Linux vs. Windows Server - The Ultimate Comparison

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Linux vs. Windows Server The Ultimate Comparison
Choosing a server for your use that fits your
utility and level up your efficiency is not
easy. It is an important factor while working in
an Operating System. Settling on an Operating
system is a confusion that developers and tech
users face. This is because every user,
business, firm, and enterprise have different
goals to be taken care of. To make a correct
choice between Linux and Windows servers, read
this article till the end. This article has
edged out the ultimate differences that you
should know before settling for any type of
server. Linux Server Based on the Linux
Operating system, the Linux server is open-source
software built around the Linux Kernel. Linus
Torvalds developed this Linux server in 1991. The
main function of Linux is to manage and allocate
software resources, and their artifacts. Till
the late 1990s, Linux was not used in web servers
of big business enterprises. However, at
present, this is used by major vendors like IBM
and Oracle.
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• Pros
• The greatest feature of Linux is its portability-
  this means the code can be transferred from one
  system architecture to the other with high
  compatibility.
• It supports multitasking which makes it more
  versatile and flexible.
• The security system of Linux is commendable
  making it very less prone to cyber-attacks.
• Along with being open-sourced and thus freely
  available, it also provides community support
  for the maintenance and implementation of new
  versions
• Cons
• It is not as user-friendly as Windows Server.
• It is not advisable to use Linux for any gaming
  or entertainment sector. It is far less
  compatible in comparison to Windows.
• Linux cannot provide technical support at par
  with Windows.
• It becomes very clumsy to create drives and
  manage storage and clouds with Linux.
• Pricing
• Linux does not require a high infrastructure cost
  due to its lightweight operating system that
  doesnt demand much hardware resources. Linux is
  open-source, freely available software. There
  are licensing costs involved along with the cost
  of buying the hosting package. A cost is
  involved in maintaining and installing to deal
  with Linux configuration and other issues.
• Related 10 Crucial Linux Terms That You Need To
  Know
• Windows Server

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• The licensing gives guaranteed maintenance of
  five years and extended maintenance support of
  five years.
• Due to its automated updates, it requires less
  monitoring and maintenance as compared to any
  other operating system.
• Cons
• High licensing fees of Windows OS make it the
  least cost-effective.
• The security of Windows is not as strong as
  Linux. Thus, a strong third-party antivirus is
  required to protect the OS from viruses, malware,
  and other cyber-attacks.
• The GUI of Windows makes it more
  resource-intensive.
• Pricing
• Due to the high resource requirement and
  allocation, the windows server is linked to
  higher infrastructure costs. Along with that, a
  licensing fee is included, varying from vendor
  to vendor, edition to edition.
• Related 5 Reasons why You Should Upgrade To
  Windows Server 2012
• Tabular comparison of Linux and Windows Server
• A tabular comparison is set below to understand
  the basic difference between Linux and Windows.

Linux Windows
Definition Linux is open-source software built around the Linux kernel. Windows is a product of Microsoft and is a brand for a group of server operating systems.
Architecture Linux server is considered a combination in a form. It is called Linux distribution and it can be used for desktop and server Windows server is a set of operating systems, developed by Microsoft
Cost Difference The cost is lower as compared to a Windows server but there are license costs involved when you opt for a cPanel control A huge licensing fee is included during the installation of this operating system. In this case, the end-user must purchase
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panel. the licenses for use
User Experience It is based on the command line of operation. So it requires an experienced Linux administrator to work with. It is based on Graphical User Interface. This makes Windows more interesting and user-friendly than Linux. Even, a beginner with less tech knowledge can use it easily.
Security Linux is protected from malware and cyber-attacks. Since users are not given access to the core system settings, any violation of security is quickly detected and resolved Being more user-interactive, Windows is more prone to viruses, malware, and cyber-attacks.
Support All the commonly asked questions are answered by the community. Community support for long-term with documentation. However, they are costly as compared to Linux.
Database support MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL, SharePoint
Script support Perl, PHP, Python, and other Unix languages ASP, ASP.NET
Which one to choose Linux vs. Windows While
choosing between a server operating system,
consider the criteria like Your Utility This
is the first thing you should consider while
choosing a server operating system. Since you
know that Linux operates on the command line, it
supports MySQL and PHP. Therefore, installing
WordPress on a Linux server would be a wise
choice as you can get easy access to Apache,
HTTP, NodeJS environments, Java Scripts, Perl,
Python, and other site creation tools. Cost
When it comes to any service, the cost is always
one of the factors which affect our choice. From
a cost perspective, Linux is no doubt the best
option since it is
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open-source software that doesnt incur a heavy
licensing fee. You just need to pay for the
installation and maintenance. User Experience
It entirely depends upon who is going to operate
and work on the system. By now, you know that
Linux server operating system requires an admin
who would have prompt skill in command lines. If
you are not a veteran in managing and allocating
the resources through the command line, it is
better to pay for the licensing fee of Windows.
Windows can be used even by an administrator who
is using it for the first time. Conclusion Micro
soft Windows and Linux are growing their market
share in the use of server operating systems.
According to Statistics of Statista 2019, the
Windows Operating system was used by a large
percentage of 72.2 of servers worldwide while
Linux accounted for 13.6 of the market share.
Though Windows significantly captures more
market share, Linux is gaining popularity over
the years due to its scalability, portability,
security, and flexibility. Though it cannot
compete with Windows, Linux has its fan base
with its utility. If you need a server that is
secure, stable, cost-efficient, and allows
customization, choose a Linux server. On the
contrary, windows servers are more user-friendly
and easier to manage.