Web Hosting Reviews & Ratings

August 03, 2010

Why is Linux Web Hosting so Popular?

In the consumer electronics industry there is one brand that has become virtually synonymous with computers - Microsoft Windows. This operating system has dominated all other consumer OS since the 80's and this trend does not appear as if it is going to end anytime soon. Nearly every software you can name has a Windows version, and many software titles are designed specifically for the Windows platform. Windows was the pioneering contributor in the revolution of WYSIWYG(What You See is What You Get) operating systems, and thus has dominated the personal computer industry. However, the same cannot be said for the web hosting industry. Everywhere you turn there are hosting companies offering Linux web hosting plans. In fact many web hosting companies have no Windows plans on offer at all! The irony of this situation is that the average computer user has never even heard of Linux before, yet uses Windows on a daily basis. So, why is Linux web hosting so popular?

The Perspective of the Hosting Company

First, you must realize that the hosting plans offered by web hosting service providers are not dictated by the end user's wants and needs, but instead are dictated by the cost and reliability of the servers that can be purchased and leased by the hosting company themselves. There are several reasons why web hosting companies prefer Linux web servers over their more traditional Windows counterparts. The most obvious reason is that the Linux OS is far cheaper than the Windows OS. The Linux OS is also surprisingly more reliable than the Windows operating system, and thus is cheaper to maintain. The Windows operating system is constantly being updated, and all software updates and upgrades much be purchased from Microsoft only. Linux is a much simpler and more stable operating system, and is also open source.

The Stability and Flexibility of Linux

The stability and flexibility of Linux stems from the fact that it is an open source operating system, which means that the source code of Linux can be modified and updated by anyone with the knowledge and desire to do so. Therefore there are far less bugs that occur due to the lack of updates, since there are literally thousands of developers around the world constantly developing new software and amending Linux to be more stable and more convenient. On the other hand, when a bug arises in the Windows operating system there is no solution other than to wait for Microsoft to fix it, which may take months. If Linux is more reliable, then why does Windows web hosting cost more than Linux web hosting?

Conclusion

Although Linux is more reliable than Windows, Microsoft applications need to be run on a Windows-based server. Since Microsoft has effectively monopolized a large majority of the software industry, many webmasters that frequently use Microsoft server software have no choice but to use Windows web hosting. To provide this service the web hosting companies have to pay more for the Windows operating system, and the support that is needed to maintain it. Thus the added cost stems from a combination of supply and demand, and higher support costs.

Tags: Linux OS,  Linux web server,  Linux Web Hosting,  Linux hosting,  linux