t afford the monthly fees for a server operating system.

Because Linux is the most popular OS, it has far more community support than other server operating systems. Linux’s extensive community support can help you if you run into any issues while installing or managing your server. Most of the server OS-related questions on platforms like Stack Overflow and Quora are usually about Linux hosting. It’s also easy to find free YouTube tutorials and courses on Linux hosting.

By design, Linux is a much more secure operating system than Windows. One design choice that makes Linux more secure is the way it handles user permissions. Linux does not process executable files without user permission. The server administrator must enter the password before installing the application on the server. Therefore, hackers must use sophisticated social engineering techniques to trick administrators into installing malware on servers.

For many years, Linux servers have been known for their reliability and stability. Linux servers are less likely to experience random crashes and downtime than Windows or other server operating systems.

Another benefit of using Linux hosting is that Linux servers are highly scalable, allowing developers to easily increase the server’s resources as their website or web application grows.

Linux is compatible with more software and technologies than Windows or other server operating systems. Such technology includes control panels. Scripting languages ​​such as Perl and PHP. Also includes databases such as PostgreSQL, MariaDB, IBM Db2, and Oracle Database.

If you do not want to face software compatibility issues, you should choose Linux hosting.

Most people are familiar with Windows because it is the most popular desktop operating system. For those who use Windows machines on a daily basis, installing Windows on a server can make your life much easier. You can start something right away without going through a learning process.

Linux servers are also primarily controlled using commands, but Windows servers have a more intuitive and easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI). If you don’t want the hassle of learning Linux commands, choose Windows hosting.

If the website or app you’re trying to host relies on Microsoft technologies like ASP.NET, MSSQL, or Visual Basic, Windows hosting is always the best choice. Some of these technologies are not supported on Linux machines.

Windows Server also integrates with other Microsoft products such as SharePoint and Exchange, making it an ideal choice for organizations that use these tools.

When you subscribe to one of our Windows Server OS plans, you are entitled to customer support from Microsoft. Instead of going to forums or watching tutorials, you can simply contact Microsoft’s support team. Support teams usually provide more timely and reliable solutions than forums. Microsoft also rolls out regular updates for Windows Server.

If you want to run your games on a server, Windows hosting is an easy choice. Thanks to NVIDIA Virtual Machine Images (VMI), users can instantly access virtual gaming machines running Windows Server OS. Other server operating systems have little support for games.

Here are the factors you need to consider when choosing between Linux hosting and Windows hosting:

Before hosting your website or app on a cloud server, you first need to decide on the technology and tools you want to use. Consider integrating databases, control panels, scripting languages, and other apps. Choosing a server OS that supports all the technologies and tools you use to run your website will make your life much easier.

If you don’t want to pay Windows license fees, Linux hosting is the obvious choice. Linux is open source and is the best choice for businesses with a limited budget for web hosting.

We recommend choosing a server OS that you and your team can easily operate without going through a long learning process. If your company has an IT team, you should consider their input before choosing which OS to install on your servers. If you don’t have the expertise, you can choose managed Windows hosting or managed Linux hosting.

Linux typically offers slightly better performance than Windows when running on similar hardware. This is mainly because Linux is lighter and much more efficient than Windows. It’s also easy to scale up your Linux server whenever you need to improve your site’s performance. Therefore, if you want to get the most out of your server hardware, Linux is a better option than Windows.

On Linux, all support comes from the community. This may not be as reliable and timely as support from official vendors such as Microsoft. Windows hosting is the ideal choice when you need timely and reliable support.

You may also need to check with your web hosting provider to find out which operating systems they support and which operating systems they recommend for various use cases. Fortunately, most mainstream web hosting providers support Windows and Linux hosting. It’s rare to find a hosting provider that doesn’t support both platforms.

In this article comparing Linux hosting to Windows hosting, we have explained all the important details you need to choose between the two platforms. Both have their pros and cons, which you should consider before making a decision. We recommend that you evaluate your business requirements and decide which of the two server operating systems best fits your needs.

Contact Liquid Web today. One of our girlfriends at The Most Helpful Human InHosting® will be happy to answer any questions you may have.