There are two types of platforms for web hosting. One is Windows VPS hosting and the other is Linux VPS hosting platform. Both come with specific benefits, but most businesses prefer a Linux web server over Windows. Both the platforms have their own set of Pros and Cons.
Linux is one of the mostly used operating systems for web hosting because of its ease of installation and cost effectiveness. Both are similar in some ways but there are a lot of differences between them. Linux has been considered to be the most reliable, stable and efficient system due to which it is most commonly used.
However if your website need a particular programming language due to the developers you work with, you should check the system compatibility before getting a hosting service.
If you use PHP, Perl or MySQL, then Linux is the best for you. If you use ASP.net or Microsoft specific applications then you should prefer Windows based web server..
Following are the advantages of using Linux based web server compared to Windows based web server :
Stability: Linux based operating systems are believed to be more stable than Windows. The websites running on a Linux based server have very high uptime as compared to Windows.
Affordable cost: The Linux operating system can pe purchased at a very low cost as compared to windows. Also there are some free application softwares which comes with Linux. These server applications (such as FTP, Web Server, DNS Server, File Server etc.) are free and also very stable.
Easy to move between hosts : A website designed to be hosted on a Linux based web server can also be hosted easily on a Windows web server, where as the website designed to be hosted on a Windows web server cannot be hosted on a Linux based web server.
Scripts and Extensions: Almost all types of scripts or extensions are supported by the Linux web server.
Security: The Linux web server system provides you with free security measures like antivirus and anti malware programs. Linux is supposed to be more secure than Windows.
Scalability: A web site designed for compatibility with a Linux/Unix based web server meets the scalability requirement easily without making any site wide design changes.
Case Sensitivity: Another difference is case sensitivity. The file and directory names are case sensitive in Linux but not in Windows. So if you name a file ContactUs.html, and another page in the same directory as contactus.html, you actually will have two completely different pages.
On the other side, Linux based web server is not fully compatible with Microsoft technologies. If you are using any specialized applications or VB for development of your website, it is preferable to host with a Windows based web server.