When searching for web hosting that usually run through a multitude of hosts using a Linux platform, as well as a host using a Windows platform. There are even some hosts that offer both options to their customers easily.

Because many people use Windows as the operating system at home, think this is the best solution. Many users specifically choose a Windows platform on web hosting. However, the truth is that most people will be able to use a Linux platform without any problems. Sometimes the choice of Windows hosting is a personal preference and sometimes a necessity.

Linux vs. Windows Dedicated Hosting: The Great Debate

The fact is, it is often more important to concentrate the efforts in finding a host that is more reliable, and which best suit your needs, regardless of platform. There are, however, several discussion points that are used to compare Windows vs Linux in order to determine which platform is better.

They include:

Price: Historically, Windows servers are more expensive. In most web hosts this is still the case. However, the price is falling due to the competitive nature of the industry and find a bunch of machines that now offer Windows hosting at the same price or price difference is negligible. Price therefore becomes less of a problem than expected with both getting quite comparable systems. If your budget is very tight, however, you can usually find Linux cheaper.

Features: Linux and Windows both have a variety of features available to help you achieve your goals. Both platforms run scripts, create pages, blogs, forums and much more installed with very little difference. If you need a wide range of features, it is likely to get all you need no matter what platform you choose.

Performance: Performance is something that is often debated. Linux consistently performs slightly better than Windows, but there is a problem with that. First, most customers probably do not realize the difference. The reason there is a difference in performance is due to the way each platform is provided. Linux provides a platform that is extensible and Windows is all-in-one. Therefore, with Windows you are getting everything at once can cause some slowdown in performance. Most of this difference is negligible and never be noticed, however, if this is a major concern, you may want to choose Linux.

Safety: Safety is another issue often debated between Windows and Linux. Due to safety concerns about operating systems at home and the popularity of it as an operating system doesn’t mean that Linux is more secure. There are also tips on the Linux system. Both have the potential vulnerabilities. If a web hosting service has qualified IT managers and strict monitoring software, security issues may not be a problem.

Windows Specific Features

In considering the differences between Windows and Linux, there are actually very few differences. Even when differences occur, there is great debate as to which comes in a pro. The main deciding factor, however, whether or not you should use Windows comes down to whether or not to use specific Windows applications. These may include:

ASP: This is a basic web designer, the framework can be used to create pages.

FrontPage: This is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) web page creator that lets you create pages and forms in place and then easily upload your site.

.NET: This is a software framework that provides a variety of solutions such as security, connectivity, application development and more.

Windows Streaming Media: This is a means to serve audio and video to the public and is often used for sites in band or movie trailers.

Access: This is a database system like MySQL that is often used as the backbone of various applications.

MsSql: This is a relational database often used with Cold Fusion or ASP

Therefore, if you use Windows applications property as a function of your site, you may want to consider Windows hosting. But if not, the platform you choose, probably does not matters. Instead should focus on reputation, features and price for the package you are considering.