The advantage of Linux is that the platform is more stable. Linux also takes up less memory and less processor power because the programming language is more efficient.
(prHWY.com) October 9, 2012 - London, United Kingdom -- 9th October, 2012, London, United Kingdom: When you consider running a website, you have the choice of choosing a web server based on Linux, Windows, UNIX, Macintosh or less well known operating systems. By far the most common are Linux and Windows servers. Both of these have their advantages and disadvantages, but Linux is edging out Windows in terms of ease of use and performance.
Advantages of Linux Web Hosting
Many people choose a Windows webhost because it is effectively a default setting. They run Windows at home, and therefore choose a Windows server thinking that this is the only choice. This could not be further from the truth - just because you run Windows from home, it has no bearing on the platform the server runs on. Windows servers tend to be more expensive than Linux for a number of reasons. The primary reason is that the software that they use all has to be official software - this costs a lot of money, and can cost you significantly. There is very little in terms of free software or user developed software, so you will have to pay the full retail price for the upkeep and running of your webhost. With Linux, much of the software is user developed and free of charge. Programs such as Red Hat, Debian and Free BSD are entirely without cost and allow you to set up your website on a tight budget. The community of developers produces updates - although these are not as tightly regulated as Microsoft, they are still programmed to a high degree of professionalism. All of this cost cutting results in a cheaper package for you.
Another advantage of Linux is that the platform is more stable. This means that there is less downtime, less rebooting required, and your website will be active for your business more often. This is vital if you have an ecommerce solution, or if your business relies entirely on website content. Downtime over a busy period can put off customers - it can be circumvented somewhat by backup servers, but this is an additional cost.
Linux also takes up less memory and less processor power because the programming language is more efficient. The applications that use Linux also generally take up less bandwidth, and again this is an advantage over Windows because you can have a more efficiently performing website. Once again, this will save you money in upgrading to a more expensive server. Linux is also much more secure against viruses and hacking giving you additional piece of mind.
Disadvantages of Linux
There are disadvantages of the Linux platform as well - in the interest of showing both sides of the argument, the main problems are listed as well. Although Linux has a large selection of software, Windows still has the larger library, so if you are looking for extra flexibility, Windows may have an edge. There are still a few hardware devices that do not support Linux, although most do - Windows is almost universally accepted by most hardware devices.
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