When a company faces the decision of which operating system to choose for its servers, applications, or embedded devices, it’s not just about the administrator’s technical preferences. The right choice impacts costs, security, scalability, and the ability to adapt to new challenges. And that’s where the key question arises: Linux or Windows?

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There’s no universally right answer - only the right analysis.

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In a conversation with our experienced DevOps specialist David Dlouhý, one recommendation stood out: “You always need to start with an analysis. What does the company want to develop? What resources, habits, and technologies does it have? And where is everything supposed to run?” Only when these questions are answered does the right path become clear.

Still, in many cases, Linux is the obvious choice - especially where flexibility, customization, or reduced dependency on closed systems are priorities.

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Linux as a toolkit, Windows as a ready-to-drive car

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A comparison from the interview sums it up perfectly: “Linux is for car enthusiasts who like to tinker in the garage. Windows is for someone who prefers to just drop the car off at the shop.”
Linux allows you to tailor the operating system to your needs - remove unnecessary components, tweak the kernel, and configure only what you really need. For developers, this means a high degree of freedom, especially in embedded systems or custom server setups. It also benefits from being open-source and backed by an active, friendly community.

Windows, on the other hand, offers comfort, strong support, a graphical interface, and a lower entry barrier for typical users or admins who may not have deep system-level knowledge.

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A decision that will affect the entire operation of the company

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Choosing an operating system is not just a technical question. It's about security, cost, management and the ability to grow and innovate. In other words, it affects how efficiently the business will operate - today and years from now. ‍What to consider?

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What to consider?

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• Existing infrastructure: Is the company already in a Microsoft environment, does it have contracts, a licensing model, trained staff?

• Type of product: Do we have an administrator on the team capable of effectively managing Linux? Do we want control or do we prefer a ready-made solution?

• Security and Administration: Máme v týmu správce schopného efektivně spravovat Linux? Chceme mít kontrolu nebo preferujeme ready-made řešení?

• Licensing and Cost: Is the goal to reduce costs or is it about robustness and assured support?

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‍DevOps approach: first analysis, then selection

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At Quanti, we always design a tailor-made infrastructure. Before each solution is designed, we ask where it will run, what the system will do, what the security constraints are and what the company already uses. It is this phase that decides whether it will be more profitable to go the Linux or Microsoft route.

In practice, the hybrid approach often wins out today - developers run on Windows but work with Linux tools thanks to WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). Backend applications run on Linux servers or containers. The two worlds can now complement each other well.

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What does this mean for you?

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‍If you are considering which platform to choose for a new project, application development or digital operations, don't do it in isolation.

Involve DevOps specialists at the outset, define your goals, and be clear about what a particular choice will deliver - not just today, but in a year or two.

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Need help with infrastructure design or choosing between Linux and Windows?

Get in touch.

At Quanti, we're used to designing solutions that move the world - and more importantly, work in your world.