Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a virtual machine containing all the privacy of an isolated physical PC. This virtual machine runs its copy of an operating system and resembles a dedicated server within a shared hosting environment. Among the several kinds of web hosting accounts, VPS hosting is the one you can choose to host your website online. The web server contains all your web files if at all you want to have a website on the internet. Starting and managing a server can both be expensive and challenging at the same time. To ease the work you can purchase a web hosting to allow you rent space on a web server. Linux and Windows are the commonest operating systems installed to run the hosting software. Besides, Virtual Private Servers also give their root access, application, memory, and configuration files. There is a common question that businesses keep asking each other. What is the difference between Linux and Windows VPS hosting?
Difference between Linux VPS and Windows VPS
However important it is, most people don’t pay attention to isolating the exact differences between these two VPS operating systems. Knowing the differences will help you decide the one you require.
Cost
Windows VPS is that hosting that is a little bit more expensive. On the other hand, Linux VPS is very economical making it termed as a cheap window hosting. The difference in the cost is because Linux operating system that is open and requires a small cost in licensing. Thus, you can download and use Linux for free, and you can save your money as a result. Windows VPS could be more expensive because of it being a commercial operating system.
Database Support
The different types of databases run on Linux are relational and allow widely optimized communication with your website in case of rapid data reclamation. The various web host providers on Linux are PostgreSQL and MySQL. On the other hand, Windows Virtual Private Servers allow both MS SQL and Microsoft Access databases. These databases are not available on Linux VPS as they can only run on Microsoft Windows.
Remote Desktop
With remote desktop access, you can enhance all Windows VPS plans. A Windows VPS server allow one to see what they are doing to the configuration of the server. On the other hand, managed Linux VPS server has an SSH and scripts requiring special Apache modules, and in turn requires commands knowledge as it is text-based.
Server Security
Server security greatly depends on the setup of the VPS server and its running administrators. However, Linux is more secure than Windows although both are secure. The compatibility in server security setup is because in both servers, latest performance patches and security maintain them. Besides, both are configured for optimal safety.
Control Panels
There are different control panels used by Linux VPS servers and Windows VPS servers. On all Linux-based hosting plans, cPanel is available. Examples of these hosting plans include Reseller, Linux Shared, and Linux Dedicated VPS servers. Web Host Manager (WHM) is available on VPS, Linux Shared, Reseller and Dedicated servers. For the case of Windows, only Plesk is available on Dedicated and Windows Shared servers.
File Names
There is a big difference between Linux and Windows VPS servers in the file names. For the case of Linux VPS servers, the files are case-sensitive. On the other hand, file names in Windows VPS servers are not Case-sensitive. That is, for Linux servers, the names are different while for Windows VPS servers, the names are the same.
Specific Applications
Windows applications requiring a Windows server include ASP Classic, ASP.NET, Visual Basic Development, and C#. Windows Dedicated Server can permit extra applications that are Windows-specific. Although, some applications may require you to buy a license to install the software on the dedicated server. Other applications which require Windows Servers are Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SharePoint, and they both require licensing and installation. Besides, Linux does not offer many various distribution options such as Debian, CentOS, and Ubuntu but Windows does.
Ease of Use
Windows VPS is easier to manage especially if you lack a seasoned IT team behind you or you are a beginner. The ease of use is because of its remote desk that has a direct GUI access. With Linux, the case is different. It requires one to have a technical know-how to accomplish specific tasks with Linux.
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