The choice rarely comes down to personal preference. In practice, the software you need to run decides, and everything else follows.
The starting rule
Ask yourself one question: does the program you want to host exist in a Linux version?
- Yes → take Linux. It's cheaper, lighter and better documented server-side.
- No → take Windows. Don't lose weeks trying to run Windows software under Wine.
The cases that force Windows are fairly identifiable: trading software like MetaTrader, line-of-business applications on older .NET Framework, automated office tooling, some games or bots without a Linux build, Windows test environments.
The real cost
| Linux VPS | Windows VPS | |
|---|---|---|
| System licence | Free | Included in the price |
| Entry price | From €5 | From €8.99 |
| Idle memory | 150–300 MB | 1.5–2 GB |
| Access | SSH | Remote Desktop (RDP) |
The price gap comes from the Windows Server licence, which the host pays and passes on. The memory gap matters just as much: on a 4 GB machine, Windows consumes half of it before your application even starts.
What Linux does better
- Web services. Nginx, PHP, Node.js, Python, PostgreSQL: the server ecosystem was born there.
- Containers. Docker and Kubernetes are native on Linux.
- Automation. Everything is scriptable and reproducible.
- Lightness. A Debian web server runs comfortably in 1 GB.
What Windows does better
- The graphical interface. You see a desktop, you click. For occasional use or line-of-business software, that's decisive.
- Application compatibility. Software built for Windows runs there without adaptation.
- Active Directory integration, if your organisation already depends on it.
- Getting started. No command line to learn before you begin.
The administration question
Both need maintenance, but not the same kind:
On Linux, the essentials are SSH configuration — disable direct root login, prefer keys over passwords — and package updates.
On Windows, the critical point is the RDP port. A 3389 exposed to the internet with a weak password is scanned and attacked within hours of going live. Restrict it to your IP addresses in the firewall, rename the administrator account, and apply monthly updates.
Our recommendation
Choose Linux by default: cheaper, lighter, and you'll find an answer to almost any question online. Choose Windows when a specific piece of software demands it — and in that case, don't take the smallest plan.
Our Linux VPS start at €5 and our Windows VPS at €8.99, licence included. Both come with a dedicated IPv4 and Premium DDoS protection.