Linux VPS Vs. Windows VPS: Making An Informed Decision

One of the most important decisions you’ll have to make when choosing a virtual private server (VPS) is whether a Linux or Windows-based option is right for you. While dedicated IT professionals will often swear by one system or another, it is often less clear which one provides a greater benefit for small and medium-sized businesses. While many basic functions are shared between the two, there are several notable differences that may help tip the scales.

Similarities in a Linux and Windows VPS

Both a Windows and a Linux VPS will operate in the same basic way – by dividing a physical server into virtual slices that can be occupied by your business, allowing you to store data and run applications. This division can happen using either the Linux kernel for container-based virtualization or the Windows Hyper-V hypervisor which creates parent and child partitions that support multiple server slices. Both Windows and Linux VPS options support PHP and MySQL and give you access to a set of resources you can scale up as they are needed; it’s the details that make the difference.

Windows VPS Benefits

There are a number of benefits to choosing a Windows-based VPS, starting with a more familiar graphical user interface (GUI). The Windows GUI is well-known and easy to use, and is especially helpful if you’re just getting into the world of virtual private servers. In addition, a Windows Hyper-V/Server 2008 combination will offer support for ASP and ASP.NET for website hosting, something that a Linux VPS doesn’t excel at. Remote desktop access is also a benefit for Windows VPS, which allows direct access from anywhere to your VPS server via your GUI. This makes configuration and server management far easier than through the text-based SSH interface offered by Linux solutions. You’ll also get better support for Microsoft SQL and Microsoft Access – while they may work with Linux, they are work natively with Windows.

Linux VPS Benefits

One of the key benefits to a Linux VPS is cost – because Linux is an open-source program, many virtual private server plans are cheaper with a Linux option instead of Windows. Most Linux server applications are also available freely, and while support for certain distributions of Linux may not be as robust as that for Windows, you will not need to bear the cost of licensing fees. Linux also offers you greater choice when it comes to VPS control panels – while the Plesk panel will work with both Windows and Linux VPS solutions, cPanel can only be used with Linux. You’ll also typically see a greater level of reliability from Linux-based options because of the passionate community support that many flavors of the OS enjoy. Linux can be optimized to work in almost any environment, providing increased performance overall. SSH Access also offers a benefit for Linux VPS users – while it is more complicated to use because it is text-based, the lack of a heavy GUI will lighten your server load, so to speak.

Ultimately, the choice between a Linux and Windows VPS comes down to which OS offers you the best value for your dollar. Linux is a great option for businesses owners that are more technically adept or that want direct control over their server via SSH. Linux also has more variants of its OS to choose from. Windows solutions, meanwhile, work seamlessly right out of the virtual box and, when Hyper-V is combined with Windows Server R2 2008, can provide ease of use along with live migration services and failover protection in the form of high availability (HA) clustering.