Windows or Linux on your server? Deciding by workload
Answering this question with "Linux is faster" is common but incomplete. The right answer depends on one thing: which one does the software you are going to run require?
The software makes the decision
| Workload | Required / preferred |
|---|---|
| FiveM, RedM, alt:V, RAGE MP | Linux (preferred) |
| Minecraft, Rust, ARK, Valheim | Linux (preferred) |
| Metin2 | Linux |
| Knight Online, Silkroad | Windows (required) |
| Conan Exiles, V Rising | Windows (required) |
| MSSQL Server | Windows (in practice) |
| ASP.NET (the old Framework) | Windows |
| .NET (modern), Node.js, PHP, Python | Either |
| Plesk / cPanel web hosting | Either |
The "required" rows in the list are not open to discussion: that software does not run on the other system. For the rest, the choice is yours.
The resource difference is real but overstated
Windows Server's baseline consumption is 2-3 GB, Linux's 0.5-1 GB. On an 8 GB server that is the difference between 25% and 12% of usable memory — noticeable on small plans, insignificant at 32 GB.
On the CPU side, the difference between a modern Windows Server and Linux is within measurement error on most workloads. That is what "Linux is faster" really amounts to: more usable RAM for the same money, not a noticeably faster processor.
The management difference
Linux: you connect over SSH, everything is managed from the command line, and remote management consumes almost no resources. The learning curve is steep at the start. Connection steps: connecting to a server over SSH
Windows: you connect to a desktop over RDP and the graphical interface is familiar. But the RDP session itself consumes RAM and CPU, and an open RDP port is a surface under constant attack. Connection and security steps: connecting to a Windows server over RDP
Licensing
A Windows Server licence is added to the monthly cost, while Linux distributions are free. You get the same hardware more cheaply on Linux. If your software does not require Windows, that difference is a straight saving.
A practical decision flow
- Does the software you are going to run require Windows? → Windows. The decision ends here.
- Will you use MSSQL? → Windows.
- In every other case → Linux: more usable RAM, no licence cost, a smaller attack surface.
There is a simple rule for choosing the distribution too: on game servers, choose Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or Debian 12. Official server binaries are tested against these distributions; on anything else, library version mismatches will cost you time.
How this works at Datafex
Both templates are available and are chosen while ordering. The operating system installation completes automatically once payment is verified; the login details appear in the service detail in the customer panel. Virtual server plans