Although there are Web servers available for Macintosh and Unix, the two most common forms of Web hosting are Microsoft and Linux. When selecting a hosting platform, understanding the differences between the two can help you to select the best Web hosting platform for your needs. Some hosting companies only offer Microsoft or Linux. Others offer both. Look at the specifications of your particular host to make sure that it offers the features and services you need.
Server
Although the Web server Apache is available for both Microsoft and Linux, it is generally only used on Linux Web hosts. Microsoft Web hosts generally use Microsoft's Internet Information Server (IIS). Microsoft's IIS is best suited for commercial Web management products, and won't generally support many open source Web management products, such as Drupal and WordPress. Many other open source content management systems are available for Apache and Linux.
Dynamic Pages
Dynamic pages are Web pages that are constructed on the fly to reflect current content or user requested content. Data displayed in the browser is stored in a database. Microsoft's Web hosting platforms support Microsoft's proprietary Active Server Pages (ASP). Although ASP offers "What You See is What You Get" (WYSIWYG), it is limited to Microsoft's proprietary software and support systems. Linux with Apache supports server side Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) scripts that interface with MySql, a powerful open source database system. Apache on Linux can also support a number of other open source scripting languages, including Ruby, Python and Pearl. Although Microsoft's IIS can support some aspects of these languages, for full functionality, open source tools require support for Linux .htaccess. In addition, ASP pages sometimes only run in Microsoft Internet Explorer, and may not work in other Web browsers.
Reliability
Although Microsoft has made good progress in recent years with the reliability of the Windows operating system, Linux has a better reputation for reliability and stability. According to IT Jungle, Windows Server 2003 has achieved 99 percent reliability, but a number of Linux servers are still marginally more reliable.
Cost
Linux software and most components used in on a Linux host are open source and generally free. Microsoft Web hosting technology can be very expensive. If you are building your own server as a Web host, the additional costs of using Microsoft's system are significant. However, if you are using a hosting company, the additional cost for a Microsoft-based server are only moderately more than Linux.
FrontPage
Although not commonly used, some sites were built using Microsoft's FrontPage extensions. FrontPage extensions made it easier to manage Web sites developed with FrontPage. Initially, FrontPage required IIS. However, the open source community has now developed FrontPage extensions for Apache on Linux.