   Easiest platform
  If I wanted to host a server process somewhere, as cheap as possible - Is a Linux based platform still the best option, or would a MS.NET be viable (minus the SQL Server as it's typically costly)?   
  Well, technically, linux remains the cheapest because it's free.  Windows costs money and is therefore more expensive than free.Looking at it from a more complete angle, it's hard to know which will cost more money once you factor in things like how much time it takes to maintain things, what resources you need to maintain them, whether you're hosting the server somewhere else where they support one thing or another, etc.  Still, linux is not unlikely to be the cheaper option.   ;  Is the question that you want to buy and set up your own machine, or that you want to find a machine on the 'net where you can rent some space?My guess is that you want to find somewhere where you can rent machine space, and run your server. There aren't really any reputable shared hosting plans that let you run your own processes, although with virtualization that might change. For now, you have to go with the $49/month bargain basement servers -- watch out for bandwidth overage charges!The quality providers start at around $99/month. Windows typically add $10-$20 per month.Check the Forum FAQ for some hosting providers to look at.   