Web Hosting: Windows or Unix?
Many new webmasters are overwhelmed with decisions to make when it comes time to choose a web host. In this article, we’ll take a look into one of the first –and most important – decisions you’ll have to make. If you’re debating whether to choose Windows hosting or Unix hosting, help is just around the corner.
If you already have a website, your decision may have been made for you when the site was built. If your site uses ASP or ASP.NET, you are better off with a Windows web host. Though it is possible to run .NET sites on a Unix/Linux server, I wouldn’t recommend it. In addition to relying on unknown third party software, dynamic ASP and .NET sites frequently use integrated Windows permissions, SQL Server databases, and other proprietary Microsoft technology. In short, .NET was designed to run on a Windows server. It’s best to put it on one.
If your site uses PHP, Python, or other scripting languages or technologies, it’s best to host it on a Unix server. Not only is it generally cheaper than Windows hosting, but for similar reasons as above it’s best not to try to put a square peg in a round hole.
If your site is simply static HTML or you don’t have a website yet, your options are more open. At this point, it makes sense to think about the future a little before jumping into your web hosting decision. Will you want a dynamic site now or in the future? What about a database? Do you know any scripting languages, or is it clear that your site will be programmed in a specific language in the future?
Try to answer these questions by thinking about what you eventually want your site to be. Once you have a good idea, talk to developers about what you want and get price estimates. Your goal is to figure out your exact hosting requirements for the coming year – if you choose a .NET developer, you’ll want to go with a Windows host. If you choose a PHP developer, select a Unix plan.
In short, the best way to decide whether to use Windows hosting or Unix hosting is to plan your site, then tailor your hosting plan to allow your site to grow into it with the least headache.
Of course, no comparison of Unix to Windows hosting would be complete without a note on reliability. Unix is typically considered to be a more stable environment and less vulnerable to attack. As far as stability is concerned, I have seen very little hard evidence of this with Microsoft’s most recent server products. If you’re concerned about your site being attacked by hackers, don’t. All reputable web hosting companies have strict security measures in place and very rarely suffer downtime due to malicious behavior, regardless of operating system.
To sum up, try to find out if your site will need Windows hosting because of language or database requirements. If it does, choose a Windows plan. If not, go with Unix. That wasn’t so difficult after all, now was it?
Many new webmasters are overwhelmed with decisions to make when it comes time to choose a web host. In this article, we’ll take a look into one of the first –and most important – decisions you’ll have to make. If you’re debating whether to choose Windows hosting or Unix hosting, help is just around the corner.
If you already have a website, your decision may have been made for you when the site was built. If your site uses ASP or ASP.NET, you are better off with a Windows web host. Though it is possible to run .NET sites on a Unix/Linux server, I wouldn’t recommend it. In addition to relying on unknown third party software, dynamic ASP and .NET sites frequently use integrated Windows permissions, SQL Server databases, and other proprietary Microsoft technology. In short, .NET was designed to run on a Windows server. It’s best to put it on one.
If your site uses PHP, Python, or other scripting languages or technologies, it’s best to host it on a Unix server. Not only is it generally cheaper than Windows hosting, but for similar reasons as above it’s best not to try to put a square peg in a round hole.
If your site is simply static HTML or you don’t have a website yet, your options are more open. At this point, it makes sense to think about the future a little before jumping into your web hosting decision. Will you want a dynamic site now or in the future? What about a database? Do you know any scripting languages, or is it clear that your site will be programmed in a specific language in the future?
Try to answer these questions by thinking about what you eventually want your site to be. Once you have a good idea, talk to developers about what you want and get price estimates. Your goal is to figure out your exact hosting requirements for the coming year – if you choose a .NET developer, you’ll want to go with a Windows host. If you choose a PHP developer, select a Unix plan.
In short, the best way to decide whether to use Windows hosting or Unix hosting is to plan your site, then tailor your hosting plan to allow your site to grow into it with the least headache.
Of course, no comparison of Unix to Windows hosting would be complete without a note on reliability. Unix is typically considered to be a more stable environment and less vulnerable to attack. As far as stability is concerned, I have seen very little hard evidence of this with Microsoft’s most recent server products. If you’re concerned about your site being attacked by hackers, don’t. All reputable web hosting companies have strict security measures in place and very rarely suffer downtime due to malicious behavior, regardless of operating system.
To sum up, try to find out if your site will need Windows hosting because of language or database requirements. If it does, choose a Windows plan. If not, go with Unix. That wasn’t so difficult after all, now was it?
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