Cheap, fast and easy to learn. On these three foundations PHP has become one of the most popular scripting language. When you need to create a blog or a static website there is no big deal which hosting platform you choose – Windows or Linux. They both support HTML and CSS equally, providing you with all the necessary features to create a static website. The other thing is when your aim is a website with dynamic content. If you want to create a forum, eCommerce site or other forms of scripting, to choose the best hosting platform is a must.
The other advantage of PHP is that it runs on Linux that is open source and requires no extra cost spent. For example, to use ASP you need to have IIS installed on a Windows platform server. It may seem quite expensive. MySQL databases are also available at no cost for PHP users, while MSSQL for Windows should be purchased separately. However, price is not the only reason to choose PHP web hosting.
PHP vs. ASP – What is Better?
As a rule, Linux hosting is used for scripts that are based on Perl and PHP. Among such scripts you can find well-known content management systems as Drupal, Joomla and WordPress. When you choose Windows servers hosting, you will use scripts written in ASP. So, what is the difference?
PHP is simpler than ASP if we are talking about your technical skills. Written in C, PHP makes coding easier. What is more, PHP can boast of a great support of various database systems where MySQL remains to be the leading one. It is an open source that requires no cost. There are plenty of applications available on the Web created by numerous developers who work with PHP. These tools and applications are also free of use.
Linux & Windows – Applications to Use
PHP is based on C++ language that is still considered to be the best programming language for many web developers. Thus, if you feel comfortable with C++, PHP can be the best solution for you. Some people prefer to use Microsoft products because of their visual appeal. However, today you can also choose a lot of Linux products and applications that add magnetic look to your every day work.
Speed is the other thing to consider when making a decision. PHP is considered to be faster than ASP. However, there is no such clear distinctions between Windows and Linux. There are things that work faster with Linux and some applications that are more easier to run with Linux. In this case you need to pay attention to costs.
Do You Need Cross-Platform Scripting?
Choosing PHP hosting you will use MySQL databases to create and manage your website. However, MySQL works well with both Linux and Windows. Today you also can find cross-platform scripting allowed. It is the scripting when you can use PHP/Perl on Windows as well as ASP on Linux. Anyway, why to make simple things more complicated? Such cross-platform scripting don’t provide you with smooth performance if compare with the program that is run on its native platform.
However, such possibility allows you to forget about limitation concerning Linux or Windows hosting to choose when you decide to use PHP. Thanks to PHP-based scripts and applications perfectly run on any type of hosting, you have more options to choose from.
Cheap Web Hosting for Your Business
Choosing the cheapest hosting plan for your business you need to know that in this case PHP hosting is the only solution if compare with Windows. PHP has a strong community that includes various forums and databases where you can find all the necessary information including extra special applications and themes developed by other web programmers. You can use such extensions and scripts absolutely free. Of course, there can be exclusions to this rule when you need to pay extra cash for some really sophisticated programs to use. However, it can’t be compared with the sums you spend on Windows and Microsoft products that are necessary for your project.
