Have you ever tried to navigate to a website only to be confronted with an error message? We've all seen that blank page with text in the middle that reads, "404 Error: This Page Does Not Exist" or something similar. You know the page does exist because you've visited it before, but all you get is that annoying error screen. There are a variety of issues that can cause this to happen, but there is a pretty good chance that it's a problem with the server that hosts the website. Web servers, like all technology, are not perfect. They are susceptible to viruses and hardware issues just like your home PC, although they generally have higher levels of security and protection.
Most web hosting providers guarantee their customers a certain percentage of uptime, that is, the amount of time they promise that their customers' sites will be live and online. When they calculate that percentage, they must consider a number of factors that contribute to server reliability. High on the list of contributing factors is the stability of the operating systems that run on their web servers. Since this is such a crucial element of the overall web hosting equation, there is much debate over what operating system is the best choice for web servers. There are many options available to web server administrators, but most of the debate centers on the two leading operating systems, Linux and Windows Server.
Before going in to the technical details of the differences between Linux hosting and Windows hosting, it's worth first determining if the operating system will really affect your experience as a webmaster in any appreciable way. If you're new to website creation - if, for example, you just want to create a personal blog or simple small business website, the OS is really a non-issue. If, however, you have more complex coding and applications running on your site, the operating system that your web server is running can have a huge impact on your site's performance. In fact, in certain situations where specific programming languages, applications, or protocols are used to build your site, it may only run on one or the other. Below is a rundown of the technical considerations of the respective operating system:
Windows Server
Linux
If any of the specific technical concerns listed above rings a bell, it is probably worthwhile to select the recommended operating system. If not, or if you've never heard of any of that stuff, then the OS on your web hosting server doesn't matter all that much. The fact is that both Windows and Linux have a successful track record in the web server arena. They can both deliver a user friendly environment to get your site online. No matter what OS you choose, be sure to check out our hosting plans. You decide what OS you want, and how much bandwidth and memory your site will require. This way, you pay for exactly what you need and no more.