Linux Web Hosting

Linux web hosting services are probably the cheapest around, at least when compared to Windows web hosting services; this means that if you compare web hosting providers then you should be able to find a cheap Linux web hosting package that both suits your needs but is very much within your budget. Linux web hosting services offer a reliable solution for users who wish to host very basic, low traffic websites as well as for users who may wish to host more substantial websites which for example may be based on PHP and MySQL. Because Linux as an operating system is free to use, all forms of Linux web hosting are fairly cheap as Windows can be quite costly in some cases; it is for this reason that if you need to develop a website for yourself or someone else and it requires hosting, you will probably be better off if you decide to code it using basic HTML or PHP and MySQL if it needs to be dynamic as this will help you to save on your web hosting bill in the future.

Linux web hosting services are also seen by some as to be more reliable than Windows web hosting services; the main reason for this is that when you install an application on a Linux server you don’t have to restart the server, but if you install an application on a Windows server the likelihood is that you will have to restart the server. There are also a number of security measures that can be implemented on Linux web hosting servers which aren’t available for Windows web hosting services, suggesting to some that Linux web hosting may also be more secure than Windows web hosting. Linux web hosting services are ideal for most users, although if you wish to host websites based on either classic ASP or ASP.NET then you will have consider Windows web hosting services.

What can Linux web hosting offer me?

Linux web hosting services have a lot to offer all users, but at the end of the day it will depend on who you choose as your web hosting provider and your chosen web hosting package as different web hosting providers will offer different features with their web hosting services. In any case you will find that Linux web hosting can offer you a highly reliable web hosting service; because Linux isn’t as resource intensive as Windows, Linux web hosting servers are far less likely to crash. Linux web hosting can also offer you a more secure web hosting environment; because your website hosting provider is likely to have many different security measures in place, it is highly unlikely that you are going to face any security issues with your Linux web hosting package. Linux web hosting services also have a lot to offer in terms of features; for example, if you choose cPanel web hosting services then your web hosting provider should be able to offer you quite a few extras such as the Fantastico script installer amongst many others. In summary, Linux web hosting can offer you the following:

  • Reliability – this is a key factor considered by many people who are looking for web hosting these days, but the good thing with Linux web hosting services is that you should be able to expect a good level of uptime and reliability from any Linux web hosting provider – most companies are able to use high specification servers for their web hosting services, and in the long run this will help with the reliability of your website, and remember reliability is one of the big factors to consider with any web hosting provider
  • Security – this is also a major factor that many consumers will consider in any web hosting provider, but the good thing with Linux web hosting services is that web hosting providers are able to make use of many freely available security tools which will allow them to secure there web hosting servers to a high level, thus meaning that it is more or less impossible for a hacker to penetrate the server – to ensure that your web hosting environment is as secure as possible you can always consider Linux VPS server hosting or Linux dedicated server hosting
  • Features – Linux web hosting services are generally feature packed meaning that Linux web hosting packages will offer good value for money – if you choose cPanel Linux web hosting services then your web hosting provider should be able to offer you many extras as standard such as access to the Fantastico script installer which will allow you to install a number of different applications into your web space in just a few clicks as well as the RV Sitebuilder which will allow you to build your website over the web instead of having to learn a number of different languages and techniques.

Linux web hosting has a lot to offer all users, and if you choose a reputable web hosting provider then you should be able to get good value for money from your Linux web hosting package. The low cost of a majority of Linux web hosting packages means that there is a lot of competition in the web hosting industry, and although this is good for you in terms of pricing it does mean that you need to compare web hosting providers more carefully – the best way to do this is to read web hosting reviews on third-party websites so that you get an idea of how good a web hosting provider is.

Disadvantages of Linux Web Hosting

Although Linux web hosting services may represent good value for money in what they are able to offer users, there can be some disadvantages to using them although the full extent of these disadvantages will depend on your chosen web hosting provider. The main disadvantage of Linux web hosting services is the inability to host websites which are based on either classic ASP or ASP.NET; although components exist which can emulate this to an extent, developers using either language will only ever be able to achieve the highest level of performance by using Windows web hosting. Many web hosting providers also oversell their Linux web hosting services; this can be a disadvantage for you and other users as it means that it is unlikely that you will ever be able to make full use of your resource assignments, and it also puts the stability of the hosting server at risk. The security measures in place on some Linux web hosting packages can also be preventative for some users; for example, web hosting providers using strict mod_security rules can be affecting the performance of some of the websites hosted on their Linux servers. In summary, the main disadvantages of Linux web hosting services include:

  • Inability to host ASP scripts and pages – many developers code using classic ASP and ASP.NET, but because both of these are Microsoft languages they will only function correctly on Windows web hosting services and not Linux web hosting services – although some web hosting providers may claim that their Linux web hosting services support classic ASP and ASP.NET web pages, the support is only going to be limited and to make the most of both languages you should really only consider Windows web hosting services
  • Overselling – this is something which is becoming more widespread within the web hosting industry, and is more common with Linux web hosting services – you should try and avoid web hosting providers who oversell their web hosting services because in most cases you will never be able to make use of your full resource assignments, and on top of that your web hosting provider will likely be heavily compromising on the reliability and security of the server that your website is hosted on as well as the support which you will be offered
  • Interfering security measures – although web hosting providers may think that they’re doing good by implementing a number of different security measures on their Linux web hosting servers – however, security measures such as mod_security and restrict some websites from working correctly on Linux web hosting services, and so some users are faced with the option of either putting up with it or moving on to another web hosting provider with less strict security rules – in such a situation where your web hosting provider’s security measures are affecting the running of your site, you may be able to have them disabled for your website.

The truth is that Linux web hosting is suitable for most users, and that the disadvantages are only likely to effect you if you should be using a form of web hosting other than Linux web hosting. You should be sure that Linux web hosting is the right form of web hosting for you prior to purchasing it, as in some cases you may find that once you have paid for it there is no way of getting your money back. However, Linux web hosting services should suffice for most people’s web hosting needs.

In conclusion, Linux web hosting services are able to offer good value for money if you choose a reputable web hosting provider that is able to offer you the level of support that you require for web hosting services that are reliable in their nature and come with generous assignments of disk space and bandwidth. Although some web hosting providers may have security measures in place which could affect the performance of your website, a reputable web hosting provider should be willing to disable such measures on your web hosting account specifically if asked – it doesn’t make sense for them to lose a customer over a simple problem.