The first step you should take when determining which hosting platform is right for you, is to write down a list of all the features that your personal or business website will require. You might list items such as a shopping cart, the ability to accept user data via forms, e-mail abilities, or reliable and robust security features.

Windows Hosting

If you happen to be running a Microsoft website, you’ll need to use some form of Windows hosting. Sites that operate with Windows hosting platforms tend to be interactive sites filled with dynamic content. Windows hosting usually leads to websites that have a smooth and streamlined user interface, that allows for the user to have convenient access to the database. Sites that would benefit from this type of platform include large-scale business websites such as financial institutions, which often place enormous demands on a database that needs to handle thousands of users simultaneously. It may come as a surprise then, that given the ability to handle complex database interactions, Windows hosting requires very little experience for a webmaster to manage. On the other hand, Linux hosting should be reserved for a more experienced administrator.

One of the reasons that it is vital to decide on your type of hosting platform is that converting between Windows hosting and Linux hosting is virtually impossible. Having to go through a conversion like this is generally considered to be the result of lack of knowledge and poor planning.

Linux Hosting

Stability and reliability are two of the features that Linux hosting is best known for. For this reason, customers with websites hosted on Linux servers don’t have to worry as much about security as users who host their websites on Windows servers. If you own a website where security is paramount, you’ll enjoy greater peace of mind by hosting your website on a Linux server. Obviously, when security is an issue, customers will feel more at ease giving up personal information on a protected, reliable web host. While forums, online surveys and other interactive applications aren’t quite as easy to administer with Linux hosting, these servers can still handle their fair share of dynamic content.

Another factor that may help you decide what type of hosting you want for your website is the programming language that is used to build your site. Linux hosts support PHP, PERL, and Python code, while Windows hosts support ASP code. Linux is consider to be open source code, meaning that it is readily available and free for modification by the programmer. This leads to greater flexibility and affordability when it comes to integrating with third-party applications. This represents a very cost-effective and efficient platform, ideal for small businesses and websites that are works in progress. on the other hand, if your website has access to a team of developers who are well-versed in Windows hosting and the ASP that is required to program them, then spending the extra money at the start of the project will reap benefits later on down the road.

When you need to have great content for your website such as ecommerce applications, discussion forums or even different kinds of scripting, you would be better off paying attention to the type of web platform your are going to use. Linux servers will use scripts that are based on Perl or PHP.

These scripts are commonly found in Drupal, Wordpress and Joomla among other blogging management applications. Windows servers will use scripts that are written in ASP. With either choice, your MySQL databases are going to work fine. In today’s digital age, cross-platform scripting can be used with ASP or Linux, however, this is all based on web host that your site uses. There is one small exception though. PHP can run on either of these systems, but Linux scripting is preferred on a Linux server.

The biggest preference around for laptop users is the Linux system. This is because Linux hosting is a lot more secure than Windows hosting. That would not be an issue if you weren’t connecting to various networks in order to get to your control panel. For speed, there is not a clear winner. Some applications will work faster on Windows and some will run smoother on Linux. If you are investing in either of these with specific applications in mind, check out of the discussion forums about that application and the speeds on either server.

As for cost, Linux is usually a lot less to run simply because it is an open source system. Most of the applications are licensed under GNU licenses so they are free of cost. When you invest in a Windows server, you must pay for the operating system and other applications that the provider is paying to Windows to use. If you’re focusing much of your decision on PHP, ASP is definitely the winner when it comes to speed. The problem with this the fact that learning ASP can set you back for days or months.

So when you’re deciding what you need for your online store or website, take into account the various aspects of each. Are you willing to put in the time and effort of learning ASP? If not, then you will want to go with a Linux system. If you’re primary concern is with financial issues, then going with the Linux system would also be a choice worth considering. Nobody wants to pay additional cost for something they could get for free, but you always get what you pay for.

If you feel more comfortable working on a Windows application, then you will definitely want to go with a Windows system. If you’re running an online store or business, you may want to go with the Linux system. One of the biggest problems with having an online business is the threat that your customer’s personal information may be at risk. Going with a Linux system could prove invaluable to protecting the identity of your clients. Choose your system carefully and always read through online forums and customer reviews before you make your decision.

Though Unix and Windows both offer web hosting options, the code used for website development will essentially be the same. For instance, a user can create a website using FrontPage. However, Unix or Windows may be used to host the website.

There are some differences between the usability, maintenance of the site, software applications, reliability, and cost of the two web hosting services. However, the choice is entirely a personal preference.

Usability

For the novice, Windows is more user-friendly. Computer users can navigate the interface using a mouse without entering command lines. Command lines are more common in a Unix based interface. Most individuals have used a Windows application. Therefore, users will select a Windows web hosting application by default. Technical users prefer the Unix web hosting interface.

Maintenance of the Site

Unix allows users to modify code. Free servers host Unix applications. Therefore, users of Unix applications will have full access to any source code. If the user encounters errors, users with enough technical savvy can modify the code themselves without technical assistance from the designer. However, individuals who encounter an error on a Windows based web hosting server will need to consult a technical designer from Microsoft to alleviate the problem. Website developers who utilize proprietary information on their sites prefer Unix. Unix allows developers to maintain control of the website rather than a Microsoft technician.

Software Applications

Microsoft web hosting users may have access to the following applications:

• Microsoft Access Database Applications
• VBScript Scripting Languages
• ASP

However, Microsoft software applications are not compatible with Unix applications. Alternatively, Unix web hosting applications may make use of the following software applications:

• MySQL Database Applications
• PostgreSQL Database Applications
• Perl Scripting Languages
• PHP

Reliability

Experts recommend Unix over Windows in terms of reliability. Users report less time that the system is down due to problems. Unix systems can operate for days without any reported problems. In fact, a Unix system is operational 99.9 percent of the time.

Windows tends to have maintenance problems, if the system has been running to long. For reliability and stability, users prefer Unix systems for web hosting projects.

Costs

Unix offers web hosting for less than Windows web hosting. Unix web hosting services also offer setup and domains for free. Most Unix web hosting applications offer unlimited disk space and data transfer, as well as, money back guarantees.

Alternatively, Windows offers free setup, but most companies charge a minimal amount for domains. Windows offers unlimited disk space and data transfer, as well.

cPanel

Many novices do not select Unix as a web hosting service because its applications are not as user-friendly as Windows based applications. Most common users are familiar with Windows based applications in home use. Therefore, when selecting a web hosting platform, the user automatically defaults to a Windows based application. However, there are some benefits to using Unix.

Unix is more reliable, stable, and costs less than Windows based applications. To make Unix web hosting more appealing to consumers, cPanel was introduced as a user-friendly option. cPanel uses tools to automate the web hosting process. This creates an environment that is more intuitive to the common user, while maintaining the stability and reliability of Unix web hosting. Thus, it becomes more appealing to individuals who are accustomed to the Windows environment.

cPanel supports server operating systems, such as Red Hat Linux, Free BSD, and CentOS. PHP, MySQL, Apache, Perl, BIND, and Postgres are also supported by cPanel.

Summary

Selecting a web hosting service is a personal choice. The choice depends entirely upon the user that will be maintaining the site on the server once it is loaded. Therefore, the user must select the most comfortable web hosting platform for his or her needs.