You are all set to host your website, and you are at that point of deciding on your hosting service. With so many options available in the market today, it rather becomes challenging to choose which hosting plan you should go for. When you are out there looking for a hosting platform, not only do you need to see the cost and the services included, but also the kind of infrastructure that you need, particularly, if you are opting for a VPS hosting plan. That is where you would need to decide between a Linux and a Windows server.
The main difference between a Linux VPS hosting and Windows VPS Hosting is the operating system. The choice you make will eventually affect your hosting architecture, the kind of applications you will use, and of course, the money you will spend for the hosting service.
To understand each of these hosting infrastructure better, here is a comparison between the basic operational factors of Linux and Windows VPS hosting.
Customizability
Linux VPS hosting allows better and more customization options than Windows hosting. If you are not looking for a lot of customization and can work with the available architecture, then Windows might do the work. But, if you are looking for complete control on your site operations with root access, software installations, etc. then Linux is the way to go.
Applications
Linux allows a more significant number of applications to be installed as compared to Windows. However, there are some applications that can be only run on a Windows environment. For instance, PHP and MySQL are supported by both Windows and Linux. But if you want to run Python, WordPress, Perl, CGI, etc. specifically, then Linux is your only choice. On the other hand, Windows is an excellent choice if you want to run web applications using .NET, ASP, ASP.NET, Visual Basic, MS Access, etc.
Stability
When it comes to the stability of functions, both Windows and Linux VPS hosting have similar results. Having said that, Linux does have more regular updates that keep the server operations more efficient at all times.
Cost
Linux is a free platform, and Windows comes for a substantial cost. While most hosting providers offer the best deals for each server hosting plans, Linux is a much cheaper xalternative to go for.
Installation
This is one of the rare aspects where Linux takes a backseat. It is quite a complex system to configure and run, and you need serious technical expertise to do the job. On the other hand, Windows is much easier to configure on the server and takes lesser time.
Security
When it comes to security, each of these OS offers the best security features. But if we must compare, then Windows here scores a point ovxer Linux when it comes to the security level.
On a parting note…
Both Linux and Windows VPS hosting have their own pros and cons. It all depends on your server requirements, your expectations from the hosting environment, and not to mention, the technical expertise you can invest. No matter what you choose, the ultimate goal is to get the best out of your hosting provider and ensure seamless functioning of your site.
