Linux and Microsoft Windows are the two biggest web-hosting services available at the moment. They’re both great options, but depending on your business situation one will be a better fit than the other.
Features
Many people wrongly think that they need to choose the Windows server if their site was created on a Windows machine. However, it is important that the programming language your site was built in is compatible with your server.
Linux generally uses fewer resources than Windows so is considered to be more efficient and reliable than Windows. However, Windows servers tend to have more features, bells and whistles than Linux.
Price
Because Linux is an open source system, it comes in cheaper than the Windows alternative and many companies believe that Microsoft’s brand and track-record are worth paying extra for.
Many start-up companies choose Linux because of its lower price point, while large established companies tend to choose Windows.
Security
As Linux is an open source system, it’s accessible to anyone who wants to use and add improvements to it. This can suggest that it’s not as secure, but Linux is considered to be even more secure than Windows. However, both options boast extremely good security, especially when compared to on-site servers.
Usage
Linux works best with other open source software, so if you’re using mostly Windows applications it would make sense to choose the Windows server. It’s not impossible to use Windows applications on a Linux server, but it will require a bit of extra work.
Because of Linux’s open source nature, it’s much easier to modify than Windows. If you’re using the Windows server you would generally have to wait for Microsoft to release a new version of the server, so this is worth bearing in mind.
Although Windows servers are more costly, they come with extra support and tend to have an easier to use interface. This could save you having to pay for specialist tech support for Linux’s open source software. You may find the answers you need from the Linux community, but this can take time and there’s no guarantee the open source community will be able to help you.