Whats the difference between Linux and Windows hosting?

Weberz offers two kinds of hosting to our clients, with multiple levels of packages under each type. The two types of hosting offered are Linux based and Windows based hosting. A common question people ask, when looking for web hosting, is “Which platform should I use for hosting my site?”.

Each platform has its pros and cons. The best advice anyone can give to an individual searching for a hosting solution is to compare what is available to what they need. So how does one choose between Windows and Linux? Here is a comparison of each one to help with the decision.

Linux Hosting:

Linux has been the de-facto standard for network operating systems for many years. Over time Linux has matured into a very fast, very secure, very scalable and very reliable system. Linux is a Unix “inspired” operating system.

Because of this maturity, companies and individuals alike tend to host their mission critical data on Linux based operating systems.

One of the biggest advantages to choosing a Linux based hosting solution is cost. Because there are either no or nominal licensing fees, and since most of the software available to the Linux platform is free, it costs less for a host to run a Linux based server. This reduced operating cost can be passed on to the customer, resulting in lower hosting fees.

Windows based hosting:

Microsoft has taken its flagship operating system and expanded what it can do over the years. Over time they have worked and reworked the operating system into a useable server product.

Microsoft has done a great job at hardening Windows as a server product, leading more companies to make the jump to Windows based servers. With the development of ASP and ASP.net, Microsoft’s own scripting languages, companies near and far are basing their sites and data on Windows servers.

One of the biggest advantages to choosing a windows based hosting solution is familiarity. Microsoft tries to keep usability easy. They tend to keep the functionality between products as similar as possible, making it easier to learn and use their products.

However, operating costs tend to be higher when running windows due to increased hardware requirements and Microsoft’s licensing fees/restrictions. This cost is usually passed on to the consumer. This results in Windows based hosting plans costing more per billing cycle than a Linux based plan.

Which platform is right?

Cost is usually the first thing a customer considers when comparing hosting solutions. However the requirements tend to run deeper than cost. This can lead to choosing the wrong platform in an effort to cut expenses. This can cause major problems down the road.

When a website is designed, there are various languages that it can be used. The base language, HTML, has been around since the beginning of the world wide web, and can be hosted on either platform. Over the years more robust languages have been developed, leading to more sophisticated sites. Here is a listing of the major languages that a site could be coded in:

HTML
ASP
ASP.net
PHP
Perl
Java

As stated above, HTML can be hosted on either platform. ASP and ASP.net are specific to Microsoft’s server operating systems. If a site has been designed in either of these languages then it will have to be hosted on a Windows platform.

PHP, Perl and Java can be run off of either platform. So theoretically sites written in these languages can be hosted on either platform. This holds true 95% of the time. There can be times when trying to host these languages on a Windows platform will cause problems as the primary operating system of choice for these languages is Linux.

Many sites have scripts that perform various functions. There are scripts that can compile information entered into a form on a web page and send it out via email, scripts that can be combined together to form an E-commerce solution, etc.

Because Linux has been around for so long and has been used as a hosting platform for so long, these scripts tend to be written to work with Linux out of the box. Sometimes these scripts can be modified to work with Windows, other times they can not.

So when looking for the proper platform, do a little detective work. Figure out what the requirements are for language, scripts, cost, etc. Use this information to make an educated choice as to which platform will be the best possible solution. Once you have decided on a platform, choose a hosting package that meets the needs of the site.

Armed with the information above, anybody can make an educated decision about which platform to use. If none of this has helped solidify a decision, feel free to contact a support member at Weberz for further guidance and assistance.