Looking for affordable and reliable web hosting? In today’s market, two of the most popular options belong to Linux servers and Windows servers.
Linux and Windows are two very different operating systems. Linux is completely open source and developed by a very dedicated group of developers. Windows, on the other hand, is a commercial operating system being developed by software giant Microsoft. Because of this, you can expect the cost of ownership for these two operating systems to be very different.
Linux is open source and available to hosting companies free of charge. Therefore, servers are relatively cheap and easy to set up. The savings are then passed on to consumers.
Since Windows servers require hosting companies to pay license fees to use the software, some of these costs are also passed on to the consumer. However, in recent years, due to the drastic reduction in software and hardware costs, Windows servers are also available at competitive prices. The prices are usually only slightly higher compared to Linux servers.
So, when thinking about what type of server to sign up for, cost should not be the primary consideration. Features and available resources should be your primary concern.
Today most scripts are developed in either PHP or ASP.NET. PHP is a programming language designed specifically for Linux servers. Although you can also install such scripts in a Windows environment, some features are still not supported. It is best to host PHP scripts in a Linux environment.
ASP.NET is a programming language developed by Microsoft. The main benefit of using .NET is that development is very fast. However, the entire language depends on Microsoft’s programming framework. If there is an error, you will have to wait for an update. It’s harder for a developer to find a workaround.
Many developers prefer to work with PHP because they only need their trusty notepad. You can write code from scratch without having to install additional software. Also, many widely used software like WordPress are written in PHP. Since open source, the code for such software has been available to anyone for modification and further development. Those familiar with PHP can easily update and customize the software to suit their own needs.
It seems Linux servers are winning the race. More and more webmasters and developers are switching to Linux because of the enormous cost savings.
When it comes to hosting, try to think long-term. Will you experience rapid growth? Will your chosen platform be able to handle this growth? What internal resources do you have for working in a Linux or Windows environment?
Fortunately, there is no shortage of PHP and .NET developers in the market. You can easily hire freelancers or full-time developers to set up your website for you.
If you’re already comfortable in an environment, working in the same environment might help reduce development time. However, if you are starting from scratch, PHP is the recommended programming language to learn.
