Windows or Linux - Which Should I Choose?

If you are a professional web site developer, you probably already know which hosting platform you want, or at least that there is a difference between the two! For everyone else, you would probably like a few pointers. For a start, it doesn't matter what operating system your web site is developed on (ie. Windows or Macintosh), or even what PC you run yourself at home. The web site itself is hosted on a server at your Internet Service Provider or hosting provider, which will typically run Windows or a Linux-based operating system - the two most common web site hosting platforms. Each platform offers a variety of standard services, but also offers additional services, each with their own particular benefits.

Linux hosting is probably the most common hosting platform in the world.It is "open source" based, meaning that the software is developed not by just one company but by programmers all over the world, who strive to improve the quality, features, and security of the platform. Linux in most forms also happens to be free, which means it tends to be cheaper than Windows based software, which involves paying license fees to Microsoft. PerthWeb (WebClick's parent company) develops many web sites on the Linux platform, and finds it very fast, stable, and flexible. It features a vast array of features, and many tools are available to assist in development. WebClick offers several hosting accounts on Linux, from budget accounts through to business accounts.

PerthWeb also develop many web sites on the Windows platform. Why do we do this? Because there are some very powerful development languages on the Windows platform, such as Macromedia ColdFusion and Micosoft ASP (Active Server Pages), which make development faster and more cost effective. Windows hosting also offers the powerful commercial database Microsoft SQL Server, which is the database of choice for many businesses. Microsoft Windows hosting also offers support for Microsoft Frontpage server extensions and Microsoft Access databases, which allow easy development and management of web sites.

If you're still not sure which hosting platform your web site requires, please feel free to contact us. We'll be happy to help you decide.