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Web hosting requires an operating system on which the servers and the software run. You're undoubtedly familiar with the operating system on your personal computer, which might be something like Windows Vista or Mac OS X. An operating system hosts applications and provides a way for the user to interact with the hardware. Operating systems for web hosting servers are often called hosting "platforms." You have probably heard parts of the contentious debate between companies and users about the respective virtues and drawbacks of the Windows and Mac operating systems. As this debate indicates, there can be major differences between operating systems and hosting platforms. Which platform is used by your web hosting provider will affect your website in a variety of ways, including determining your site's stability and security.

A hosting platform is at the base of your website. Even though it operates almost completely behind the scenes, the web hosting operating system is a big part of what keeps your website up, running, and accessible. There are a variety of hosting platforms available out there. In this article, we'll explore some of the advantages and disadvantages of two of the most popular hosting platforms: Windows and Linux.

Have you ever tried to visit a website and received an error message that the site was temporarily down? In many cases, this happens because the site's hosting operating platform was not stable enough to handle a heavy load of visitor traffic, causing it to crash. It makes sense that visitor traffic puts a burden on a hosting platform's performance, of course, but it's imperative that the system be stable enough to stand up to the challenge. You don't want visitors to your website to encounter that error message you've seen on other sites.

Stability is not one of the strongest suits of the Windows hosting platform, though its stability has improved markedly over the years since it was first introduced. Linux-based hosting platforms, on the other hand, are renowned for their stability, even when challenged by heavy web visitor traffic. For this reason, websites hosted on Linux-based operating systems (like the hosting platform used by Freeservers) tend to have better uptime than do those hosted on Windows-based

It's no secret that security is an important consideration for your website. You don't want your site to be vulnerable to attacks from hackers or viruses, both of which are real threats out there in cyberspace. As with its stability, the Windows-based hosting platform recently has improved its security significantly over the weaknesses of its earlier versions. Linux-based hosting platforms have always tended to provide excellent security from both viruses and hackers.

Vulnerabilities in Linux are generally discovered and repaired quickly, with fixes that are rapidly and easily disseminated to users. Web hosting with Freeservers offers even more security for your website through the redundancy and special protection against malicious attacks that our architecture provides. The physical location of our web hosting servers in Los Angeles is also highly secure.

When you use web hosting services from Freeservers, we take care of the hosting platform administration for you, so you don't need to worry about it. Because many people are familiar with its interface from their home computers, Windows-based operating systems can offer a user-friendly way to administer a hosting platform. However, the Windows platform requires a great deal of skill and labor to administer, as well as specialized software. In short, running Windows on a server is not as easy as running it on a desktop. Conversely, it is simple to work with Linux-based operating systems from any internet-connected computer. There are many support resources available for both types of hosting operating systems.

Just as with your home computer, you want your hosting platform to be able to change and improve along with hardware and software upgrades that become available. Linux benefits in this particular area from the open nature of its ongoing development. While upgrading Windows-based platforms often requires the purchase of an expensive new software release, upgrades to Linux can be implemented and enjoyed much more quickly.
A hosting platform should also be compatible with the additional programs and features that will help you build and develop your website. Windows-based hosting platforms are, naturally, easily integrated with Microsoft software. The Linux-based hosting platform is compatible with a variety of open-source technologies and can also, in many cases, be compatible with Microsoft programs. The Linux-based hosting platform from Freeservers brings you valuable website-building tools such as PHP and MySQL.

Which hosting platform is right for your website depends upon how you intend to use your site. Note that it does not depend upon what operating system you are using on your personal computer to work on your website. While the Windows operating system has its advantages as noted above and is suitable for some web hosting users, Linux-based operating systems are the right choice for many more users. Freeservers uses Linux-based operating systems for this reason. Linux systems are very stable and reliable, as well as powerful and actively maintained.
With our stable and reliable hosting platform, you'll find that the performance of your website is excellent. Your visitors will be able to access your site quickly and reliably because our stable hosting system does not crash under heavy traffic loads. We have expertise supporting millions of websites with high traffic volumes, so you can rest assured that your website will experience top-notch web hosting performance with Freeservers.