What is Windows hosting?
Windows hosting runs on Microsoft’s Windows Server operating system and the IIS (Internet Information Services) web server. Applications built with Microsoft technologies such as ASP.NET Core, .NET Framework, Classic ASP and Microsoft SQL Server (MSSQL) run natively in this environment.
Limitsiz Bulut Windows hosting runs on Windows Server 2022, IIS 10 and the Plesk Obsidian control panel. Each of your sites is isolated in its own IIS application pool, databases are hosted on NVMe SSD, and the servers sit in our Istanbul data centre.
Linux or Windows?
The technology your project is written in decides; the operating system on its own is not a measure of quality.
| Criteria | Windows hosting | Linux hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | ASP.NET Core, .NET Framework, Classic ASP | PHP, WordPress, Laravel |
| Web server | IIS 10 | LiteSpeed Enterprise |
| Control panel | Plesk | cPanel |
| Database | MSSQL and MySQL | MySQL / MariaDB |
| Configuration | web.config | .htaccess |
| Deployment | Web Deploy, Git, FTP | Git, SSH, FTP |
For WordPress or PHP projects, WordPress hosting or unlimited Linux hosting delivers better performance.
Who is it for?
- .NET developers and software houses: teams that want to publish client projects straight from Visual Studio.
- Business applications: intranets, dealer portals, booking and ordering systems backed by MSSQL.
- Keeping legacy projects alive: applications written in .NET Framework 4.8 or Classic ASP that would be costly to rewrite.
- APIs and microservices: ASP.NET Core Web API services feeding data to mobile apps.
2026 Windows hosting prices
Prices are in USD, per month and exclude VAT.
| Plan | Monthly price | Websites | NVMe disk | MSSQL | CPU / RAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Starter | 3.99 USD | 1 | 5 GB | 1 (1 GB) | 1 Core / 1 GB |
| Windows Pro | 5.99 USD | 3 | 15 GB | 3 (2 GB) | 2 Core / 2 GB |
| Windows Business | 9.99 USD | 10 | 40 GB | 10 (5 GB) | 4 Core / 4 GB |
| Windows Enterprise | 17.99 USD | Unlimited | 100 GB | Unlimited (10 GB) | 6 Core / 8 GB |
Every plan includes ASP.NET Core 8 / 9 / 10, .NET Framework 4.8.1 / 3.5, Classic ASP, PHP 8.x, Web Deploy, a separate application pool, remote SSMS connections, Let's Encrypt SSL, DDoS protection, weekly backups and free migration. The size in the MSSQL column is the limit per database.
Which .NET version should you choose?
According to Microsoft’s support policy, support for .NET 8 (LTS) and .NET 9 (STS) ends in November 2026. .NET 10 is the long-term support (LTS) release that shipped in November 2025 and is supported for three years. We recommend starting new projects on .NET 10 and planning to move existing .NET 8 and 9 projects to .NET 10 so you keep receiving security updates. Because Plesk lets you choose the version per site, you can upgrade one site at a time.
.NET Framework 4.8.1 continues to be supported as part of Windows, and Web Forms, MVC 5 and WCF applications run on it without issues.
Tips for choosing a plan
RAM needs grow with the number of application pools
Every ASP.NET Core site runs its own process and holds memory. Starter is enough for a single small API, but if you will run several sites at once, the 4 GB of RAM in Business gives you comfortable headroom.
Size MSSQL to your growth rate
Log and audit tables grow over time. If your database is 500 MB today, factor in a year of growth and choose a plan with a 2 GB or 5 GB limit.
Number of sites for agencies
For software teams hosting many client projects, the Enterprise plan with unlimited sites and databases simplifies management.
Deploying your project
- Choose a plan: your Plesk account is created automatically once payment is confirmed. If you do not have a domain yet, register one with a domain search.
- Set the .NET version: in Plesk site settings, choose the ASP.NET Core or .NET Framework version and the application pool mode.
- Create an MSSQL database: add the connection string Plesk gives you to appsettings.json or web.config. You can restore existing data from a .bak backup.
- Publish with Web Deploy: download the publish profile from Plesk, import it in Visual Studio via Publish > Import Profile, and publish.
- Enforce HTTPS: enable the Let's Encrypt certificate and add an HTTP-to-HTTPS redirect rule to web.config.
If you are moving from another provider
Our team moves your site files, MSSQL database (as a .bak backup or script) and IIS settings free of charge. Sharing the .NET version you use, any custom IIS modules and your scheduled tasks before the move speeds things up. Your site stays live on the old server until testing is complete, and we plan the DNS switch together.
Performance and security recommendations
- Publish framework-dependent: the ASP.NET Core Hosting Bundle is installed on our servers, so your package is smaller and deployments are faster.
- Schedule application pool recycling: recycle at night rather than during peak hours.
- Keep connection strings out of source code: do not commit passwords to Git; use environment-specific appsettings files.
- Hide error details: turn off detailed error pages in production and write logs to files instead.
- Business certificate needs: for portals handling customer data consider a business SSL that verifies company identity, and for many subdomains a Wildcard SSL.
When should you move to a VPS?
Windows Services, custom software in scheduled tasks, COM components and applications that need server-wide settings do not run in a shared environment. If you need any of these, or your CPU usage stays high, you can move to our VPS server solutions with administrator access. For professional email on your domain, take a look at our business email plans as well.
Conclusion
Windows hosting is the most natural environment for projects built in the .NET and MSSQL ecosystem. With current .NET versions, Web Deploy and isolated application pools, you can manage both new and legacy projects from one panel. See our blog for more technical content, and get free help from our team with migrations or version upgrades.