The core difference between linux and windows hosting servers is essentially the web engine. Linux runs Apache and windows runs IIS (Internet information server). The web engine's primary role is to interpret your web site code and then provide your rendered web site to the end user.

The windows web engine, IIS, has native support to render Microsoft programming code. The linux web engine, Apache, will render most other code, except Microsoft programming code. Both web engines will render most web sites without any problems.