What do you prefer for website development? -- Open source technology or Commercial software?

Microsoft versus open source

Why only consider Microsoft? why not Sun?

You can develop dynamic web sites using one of the following:

1. J2EE-JSP (Sun technology)
2. Dot Net-ASP.NET (Microsoft technology)
3. PHP (Open source)

If you want to develop stable, secured, strong and huge web sites, you will go for the J2EE.

For medium and small web sites, you should go for the ASP.NET.

It doesn't really matter what technology you're using. It all depends on the cost and time you are willing to spend on a web site. All technologies will do the work.

J2EE is very expensive to host and maintain. ASP.NET is cheaper. PHP is very very cheap to host.

Most people tend to use PHP because it is cheaper and is well integrated with MySQL database. MySQL database is an open source database engine. But not as secured as Oracle or MS SQL Server. When you work with open source technologies, you end up with cost free web site, you will only pay for the hosting.

So, again, it's a matter of what web site you're developing and what costs are you (or your client) willing to pay.

Open source or commercial... that's something that you have to choose with what you are comfortable with. I mix the two to get the best of all ;)
Also check other development languages: Ruby, Lasso Professional, Python, Coldfusion... Report It

Ruby (with the Ruby On Rails framework - but, in my opinion, not so easy to get it on a webserver like Apache or IIS) (open source) (www.ruby-lang.org) Report It

Lasso Professional (a very robust language with an easy to learn syntax) (commercial - as of the upcoming version 8.5: free for developers but you need to buy a server licence) (www.omnipilot.com) Report It

Python (I haven't used this one, but a couple of people say that this is a very powerful language. Also check the Django framework - www.djangoproject.com) (www.python.org) (open source) Report It

Coldfusion (HTML-like syntax. It's not my preferred development language, but other people do) (www.adobe.com/products/coldfu... (commercial) Report It

open source every time.

Open Sourcce. If you go commecial , then you have to have a clear idea of how many users you are expecting.On a web site , this is really difficult to predict. ( Try and get a quote for ORacle DB licences without knowing that!).The only plus point is being able to pay for ( and how!) really good levels of support from the vendor company.