If you’re involved in managing servers for web hosting then you’ll appreciate the importance of having a simple, yet highly effective method of monitoring and looking after your hosting infrastructure. The most effective way of managing all the processes related to routine tasks of hosting infrastructure is to use a web hosting control panel.
Fortunately, this issue has been addressed by many hosting companies as they include their own hosting control panel or Graphical User Interface (GUI).
The web hosting control panel approach will allow you to monitor and adjust your server services from virtually anywhere with a stable internet connection. We’ve made this detailed guide to help you understand the most popular options available on the market and decide which one’s the best choice for you.
Common Hosting Control Panel Features
Most server control panels provide you with a massive set of tools. The overall list of features may vary slightly from product to product. However, here we’re going to focus our attention on the most typical categories of tools:
- Domain Name System (DNS) management.
- Control over DBMS. The most typical options are MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL.
- Server account management (user accounts setup/configuration, quotas, access rights).
- Backups (full server backup, backups of separate accounts, backup automation/ scheduling).
- Mailing infrastructure management (Exim/Dovecot/Postfix mail servers management, DKIM/SPF/DMARC configuration, IMAP/POP3/SMTP protocols support, e-mail accounts management, mail queue supervision).
- SSL certificates management and automation.
- Log files access and reporting.
- Ongoing monitoring of all system services via a web-based interface.
- Ability to install additional services and apps.
- Support of Linux and Windows operating systems
- Dedicated support of WordPress ( as the most popular cms worldwide )
As any other software on the market, hosting control panels have regular updates and various add-on packages. Top control panels have special enterprise versions with specific features:
- Multiple servers management via one interface
- Multiple VPS management
- Support of IPv6 protocol
- Firewall and security policies management
Other valuable features of hosting panels
Managing Your Domains
Addon Domains – Many web panels come with a domain name management section. Giving you some control over the ones that you’ve bought. Any additional domains that you pick up are known (rather helpfully) as Addon Domains, and you can link a different website or (email etc.) with each one of them.
Parked domains – a Parked Domain is like a vacant lot. The land maybe yours, but you don’t have a house on it yet. A Parked Domain doesn’t have a website of its own. It may look as if something is there but that’s probably only because it’s been pointed somewhere else. This is how that works. Let’s imagine you’ve bought three domains called forinstance.com, forinstances.com, and thisforinstance.com. If the first one is the main one then you could have the other two point to it instead of just leaving an empty.
Subdomains – your primary domain (or root domain) is a bit like the trunk of a tree. You can have lots of branches coming off it, and these are called Subdomains. You create each branch by taking the root domain and putting a word in front of it. You separate the two with a dot. Subdomains often have their own website with a might be used for some kind of unique purpose. An example of this could be: help.forinstance.com, which would link to help material for forinstance.com.
File Management
File management tools help you keep everything on your web server under control. If you’re lacking Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress, then they can come in really useful for managing files. Setting up File Transfer Protocol (FTP) software is another way to make sure that your website gets updated regularly. This protocol is a well-known way of transferring files, and you can set it to keep your site up to date and then leave it to do its thing.
Hotlink protection
Hotlink protection stops other web servers accessing your image files. HotLinking is when an unscrupulous individual puts images and videos on their site that belong to you. They don’t host them on their own website, they just link to where they are on yours. So not only did they pirate your content, they had to your bandwidth burden too. The Index Manager lets you control how the contents of the index directory are shown. Usually, you wouldn’t let anybody access a web server directory without there being something like an indexhtml file present to tell the web server that there’s a file that needs loading. Leaving your directory access open leaves your server open to security threats.
Custom error pages
Your control panel will let you create bespoke error pages that appear if somebody tries to visit a page on your site that doesn’t exist. So, you could tell it to show something hip like, “404 – Sorry, we’ve looked everywhere, even behind the sofa, but we’re just not seeing that page.” (Or you could just do a standard message.)
Custom Cron jobs
Cron is a scheduler. You can tell it to run scripts that certain times on certain days. It’s great for automating routine tasks like updating database views, scouring your site for broken links, or making backups. You can essentially just set it and forget it.
The World Of Hosting Panels
What are the major industry players? What each hosting control panel has to offer? What makes them different from each other? Here we go with the answers.
Plesk
Is ease of use and simplicity your primary goal? If you’re not a web hosting expert you might like Plesk, a hosting panel aimed at making it really easy to build, secure and to run your website and its applications. While cPanel first came out in 1996, Plesk has been around since 2001.
Interestingly, if you use a Windows hosting rig you will like Plesk – while cPanel is strictly Linux-only, Plesk offers a Windows edition too. Plesk platform works with Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, Red Hat Linux, Cloud Linux and Windows operating systems.
Also worth noting about Plesk, users get both client-facing functionality and admin functionality which makes it particularly flexible, overall a powerful control panel that offers its users a high level of control. It’s no wonder that a range of leading web hosts such as Go Daddy, Docker and even Google make use of Plesk.
The key features you want to keep in mind about Plesk include:
- Wide compatibility: you can use Plesk to manage both Linux and Windows servers, while it also offers installers for most popular CMS platforms.
- Management flexibility: whether you need server management features or account management features you can count on Plesk to offer these functions right out of the box.
- User-friendly UI: While cPanel’s UI is perfectly useable, you might find Plesk offers a cleaner experience more like you’re used to with popular web applications. The features are the same, however.
In turn, Plesk is focusing on everyone from individual website hosts, to small business owners through to serious developers managing a lot of sites – all with the aim to make managing a server as efficient and easy as possible.
This commercial control panel gives you framework ready environment for Node.js, PHP, Python and Ruby On Rails. Is WordPress your favorite content management system? Plesk’s WP Toolkit is the ultimate solution to automate cloning/staging, ensure high-security standards and utilize mass-management features.
Plesk and WebOps
One special point worth mentioning about Plesk is its thorough support for WebOps – Plesk says it is proud to be a web hosting control panel that’s built for WebOps. In other words, you can expect solid server and indeed website security measures alongside the ability to take control of multiple servers – all from one hosting control panel.
All-in-all Plesk really offers a high level of server control alongside a unique level of flexibility and scalability to its users.
Plesk Features
What makes Plesk unique, and why would you want to choose Plesk over another control panel solution? Let’s take a look.
SSL-security with just one click: SSL is key to good website security, everyone knows that – even if you’ve never hosted or owned a website. But website owners often find that setting up and updating SSL configurations can be a real difficulty. However, the SSL scene has changed and new services now make it easier. So, Plesk can automatically retrieve and set up your SSL certificates while also ensuring your web server is configured to only make use of HTTPS, not the insecure HTTP layer. Plesk also automatically renews your SSL certificates. With Plesk you won’t need to worry about manually securing your websites any longer. Furthermore, using Plesk you also get all the detail you need to know when your server is getting attacked.
Effortless WordPress security: Security is, without doubt, an important theme for website owners – and securing WordPress is just as important. But, like SSL certificates, WordPress security can be a tricky and time-consuming affair. Again, Plesk makes matters easier by allowing you to secure your WordPress instances with just one click. Plesk automatically ensures security patches are installed, alongside all bug fixes – it monitors WordPress updates around the clock.
Integrations: Cross-platform integration makes life easier for website owners and for developers. Plesk has two very useful integrations. First, many developers are highly dependent on Git. Plesk has offered support for Git integration from version 12.5 and up thanks to its Gitman extension, and it is relatively unique amongst hosting control panels, in this respect. Another key integration offered by Plesk is Docker – offered since 2016. In fact, you can access more than 200,000 Docker images from Plesk and you can launch Docker from Plesk without resorting to a CLI. In fact, log in to Plesk, and you will see a big range of Plesk extensions – all there to help making manage your website a lot easier.
Plesk Summary
- Plesk is one of the most popular hosting control panels known for its intuitive interface available in 31 languages.
- Plesk is commonly bundled with VPS dedicated hosting, providing a user-friendly panel for individuals or web agencies to efficiently manage servers and websites.
- Plesk supports Windows hosting, suitable for .NET websites.
- It is compatible with ARM servers, which can reduce carbon emissions and potentially lower server resource costs by up to 40%, without compromising performance.
- The panel integrates with tools like Git, Docker, and cloud services, offering staging environments and free domain names, aiming to streamline the workflow for web studios and developers. Plesk supports various technologies including WordPress, Joomla!, Laravel, .NET, Ruby, and Node.js.
- For security, Plesk includes a firewall with country blocking, fail2ban, ModSecurity, and allows integration with external monitoring systems.
cPanel/WHM
There’s something to be said for the control panel that is widely known to be the most commonly used website control panel in the history of the internet. Its user interface may be a bit old style but it is intuitive and offers all the essential server management features.
To be fair, both Plesk and cPanel are relatively seamless to use no matter your role – reseller, end-user or manager of websites. In the case of cPanel, you’ll find big web hosting providers like GoDaddy and HostGater both offering support for cPanel.
Note that cPanel only supports Linux. There is a workaround however, you can get a form of Windows support under cPanel by making use of virtualization.
Some of the most important features of cPanel include its ability to set up a CMS instance easily, thanks to simple installers. Just like Plesk, cPanel also includes plenty of great tools from databases though to backup tools. cPanel can be used with WHM too, in combination the two make for a very powerful hosting platform.
User education is important for cPanel too, the company says that it wants to empower the hosting clients that make use of cPanel, no matter how big their hosting business is. So, on the cPanel University, you will find plenty of tutorials and docs as well as a free training programme and a complete knowledge base.
WHM
Many of you will already know WHM – the admin tool that lets you manage many cPanel accounts at the same time. In essence, cPanel is the client-side of the WHM solution – it allows you to edit the files on your website, create and manage databases and to manage email accounts.
WHM is a good tool for anyone who manages more than one website because WHM makes it easy to manage several cPanel instances.
cPanel Features
Indeed, cPanel has a number of features that really sets it apart from Plesk. Here are a few we think are really worth knowing about:
Excellent performance under PHP and Ruby: If you utilise PHP7 alongside HTTP/2 plus PHP-FPM you can be sure you will be running an incredibly quick website. Note that making use of Multi-PHP makes it a bit easier to manage PHP-FPM as well as PHP itself. It also means that you can pool the configuration of your virtual hosts. Importantly, you can expect an up to 90% speed boost with cPanel and WHM, while you will also find that you use about 30% less in the way of resources on your server.
Free SSL certificate for every website: Another unique quality of cPanel is its compatibility with AutoSSL. This means that a website that you host using WHM and cPanel will automatically get an SSL certificate – and it’s free too. All you need is a couple of minutes of your time, you can install the certificate using cPanel itself. As a result hosting companies do not need to provide a service SSL.
PCI compliance: We know how important it is to comply with PCI if you take payments on your website. cPanel and WHM deliver PCI compliance in a matter of minutes. You set up PCI compliance using the easy to use interface of WHM.
Block malicious parties: cPanel has a tool which can help site admins and site owners to block unwanted visitors with bad intents, while at the same time making sure real visitors are let through to a site. It’s called cPHulk. It’s a configurable tool as well: with it you can blacklist (country, IP or account) while you also have the option to whitelist based on similar criteria. cPHulk also lets you block logins to admin areas such as WHM and cPanel, and server features including SSH, FTP and of course e-mail.
cPanel Summary
- cPanel is a widely-used hosting panel that caters well to shared hosting needs. It enables hosting numerous websites on a single server, which can be cost-effective for businesses looking to optimize profit margins.
- Its compatibility with CloudLinux enhances shared hosting by providing effective site isolation with CloudLinux’s advanced features.
- cPanel includes Configuration Cluster and DNS Cluster functionalities, facilitating the distribution of configurations across multiple servers and offering more reliable DNS services without single points of failure. It also supports Role-Based server setups, allowing for the distribution of mail, web, and backup services across different servers for increased stability and easier management.
- The panel integrates with WHMCS, providing a range of features including a marketplace and billing capabilities.
DirectAdmin
DirectAdmin is a web hosting control panel created for Linux servers. It currently supports CloudLinux, Red Hat, Fedora Core, CentOS, FreeBSD, Ubuntu and Debian.
DirectAdmin offers a list of all the basic tools you’d expect from this type of hosting platform. And it can be considered a really good choice for new users on a budget.
Kloxo-MR
You can benefit from a wealth of high-quality features with the Kloxo-MR control panel. It’s a spin-off of the original Kloxo, including features missing from that version. The new Kloxo-MR supports an extensive list of web and cache servers. Like Nginx-Proxy, Apache, nginx, Hiawatha, Hiawatha-proxy, Squid, Varnish, Lighttpd-proxy, as well as ATS. Kloxo-MR even includes full support for popular billing software such as WHMCS, HostBill, AWBS, AccountLab Plus, TheHostingTool, and more. Finally, Kloxo-MR will be able to manage your MySQL/MariaDB database and DNS/mail/ftp servers.
Webmin
Another open-source version of hosting control panel is offered by Webmin. This panel consists of a web server and a number of CGI programs which update different system files directly (like /etc/inetd.conf and /etc/psswd). No doubt that one of Webmin’s strongest pros is its modularity, you’ve got hundreds of extra addons that can be installed and ensure the ability to control extra apps on their Linux systems.
Here we go with just a few features provided by Webmin out of the box:
- Management of user accounts, quotas and groups
- DNS services management
- Samba management – file sharing & related services
- Web/ftp/e-mail/dhcp/ssh/OpenLDAP/proxy servers management
- Mount, dismount and administer volumes, hdd’s and partitions
- Built-in file manager
- Firewall management
Its Cloudmin tool is capable of managing virtual systems including KVM, OpenVZ and Xen.
ISPconfig
ISPconfig is a rather popular open-source hosting platform with efficient enterprise support. According to ISPconfig, it has reached 40,000 downloads per month. The product supports IPv6, OpenVZ and multiple servers deployment.
With ISPConfig, administrators can create and manage client accounts, define hosting plans, allocate resources, and monitor server usage. It supports popular web servers like Apache and Nginx, as well as mail servers like Postfix and Dovecot. ISPConfig offers advanced features such as SSL certificate management, backup and restore functionality, and security measures to protect against unauthorized access. It also provides tools for managing FTP accounts, cron jobs, and DNS records.
ZPanel
Zpanel is an open-source web-based control panel that runs on a LAMP environment and supports an unlimited number of resellers. It’s compatible with Microsoft Windows and some POSIX family operating systems.
One of the key differences is that ZPanel aims to be lightweight and resource-efficient, making it suitable for low-powered servers or shared hosting environments. It prioritizes simplicity over advanced features, which can be beneficial for users who prefer a straightforward and intuitive interface.
However, it’s important to note that ZPanel development ceased in 2014, and it is no longer actively maintained or updated. As a result, security vulnerabilities and compatibility issues may arise over time. Users seeking a control panel solution are advised to consider actively maintained alternatives such as Plesk or cPanel, which offer more comprehensive features, ongoing support, and regular updates.
Ajenti
Ajenti is a Linux control panel written on Python and allows you to launch and configure websites in a fast and easy way. Minimalistic user-friendly interface makes it possible to setup app servers, routing, dns and databases in a matter of minutes. With Ajenti control panel you can setup applications in Python (WSGI), Php (Php-Fpm) and Ruby (Unicorn). Courier IMAP and Exim are configured from the very start, so you have the mail powered by DKIM, DMARC and SPF.
Ajenti is a good choice for those looking for cheap, entry-level control panel solution.
ISPManager
This is another commercial Linux hosting control panel which originated in Russia. ISPManager supports a wide range of third-party software and can be purchased in two different versions, both able to handle multiple domains and users. You can choose between Lite – for individual use, or Business – to share and resell your hosting services.
Although ISPManager does not offer the full range of options that Plesk does, it is still very competitively priced and can be an option when you are not able to afford Plesk.
Core-Admin
Core-Admin was initially designed as a centralized solution to manage multiple servers using one single web interface. This hosting platform offers you lots of built-in apps (example: real-time log analysis, IP blocking system, cron tasks management, etc.), sophisticated permission system and integrated real-time file-system monitor.
Core-Admin Web Edition and Free Web Edition were developed to meet the needs of hosting providers. Various features dedicated to handling mail servers, web servers and DNS servers make Web Edition a great choice if your main intention is to provide reliable hosting services or just manage your own network of sites.
WebsitePanel
Originally WebsitePanel started as DotNetPanel, which was solely dedicated to Windows web servers management. DotNetPanel developers invested huge amount of resources in developing the product which later became known as WebsitePanel. The main focus of current development agenda is concentrated on giving hosting providers access to powerful Windows hosting products, as well as to customer servers management ability. WebsitePanel project has evolved over time and it is no longer pure open source. Currently there are two known forks of WebsitePanel: MSPControl, non-open source windows hosting control panel and SolidCP, which works under Windows and Linux operating systems. Read more – Plesk vs WebsitePanel – Windows Hosting Panels Face Off
VirtualMin
VirtualMin is an open-source control panel which comes in 3 different versions – GPL, Professional and Cloudmin.
The GPL version has the core part of features and offers 4 types of server management – via web-interface, mobile app, command line and API. The VirtualMin Professional gives you the power to set up or update many third-party applications, including the most popular content management systems like WordPress, Joomla and Magento. The multi-server control panel in the Cloudmin version is made to set up cloud services for enterprise clients. Another topic worth mentioning here is compatibility with Xen and Amazon EC2.
Professional and Cloudmin versions both come with commercial support.
AlternC
Manage mass-hosting more easily with the AlternC control panel, a collection of highly-accessible software. This GPL-Licensed, open-source software installs automatically and allows for system configuration.
You can manage users’ accounts and various web services like emails, domains, ftp accounts, stats and more. It’s highly-versatile. AlternC is specifically built with the ‘Sarge’ version of the Linux/Debian GNU system. But you need other applications to operate smoothly. Namely: Apache, Postfix, and Mailman.
The AlternC control panel includes exhaustive help files for its API, allowing for a smooth and painless interface modification. While AlternC was originally written in French, an English translation is also available in the Debian package. And it can also be translated into any other language. Contact us if you’d like to volunteer translation help, currently only in French.
Lautre Net, and its members, were instrumental in AlternC’s creation. And now, organizations like Eitic, Koumbit, and Metaconsult are also helping to develop it even further.
Atomia
Four of Sweden’s top hosting companies use the Atomia control panel, an offshoot of Troxo. Sweden-born Atomia AB started out developing hosting control panels for Loopia, Sweden’s biggest hosting company, way back in 1999.
With all this industry experience, Atomia thoroughly understands what web hosts and their customers want. From the typical blogger to the passionate graphic designer. Transforming the Atomia control panel into an inexpensive, modern and feature-rich hosting and server automation platform. Made for any type of hosting scenario.
Today, the Atomia control panel serves over 100,000 users across a million different domains. And Loopia continues to be Sweden’s largest shared web hosting provider with around 30% of Swedish websites registered through Loopia.
Baifox
Baifox’s GPL control panel manages hosting platform services and is an alternative to industry leaders Cpanel, Plesk, and Ensim. The Baifox control panel is exceedingly lightweight and won’t interfere with server functions with heavy loads or CPU usage.
It only manages servers. Adapt the Baifox control panel to whatever role is necessary. And on top of that, Baifox will function perfectly within most Linux distributions, even Debian.
Before installing Baifox, you must first install services and configure your paths. Baifox is built primarily in PHP, with a little Javascript. It doesn’t need a database system. All configuration files are saved to XML, and it works under Nanoweb PHP servers, both PHP4 and PHP5.
Hosting Control Panel
Manage all variants of the Windows Server Platform with the Hosting control panel. It’s a complete collection of tools to make web hosting automation easy. You can put your services on auto-pilot with its multi-lingual support. And even use the Hosting control panel to create your own billing and invoice, automating all of those functions.
Interworx
The InterWorx Cluster Panel (InterWorx-CP) is both a load-balanced cluster control panel as well as a dedicated server. The InterWorx Control Panel can even manage a dedicated server, and then expand that single server into a complete, load-balanced cluster.
In fact, only the InterWorx control panel is capable of this type of incremental expansion. InterWorx does all the difficult work itself. With no need for an advanced setup, you’re left to do what matters: build a burgeoning business.
Zomos
Administrators, resellers, end users – the Zomos control panel’s easy-to-use interface is perfect for just about anyone. This is because the dynamic control panel runs on virtually all systems. So everyone can use it for any and all their web hosting needs.
The Zomos control panel comes fully-equipped. Four control levels, various translations, and operating systems. Plus, full support for the Apache Web Server, Bind (DNS), MySQL, PostgreSQL, Qmail, FTP, ezmlm, Webalizer, AWstats, themes and more.
VestaCP
VestaCP is a web hosting control panel offering maximum simplicity and accessibility. Its user-friendly interface benefits from a clear, simplified design, with impressive functionality. The VestaCP control panel is built to support you. Whether you’re running servers for the web, DNS, database, FTP, email, and numerous other applications. The VestaCP control panel is also designed to support nginx as standard and for immediate use. Data backups can be created too, with no hassle. Another benefit of VestaCP is the advanced installation settings. They enable you to choose the type of software you want to install on your server.
VestaCP is the web hosting control panel designed with simplicity in mind. All thanks to its simple and clear interface. In terms of functionality, VestaCP supports running a Web server, DNS server, FTP server, database server, email server and more. It also supports nginx out of the box and lets you create fast backups of your data. Equipped with advanced installation settings, VestaCP enables you to select which software you want to install on your server.
CentOS Web Panel
You need a fresh install of CentOS to use the CentOS Web Panel. It comes with an extensive portfolio of features, a list of which would consume more space than we can spare. But you can expect to benefit from CentOS web panel’s nginx reverse proxy. Plus the Apache web server (including mod security and automated rule updating), and MySQL/MariaDB + phpMyAdmin.
With the CentOS web panel, you can also take advantage of CSF Firewall. There’s also PHP 5.2-5.6, and 7.x, Postfix/DovecotRoundcube webmail/Antivirus, and the Spamassassin bundle. Moreover, you’ll have backups for files, Softaculous one-click script installation, as well as numerous minor features.
Sentora
This control panel is an open-source development from the original team behind ZPanel. Their Sentora control panel encompasses support for various high-quality software types. Including various software like Postfix/Dovecot, Apache web server, PHP and MySQL/MariaDB as DBMS. This panel supports more too – all of which help to make managing your web hosting far easier. You can also take advantage of a user-friendly module system. It allows you to extend the control panel’s functionality by installing the Sentora community’s own bespoke modules.
Froxlor
Server management is made easier with the lightweight Froxlor control panel. It packs its integrated ticketing system support, advanced SSL management, reseller and customer user levels, IP per domain, and more. These all combine to make the Froxlor control panel a high-quality option to manage your hosting platform.
Vdeck 4
We classify Vdeck 4 as a step forward in website management, ushering the next generation of control panels. The Vdeck 4 is available with an expansive range of tools to create sites. Including numerous design templates of a professional standard. You can use these to build your website without the need for an HTML back-end. The Vdeck 4 includes pre-installed scripts, e-commerce solutions and tools. All these give you the power to develop sites as simple or complex as you like. Endurance International Group brands like FatCow, easyCGI, Ipower, and Dots use Vdeck 4 today. And certain EIG companies still use Vdeck, despite it being an outdated panel.
i-MSCP
i-MSCP (or Internet Multi Server Control Panel) came about in 2010 as the brainchild of Laurent Declercq. His goal? To create an unparalleled open source panel for business and personal application. He wanted his i-MSCP control panel to manage all shared web hosting with maximum simplicity and accessibility. He did not want there to be any need for human interaction with the server file system. The i-MSCP control panel is free for Linux servers alone, and it supports German and English languages for official websites. It also comes with a variety of modules in order to cater to Bind9, Dovecot, Apache2, Courier, and ProFTPd. You can even expand it with plugins or listener files, via its events-based API. GPL 2.0 licenses this control panel for free.
Storm Hosting Platform
Nimbus hosting responded to the need for easy to use server management software by developing its proprietary STORM hosting platform over an extensive two-year period. STORM focuses on performance and stability and is aimed at the needs of UK hosts whose clientele consist mostly out of web development and design agencies. The STORM hosting solution makes it really, really intuitive, quick and simple to manage client websites via an interface which is designed to be straightforward.
Deployment of Git repositories including Bitbucket and GitHub can be a particular bottleneck which is why STORM developers set out to streamline the deployment of repositories. Any server account that is connected to a hosting platform that runs STORM can make a mirror across a repository as well as branches, directly from a directory or an individual website on the server. You can choose between automatic deployment or deployment with a single click. Either way, it is much more efficient compared to using secure shell or file transfer protocol when you deploy Git repositories.
The key difference between STORM and Webmin or cPanel is that it is not installed on every single server that uses it. In contrast, a STORM instance sits on the servers that manage hosting, pushing across to a customer’s machine any needed changes. For this reason, you must host your application with its parent, Nimbus Hosting if you want to make use of STORM. It may seem like there is an extra step, but updates are practically instantaneous on STORM.
This central management paradigm means that STORM is particularly speedy and highly secure ensuring a stable hosting environment. The company surveyed its customers and found that 82% of respondents said that they noticed a performance improvement when they moved to STORM. In fact, STORM users can get ready to go a WordPress instance in less than ten seconds while the Hewlett-Packard G10 servers that are used by Nimbus Hosting boast 99.995% ongoing machine uptime.
New features are regularly deployed to the STORM hosting panel but these never require that customers manually update a panel that they use – updates are deployed automatically. With STORM administrators can set a whitelisted internet protocol address list which simplifies the management of users, including the ability to set an expiry date for whitelisted IPs. Both payment industry compliance and certificates from Let’s Encrypt can, with just one tap, be automatically activated. It’s possible to reset the full server, or just a single service.
ServerPilot
ServerPilot enables the easy and straightforward hosting of WordPress plus any another website that works using PHP in the cloud, including many popular cloud services. ServerPilot is a contemporary edition of the centralised hosting maintenance software package and supports the latest Ubuntu LTS releases, from Ubuntu version 12.04 forward.
ServerPilot will install all the required software automatically, including PHP and database services and of course the web server itself. It also automatically secures your server by means of a firewall that makes use of iptables. ServerPilot also makes it very easy to manage multiple websites on a single instance of your server. It helps you manage databases, the version of PHP which you are using, and secure socket layer deployments too. It even includes AutoSSL which enables free to use secure socket layer certificates for all the websites you run on your server.
Note that ServerPilot does not work alongside centralised server management so you cannot from a central point control a multi-server environment with ServerPilot. You will need to configure each instance of your server from a freshly installed image and then connect those servers to ServerPilot on an individual basis. Note that cloning a server which is already live and connected will destroy the configuration on both the cloned server and the server from which you created the clone the server state will be incorrectly displayed.
Also, ServerPilot does not include a backup solution, you will be required to plan and set up your own way to ensure data redundancy. However BackupBuddy that works as a WordPress plugin is an easy option, it lets you schedule backups at an interval that suites you and that are stored in an external location. This can be in the cloud but the backups can also be emailed to you.
ServerSuit
You can use the cloud-based ServerSuit to manage multiple machines or server instances running Linux with a single dashboard, no matter the platform you’re using. With ServerSuit you can instantly get access from a remote location to your Linux servers, performing remote admin plus multi-server automated setup routines. ServerSuit also lets you set up website hosting plus any mail server requirements.
ServerSuit utilises a cross-platform architecture which means that you can manage Linux-based servers using just about any computer device, whether phone or laptop. Most of the standard admin functions are already scripted so you don’t need to be a Linux admin professional to effectively manage your servers. You can add your choice of your own customizations and your custom configurations and also your own choice of custom scripts too.
The ServerSuit hosting panel has a wide user base, including digital agencies plus individual website owners and professional system administrators.
The integrations around ServerSuit are extensive. For e-mail, you get integration with Easy Mail Server, RoundCube Webmail Client, and LAMP+ Mail Package. For database services, you get integration with MariaDB and the ever-popular MySQL. There are plenty of other integration options too, all covering every common server service.
Pantheon Hosting Panel
Looking for a hosting system and control panel that can take care of both website running on WordPress and websites running on Drupal? Consider Pantheon. Operating as software product that is a very flexible platform as a service it includes plenty of support tiers, all available on a month to month subscription basis.
Pantheon applications do not make use of users’ servers, instead, Pantheon operates as a flexible SaaS that its developers built by making use of one of the most praised cloud platforms, Google Cloud Platform. The company is not on the stock exchange but privately held and is currently HQ’d in San Francisco.
Free for the developers of websites, who don’t need to pay to use it, Pantheon is a mix of web hosting plus monitoring and management and web development tools. Using Pantheon you can pick between the different version of Drupal including version 6 and version 7 and additionally install profiles such as Open Atrium. Existing data can also be, for the sake of convenience, automatically imported.
If you are running a Drupal-driven service or website you will find that Pantheon’s service, Multidev, does for your company’s website pretty much what a “software-defined data centre” does for its infrastructure. Every team participant and member can use all of the services that are powering your site, all on demand while building applications on a single platform. The result is that large website can launch faster while costing less to manage in the long run.
Webuzo
Webuzo is a multi-user web hosting control panel, designed to simplify the process of managing websites, domains, emails, and other web hosting related tasks. It is suitable for both personal and professional use, offering a user-friendly interface that streamlines the management of various hosting components.
Features of Webuzo include:
- One-Click App Installer: Webuzo offers a comprehensive library of over 450 applications, including popular content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, which can be installed with a single click. This feature is particularly beneficial for users looking to quickly deploy web applications without manual setup.
- Domain Management: Users can manage multiple domains and subdomains, configuring DNS settings directly from the control panel.
- Email Management: It provides tools for setting up and managing email accounts, including features like autoresponders, forwarding, and webmail access.
- Database Management: Webuzo supports various database management systems, such as MySQL and MariaDB, and offers an intuitive interface for managing databases.
- Security Features: The control panel includes security measures like IP blocking, SSL certificate installation, and firewall settings to ensure the safety and security of hosted websites.
- User-Friendly Interface: Designed for ease of use, its interface is intuitive, making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users.
- Resource Monitoring: Users can monitor server resources like CPU usage, memory usage, and disk space, which is crucial for maintaining website performance and efficiency.
Webuzo is compatible with various Linux distributions and can be installed on dedicated servers, virtual private servers (VPS), or in local environments for testing purposes. This flexibility makes it a versatile choice for different hosting needs.
ZesleCP
ZesleCP is a lightweight hosting control panel designed to make the entire experience of managing websites quickly and efficiently. It is optimized to make the best possible out of any PHP configuration. Installation process takes literally several minutes. ZesleCP control panel offers high standard management features including smart server configuration, PHP settings management, reseller ready approach, hosting packages management, multi-user accounts, domain management tool and many other vital features.
Plesk vs cPanel vs DirectAdmin – Detailed Comparison
Although each panel should, in theory, ensure a similar level of control, the actual situation may vary from panel to panel. Here goes detailed comparison of the most popular hosting control panels and their features:
| Plesk | cPanel | DirectAdmin | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Linux & Windows | Linux | Linux |
| Operating System | Ubuntu 18.04-22.04, Ubuntu LTS 22.04 on ARM Debian 10-11, RHEL 7-9, AlmaLinux 7-9, CentOS 7 (migration path to AlmaLinux 8 via Elevate) | AlmaLinux 8-9, RockyLinux 8-9, Ubuntu 20.04 CentOS 7/ RHEL7 (migration path to AlmaLinux via Elevate) | RHEL 7-9, Ubuntu 18.04-22.04 Debian 10-11, FreeBSD |
| Backend Language | C/C++, Golang, Python | Perl | PHP |
| Frontend Language | PHP, Javascript | Perl, Javascript | PHP, Javascript |
| Web Server | Apache, NGINX, Litespeed | Apache, NGINX, Litespeed | Apache, Litespeed, OpenLiteSpeed |
| LiteSpeed Support | Commercial | Commercial | Free and Commercial |
| DNS | Bind (Linux), MS DNS (Windows) | Bind, PowerDNS | Bind |
| CloudLinux | CloudLinux 7-8 | CloudLinux 6-8 | CloudLinux 6-8 |
| Postfix and Dovecot (Linux; default) Qmail and Courier (Linux; legacy) MailEnable (Windowsl default) SmarterMail (Windows) IceWarp (Windows) | Exim, Dovecot | Exim, Dovecot | |
| Spam Filtering | SpamAssassin, Greylisting, DKIM, SPF, DMARC, DNSBL | SpamAssassin, Greylisting, DKIM, SPF, DMARC | SpamAssassin, DNSBL |
| Default Web Security Tools | ModSecurity (Comodo, Atomic ruleset repo), Selinux Fail2ban, Linux firewall, Juggernaut Security and Firewall, Imunify 360,Warden Anti-spam and Virus Protection | ModSecurity, Linux firewall, cPHulk | ModSecurity, Linux firewall, CSF |
| Free SSL | Let’s Encrypt, Sectigo | Sectigo (default) Let’s Encrypt (additional plugin) | Let’s Encrypt, ZeroSSL |
| Domain Management |  | | |
| File Management | | | |
| Databases | MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL | MySQL, MariaDB, & PostgresSQL | MySQL & MariaDB |
| User Accounts | | | |
| Backups | Automatic (Full and Incremental) | Automatic | Automatic |
| Extension Ecosystem | | | |
| WHMCS Integration | | | |
| WordPress Management | WP Toolkit | WP Toolkit | WordPress manager (installation only) |
| Other CMS support | Nodejs Toolkit; Ruby Toolkit; Laravel Toolkit; Joomla! Toolkit; .NET Toolkit | Joomla, Drupal, Magento | – |
Conclusion
The hosting panels presented above are the most popular ones and have regular ongoing support in terms of new features and bug fixing. We hope that the overview of the above hosting control panels will help you make a better decision about which one is the best possible choice for your needs.
There is no perfect web hosting management solution, but simply the one that’s best suited for your needs. Certain hosting control panels are focused on professional users and other solutions require less advanced level of web hosting management skills.
It’s a good idea to use a well-supported and reputable hosting management solutions like Plesk or cPanel. That way, if you ever switch to a new host at some future date, you won’t face such a learning curve. Even if the new host offers features that you haven’t seen before, you’ll still feel at home with the interface.
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11 Comments
Nice, but what many of us want, is a control panel that does like above but, allows us to split off services, like we have all the separate servers each with a CP to manage the domain, website, any SSL, and databases, but, upon being added DNS details are added to a primary and secondary NS’s, that are independant of control panel servers, same again for email (wgich is very easy if using mysql/mariab, CP simply writes SQL INSERT statements to a DB and teh mail works from there independantly
This keeps a separation of services, should web server die, mail still works, DNS still works, if mail storage system dies, web still works.
I just wish someone would come up with this public solution, rather than all eggs in one basket.
and using database for mail/ftp/etc is much faster than flat text files.
(I say public because we use it on ex employers proprietory system, I ran the mail, multiple smtp/mx/pop3/imap/webmail servers behind load balancer, using postfix, dovecot. mysql and EMC NFS storage, all had ysql replication from master server and when host/customer added two zips into database and mail was setup, also had dns1 and dns2, templates on them executes with master server sshing with calling adddns , and web seever template calls – ssl was a pita it needed manual adding certs) tyou get what I mean this industry desperately in need off, we use now hostbill which supports a bunch of CP;s
Thank you.
Well written! Very interesting article.
Thanks Elvis, it is a good post. This post lets me know the difference between Plesk and other Control Panels including cPanel.
However, there are more new products on the market now, such as ServerPilot, VPSrobots, goPanel, and more. They are not quite as powerful as Plesk, but they have own unique features set. For example, VPSrobots and goPanel can manage multiple website and servers with one license. They are very economical ones and should be in your list to be compared. Using VPSrobots and goPanel, we don’t have to purchase each license for each server, which is the impressive features.
There is one more interesting panel “TinyCP”. I think it should be mentioned too.
Hey, thanks for your input. Why would you recommend TinyCP?
Does Plesk provide dns cluster only like cPanel dns cluster?
Hey Afrizal,
No – cpanel has Dns-only server, however with Plesk you can use the DNS extensions available to use an external service or dns-server.
Check them out: https://plesk.com/extensions/category/dns/
At the moment we have 12
All points you listed out are very essential. I appreciate your post. It will be very helpful for me to maintain and monitoring my web hosting server. Please, share this types of helpful article in future.
This is the best article about hosting c-panel. It is informative too, at the same time. This has helped in clarifying some of my c-panel doubts. Thanks a lot for this article!
It’s fantastic to find a comprehensive guide that helps demystify the nuances of hosting control panels. Understanding the distinct features, advantages, and potential drawbacks of different panels is vital for anyone managing websites or servers.
I appreciate the in-depth analysis and comparative approach. It helps both beginners and seasoned web administrators make an informed decision based on their specific needs. Thanks for sharing this knowledge – it’s an invaluable resource for the hosting community!