What are the best alternatives to cPanel?

cPanel has been at the forefront of server website management for so long that people immediately recognise it along with its interface. However, nothing is perfect and everything is replaceable. This is why when cPanel decided to switch to an account-based pricing policy in combination with its not-so-cheap monthly subscription cost, many web administrators and users decided to look for viable substitutions of cPanel’s functionality. But what are the best alternatives? Let’s check them out.

Disclaimer: The following list is in no particular order.

Ajenti

Ajenti is a control panel essentially made for developers. It is constructed in such a way that it enables developers to use JavaScript and Python to tailor it to their needs. This, in turn, means that additional features and functionality can be implemented to the control panel. This is all possible due to the fact that Ajenti is free and open-source, with its resources available on GitHub. Moreover, its interface is also neatly organized and easy to navigate, not to mention that it is also mobile-friendly due to its responsive design. Functionality-wise, Ajenti allows for easy software installations, firewall establishing and resource management. It also supports a remote terminal and additional features for user management. Ultimately, Ajenti aims to provide its users with security and ease-of-use, while also being able to run on most devices due to its low resource consumption rate. Also, due to its customizability, the process of integration of custom and readily available plugins is super easy. Finally, it is important to note that Ajenti works with Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS and Redhat but can also be effortlessly ported to any other Linux distribution.

Plesk

Plesk is a control panel that allows administrators to create accounts, manage emails and much more through a web-based interface. What makes Plesk unique is that it is the only web-based control panel that supports the Windows operating system, while also simultaneously supporting Docker and Git on Linux. Not only that, but it also offers a centralized control panel, making users capable of managing multiple sites from one single place. Furthermore, it is one of the best control panels available in terms of integrations as it allows for extended functionality and additional user experience customization. Moreover, it features a number of different security options such as a firewall, a spam filter and a backup manager, allowing for smooth and easy site management. Additionally, Plesk also supports WordPress and is compatible with other platforms and content management systems (CMSs) such as Joomla and Drupal. Given all of these features, it does not come as a surprise that Plesk is also a paid service. Not only that but as of recently, Plesk is officially owned by the same company that owns cPanel.

Webuzo

Webuzo is a multi-user control panel that was designed for everyone from hosting providers and resellers to independent website owners. As stated in their documentation, Webuzo can manage Apache, PHP, MySQL, MariaDB, Nginx, PureFTPD, Exim, Dovecot among others, while also being available for use on Ubuntu, CentOS and AlmaLinux servers. While not free, Webuzo does offer a 15-day free trial of their services in order for users to test the control panel. They also state that users can seek help with their setup from the Webuzo support team, who are also available to resolve any issues around the product as well as being capable of helping the user migrate from other hosting control panels.

Virtualmin

Virtualmin is an open-source web hosting control panel that is made available based on a Public License. It also comes as both a free and a paid version. However, its free version offers more to its users in comparison to its competitors. Having a similar interface to that of cPanel, it is easy to navigate and consequently - easy to use. In terms of functionality, it offers users to effortlessly manage domain accounts and name servers, databases, emails and applications from a single interface. From a technical standpoint, the entirety of the control panel is written in Pearl and it runs on the Ipv6 internet protocol. In relation to the supported operating systems, it can run on RedHat, CentOS, Debian and Ubuntu. Not only that but it also supports the BSD facility, which is something that very few open-source panels do. In terms of databases, Virtualmin is compatible with MYSQL, PHPMyAdmin and PostgreSQL and in relation to content management systems, it can run WordPress, Drupal and Joomla. Finally, Virtualmin is also very focused on security. Because of this, the sign-in to the control panel supports a two-way verification process that is managed by the Google Authenticator app. Furthermore, the control panel also has exceptionally good brute-force protection, backup encryption keys and a dedicated antivirus in order to protect its users.

CyberPanel

CyberPanel features everything that is required for a website to run from web servers to DNS, FTP accounts, email setup and content management systems support. It has both a paid and a free plan, the latter of which does provide users with quite a number of different features without having the need to spend extra on them. CyberPanel offers its users a very intuitive and clean user interface, making everything easy to find as well as making the control panel easy to navigate in general. A unique feature that CyberPanel has is its ability to connect with the Litespeed web server in comparison to cPanel’s Apache webserver. This is important because Litespeed does support all popular Apache features, but is also faster and more reliable. Finally, CyberPanel enables its users to create and restore backups with a single click.

ISPConfig

ISPConfig is another open-source web hosting control panel that has a good free plan that allows users to manage subdomains, emails and FTP accounts as well as to create aliases for a given website. Furthermore, the control panel is written in PHP, is available on the BSD Licence, integrates well with MySQL and comes with Ruby being preinstalled. Moreover, it also supports both the Ipv4 and Ipv6 internet protocols and is available in 22 different languages. ISPConfig can run on many Linux operating systems including Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, OpenSuSE and CentOs. Also, while the control panel does not have such a wide range of plugins in comparison to cPanel, it does provide its users with some of the best security features in the field, more notably - the ability to password-protect different folders, an antivirus system and a special virus filter capability.

Froxlor

Froxlor is an open-source, web-based hosting panel that offers simplicity and ease of use. Its intuitive interface allows users to effortlessly navigate it immediately after its installation. In terms of features, Froxlor allows users to create and manage custom email addresses, FTP accounts and administer domain name servers. Furthermore, it can also run on nearly any version of Linux. Moreover, Froxlor also has an integrated user support system and the ability to calculate resource usage and display information in a number of different languages. Finally, it also enables users to access their hosting and domain servers from any part of the globe.

CloudPanel

CloudPanel is a free server control panel, which is different from a web host control panel. Because of this, CloudPanel is generally targeted at web hosting administrators rather than customers and end-users. It supports a very intuitive user interface with information and tools being divided into separate categories, making it easy to navigate. However, CloudPanel’s greatest advantage is that it comes with built-in Redis (Remote Dictionary Server), which is currently one of the best key-value databases available.

CentOS Web Panel

The CentOS web panel is a control panel for managing virtual private servers (VPS). Its main drawback is that it is only available for the CentOS server operating system, making it incompatible with other Linux distributions. The control panel can manage and maintain Apache web servers, SSL certificates, emails, a Ngnix reverse proxy along with a MySQL database. Moreover, using these features, users can easily capture and restore backups, manage other users and emails as well as monitor the different services on the server. It also has a unique feature called ‘Auto-Fix’, which can automatically help you resolve problems with your server configuration.

ApisCP

ApisCP is a self-hosted server control panel that allows users to manage their websites’ FTP and email accounts, domains and content management systems. ApisCP was built by a hosting company specifically for other hosting companies using their knowledge and best practices. Because of this, the platform can offer lower TTFB and fewer burnt CPU cycles with overall denser servers. Its design is fully focused on security and has a plethora of built-in features in order to allow the user to tailor the platform to their needs. It is also self-sustaining as it can automatically configure different services and also provide a monthly integrity check. However, ApisCP is not free, but it does offer a 30-days trial period.

DirectAdmin

DirectAdmin is an affordable web control panel that implements all of the features that you would expect to find on such a platform - email, FTP account and domain management, security add-ons and a simple and easy-to-use interface. It was designed to be fast by requiring less server resources to operate. It also offers server usage monitoring, automatic updates as well as SPAM fighting tools and DNS clustering.

Comparison between the different cPanel alternatives