Linux or Windows? Which Platform Should You Choose? We are often asked which hosting platform one should choose, Linux or Windows. Below, we've listed the major differences between the two that you should consider in making your final decision. Important: First of all, just because you use Windows 98/2000/XP at home does not mean you should use a Windows hosting. The two are completely different, and having a Windows system at home will not affect your ability to communicate with a Linux server. Secondly, Linux is much more common with web hosts due to its superior stability and because it is free. Linux hosting is usually cheaper than Windows. OR Ease of use: Over the years, many resources have been poured into both Linux and Windows®2003 platforms to make hosting as easy as possible. Today, there are no differences in terms of ease of use between these platforms. If you are an advanced user, then Linux is your choice. However, if you are a beginner, you will find both platforms user friendly. Reliability: The industry consensus is that Linux is more reliable. However, UniWeb has made sure that the reliability of the Windows®2000 platform closely matches that of Linux's. What this means is that you can make your decision based on the differences in features rather than on reliability. Compatibility: Web sites designed and programmed to be served under a Linux-based web server can easily be hosted on a Windows server, whereas the reverse is not always true. This makes programming for Linux the better choice. Speed: There is no difference in terms of speed between the two platforms. Functionality: This is where two platforms differ the most. There isn’t much that can be achieved in one platform that can’t be on the other one. The main difference is how the end is achieved. For example, if you need a database driven web site, you can choose either PHP/MySQL combination under Linux or ASP/MS SQL combination under Windows®2003. The trend is for solutions to be supported in both platforms. Price: Servers hosting your web site require operating systems and licenses just like everyone else. Windows 2000 and other related applications like SQL Server, advanced statistics, each cost a significant amount of money; on the other hand, Linux is a free operating system to download, install and operate. Windows hosting results in being a more expensive platform. You will see that our hosting prices reflect this. Unless you specifically plan to use Windows®2003 platform specific features (see below), it probably makes sense to choose the Linux platform. Performance: Ease of use Reliability Stability Compatibility Speed Functionality Price Integration with Microsoft solutions Free/Open Source Software Supported Features: MS FrontPage 2000,2002 Flash/Shockwave RealAudio/mp3/mpg/avi Perl PHP MySQL ASP (active server pages) / Visual Basic Scripts (VBS) MS Access / MS SQL The following UniWeb-specific features are supported in both Linux and Windows®2000 platforms: Daily Webstats Daily Backup Web Based Email Firewall protection 24/7 Monitoring Free E-mail Support 99,98% Server Uptime The brand names specified are registered trade marks of the respective companies.