There are various Operating Systems for web hosting servers. Two most popular, widely used various Operating Systems are Linux and Windows. This is the first decision you must make when ordering web hosting and what kind of site you are building will decide which of these two best fits your needs.
However, pertaining to these operating systems, there is a wrong notion that you need to get a web host that happens to be running on the same platform as you are on right now. The system that your web host runs have nothing to do with the system you’re running now. It has to do with the specifications for each Web Hosting systems mentioned here that you would like your site to have.
Compare these features, identify your requirements and send it with specifications on features to your Web Developer and Hosting Service Providers.
If you require Windows-based technologies like ASP, .NET, MsSQL, or any other, you must opt for Hosting with Windows since these choices are Windows hosting platform supported. Or if you require PHP, Perl, Python or MySQL database, then ideally Linux hosting platform is a better choice. This decision has to be made for the simple reason that the web-based applications and technologies require a native environment and standardized scripting languages.
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If you still go to a Web Hosting Service Provider without any specific requirements, you can choose any platform you like. Especially, for those wanting websites with static pages, any Web Hosting Service can suit.
Best is Linux for two prime reasons:
- It is quite cheaper than a Windows-based hosting platform.
- It has got a slight edge over Windows-based hosting platform terms of Eligibility, Ease of Use, Scalability, Performance & Security
Before finalizing, it is better to seek guidance from Host Service providers on other operating systems like Unix. At the end what matters when purchasing a web hosting service is not the name or credibility, it is what price, features, performance, and support do you want.
