There are a lot of myths that Linux is very difficult and only system administrators and developers can use it. Without a doubt, Windows is one of the top operating systems on the market, however, Linux has far more advantages than you thought.

Licensing

- The Linux OS and most of the additional utilities and libraries are free. There are some paid distributions of Linux that offer additional support, but the prices are very moderate.

- Windows on another hand will cost you over $200 and can only be installed on X systems (usually up to 5) without purchasing additional licenses.

Open Source

- Linux is an open-source operating system and you can view and modify its code as needed.

- Windows is a commercial operating system and does not have access to the source code.

Security

- Linux is one of the most secure systems when compared to Windows or even macOS. Due to its open-source nature and a big developer community, vulnerabilities are reviewed and resolved very fast.

- Microsoft Windows is still the primary target for hackers due to its large user base. Even though Microsoft has improved the security system over the years, you definitely wouldn't want to magnet viruses and malware.

Privacy

- Linux takes into consideration the privacy of its users. Most Linux distributions don't collect your data unless you activate that feature.

- Windows collects data to enhance the consumer experience by default. And even if you disable it from the settings, some of your data will still be collected. Also, according to a recent privacy policy update, Microsoft can disclose your data at any time.

Reliability

- Linux helps your system run smoothly for a long period of time. Every Linux distribution has a focus on system security and process management. The majority of enterprise-level servers run on Linux for years without failure or even being restarted. 

- Windows still has a long way to go before it becomes stable and reliable. Many of Microsoft's products create a load on a system and it can become slow and sluggish over time. The only solution is to re-install the OS. On top of that, you have to reboot your system for every simple task, such as Windows update or installation of new software.

So, which operating system is the best? There is no right answer. Operating systems solve multiple problems at different levels and you should pick one that is suitable for your project.

You can migrate to Linux now in less than 3 minutes! Check out our article How to migrate from Windows to Linux.