When ordering you choose between Windows Server 2022 and several Linux distributions. Neither is better in general: it depends on what you will run and what you are comfortable with.
The difference in one table
| Windows Server 2022 | Linux | |
|---|---|---|
| How you use it | Desktop, mouse and windows (remote desktop) | Terminal (SSH), with commands |
| RAM the system keeps | About 4 GB just for itself | A few hundred MB |
| Ideal for | Beginners, Windows-only software, ARK: Survival Ascended | Websites, bots, databases and most games with a Linux build |
| Sensible minimum plan | 4 GB of RAM or more, ideally 8 GB | Works from 2 GB |
By game
- FiveM: both work well. Windows is easier if you do not know Linux; on Linux the server keeps more RAM.
- Minecraft, Rust, Valheim, Palworld, CS2, Project Zomboid, 7 Days to Die: they have a Linux server and run as well or better there with less memory.
- ARK: Survival Ascended: its server only exists for Windows. Choose Windows.
- A Discord bot or a website: Linux, no question.
If you choose Linux, which one?
| Distribution | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Ubuntu Server 24.04 | The default choice: the best documented, supported until 2029. |
| Ubuntu Server 22.04 | Fine if a guide or program asks for exactly that version. |
| Debian 12 | Very stable and light; perfect for servers you do not want to touch. |
| Debian 13 | The newest Debian, with more recent packages. |
| Rocky Linux 8 | If you come from the Red Hat / CentOS world. |
| Ubuntu 20.04 and Debian 11 | At the end of their support: only if something old requires them. |
| CentOS 8 | Avoid it: it stopped receiving updates in 2021. If you need something compatible, use Rocky Linux 8. |
What if I pick wrong?
You can change it whenever you like from Settings → Reinstall Server, without ordering anything new and keeping your IP. But reinstalling wipes the whole disk, so take what matters off it first. More in how to reinstall the system.