It depends on your goals, but a Linux server will work for most people. Servers that run the Linux operating system support most programming languages and have more features web developers might expect. Linux is also the more popular server operating system, powering about 37.8% of all websites on the internet, according to Web Technology Surveys. A lot of website-creation tools and applications run on Linux so they will work on these servers with no extra effort. Linux servers are also generally cheaper than Windows servers. If you're a small business owner maintaining your own site, or you're starting your own blog or online store, a Linux server has what you need.  Servers that use the Windows operating system use the programming language C#. That means if you already know Python, Perl or another language, you'll have to learn C#. Windows servers also use Microsoft-specific tools and applications like Microsoft Access, Microsoft SharePoint and MSSQL. If you run into issues with these applications or your server, you can contact Microsoft's customer support who should be able to solve your issue in a timely fashion. Linux is an open-source operating system, so while there is a community of people working to fix bugs, you'll likely have to dig around to find a solution that works for you. Many large corporations and organizations use Windows servers, so if you want to work for one of them in the future, you could benefit from practicing with your own server and putting that on your resume.