Windows Hosting and Linux Hosting are the most common types of web hosting. If you want to host your website, you have to choose among them. There are a few significant factors that need to be considered while choosing one or another. There are some advantages as well as disadvantages of both. Let’s see how we can differentiate between Linux and Windows Hosting. Both are virtually identical in terms of performance and speed, but there are differences that we discuss in this article. Here is a list of recommended web hosts for Linux web hosting and Windows web hosting.


When you consider the price while selecting Linux or Windows, Linux is usually the cheapest. While some of the web hosts offer Windows hosting for the same price as Linux, but usually Windows is more costly. This is not due to Linux is less efficient – it is rather the price of technology, the value of money.

The Linux operating system is open-source and free. So that web hosts set up your Linux servers without having to buy expensive licenses. However, Windows needs to require the purchase of user licenses. License fees are relatively expensive, and the additional price is passed back to the customer. If you are looking for affordable web hosting, Linux is a good choice.

Performance and Speed

Fast browsing of your website is the first concern, so you need powerful servers. When you think about performance and speed, Linux hosting and Windows hosting are competitive with each other at the same level. Different types of software and programming languages can be used on its operating systems, and these programs and languages ​​can affect performance and speed, the two are equivalent in terms of performance.

Software and programming languages

Programming languages like Java, PHP, and Ruby, can be easily run on both operating systems. If you just need basic or run common software like PHPBB or WordPress, you can use Linux or Windows hosting. Linux is usually a good option for basic programs because it is cheaper.

However, Windows hosting supports several other software. If you need to use MS Access, MS SQL, ASP or Visual Basic software, Linux hosting will not help. Windows is the only hosting system that allows the use of this software, making it more compatible for business users and others who have specific needs. If you want to use these programs, you should not choose Linux hosting.


Operating system

There is a myth that if you are using Windows OS on your personal computer, then you must use windows hosting. To choose the hosting system you need has no impact on the operating system you choose. For eg. even though you are using Mac OS then also you can choose Linux or Windows hosting. You can use any operating system on your computer, and either type of hosting will work for you.

The programs you use to edit your website from your computer (such as Dreamweaver, an FTP program, or a web browser) do not depend on your operating system. In other words, you will see the same user interface, regardless of the type of hosting you choose.

Linux and PHP:

If you want to use a programming language called PHP, you need to choose a Linux hosting plan for your website. Let’s understand what is PHP? PHP is the most popular language that is easier to understand, and it is used for many websites nowadays. Most of the popular Content Management Systems (CMS) are based on PHP. Some of these sites are Joomla, WordPress, Drupal, Magento, and osCommerce, etc. PHP works great with Linux. If you do not have a preference for the programming language to be used to create your website, then you can choose any type of hosting.

Windows and ASP/.NET:

When you use ASP or .net technology, you have to choose windows hosting. Websites built with these languages generally store their information in an MS SQL or MBD databases.


Linux and Windows offer databases that you can use for blogs and websites. The databases are similar and offer essentially the same characteristics. The main difference is that Linux hosting uses My-SQL whereas Windows hosting uses MS-SQL. Although there are some differences between the two, they allow accomplishing the same things.

MSSQL and My-SQL both can be used to hold a large amount of information that your site can then use when it deploys its pages. While MS SQL has some additional features, the majority of users will be able to use MySQL without any problem. If you use the basic database, then Linux hosting should be good. However, if you have specific database requirements, Windows hosting will be required.

Breakdowns and unavailability:

When a server goes down, your website becomes inaccessible. This can be devastating, especially if you have a busy site that is constantly receiving visitors. Although neither server often plants, there is one that breaks down more often.

Linux is known for its stability, and it often runs without any major problems. Windows hosting crashes a bit more often than Linux because it is more complex and more programs are running on this type of server. Although both do not crash frequently, Linux is the best when it comes to stability.

Hosting accounts:

Web hosts usually offer different kinds of web hosting like shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting. Shared hosting is cheaper is often only offered with Linux. If you want a virtual server or a dedicated server, you can usually choose between Windows and Linux. Windows is not usually suitable for most of the shared environments.


There are some differences between Linux and Windows hosting, the most important regarding software and programming languages ​​that can be used on the server. If you need to run Windows programs on your server, opt for Windows hosting. If you need a stable and cheap server, Linux is an ideal choice.