Hello guys could you please explain the main differences between these two hosting types? What websites it is better to host on linux-based servers and what on windows ones? Thanks in advance!

Well, I prefer Linux, but if you take a look at Netcraft's surveys you'll see ta growing number of businesses that go for Micrsoft's platform.

Go with windows if you use ASP/ASp.net for scripting. Otherwise Linux is better for shared hosting.

Originally Posted by alemcherry

Go with windows if you use ASP/ASp.net for scripting. Otherwise Linux is better for shared hosting.

That is correct, but I'd like to add, that windows platform supports any kind of scripting software, while linux doesn't support MS applications, however windows hosting is not always expensive.

For example aspnix.com provides windows hosting and some of its services are equally priced to the many linux hosting providers' and even sometimes cheaper...

Another example is Webhostgiant.com - the large shared hosting account under windows are really cheap, even in comparison with some of linux plans by other companies.

Linux is more popular and do support most of web sites. ONly ASP.NET need to have windows platform. Linux is growing and that's why windows become cheaper and cheaper.

In simple form, with Linux hosting you can run scripts like PHP and with Windows you can run scripts like ASP.net.

I think windows hosting is better becouse you can run asp, php .net perl etc on windows but with linux hosting you can not run asp and .net applications.

If you're asking this question, then just go with Linux. Chances are that you haven't created anything that needs windows hosting.

if you arent hosting the server yourself, you will notice little difference. If you don't have applications that are existing that require one over the other, you will notice little difference.

The big thing is the OS itself. One example, is that Windows is more forgiving for things like capitals in URLs things like that. It see index.php the same as InDex.php whereas Linux will see them as two different files. Linux would require Apache to be configured to ignore the case sensitivity, but be default is it case sensitive. This can cause unexpected 404 errors and things like that.

I have written a couple or articles that might go into it more at webhostingadvice.info

database If you're going to run a dynamically driven Web site, then you'll want a database. The two most popular are mySQL and Access. mySQL runs on both Linux and Windows, but is more often found on Linux servers. Access is only available for Windows.