What is the difference between Linux web hosting and Windows web hosting?

Deciding on which operating system to host on, will depend on the functional needs of your website. If your needs require the support of Microsoft products such as ASP, MS Access, or VBScript, then you should host on a Windows platform. In addition, if you are comfortable with IIS and do not have the time to understand how a UNIX system operates, then Windows hosting would again be a better choice.

However, there are some things you should be aware of. Just because you may be using a Windows operating system at home does not necessarily mean that you should use Windows for your hosting needs. The two are completely different and having nothing to do with eachother. Using a Windows operating system at home will not affect your ability to communicate with a Linux system.

Linux is much more common with web hosts, due to its superior stability and because the operating system is free. Since it is free to install, Linux hosting is usually much cheaper then Windows. Although it is free, Linux is an excellent platform!