Server control panels compared: which one fits you?

A server control panel is software that lets you manage sites, databases, email and certificates by clicking. CloudPanel and HestiaCP are free, and CyberPanel has a free edition. Plesk, cPanel and DirectAdmin are licensed, and the license fee is a separate item from the server price. A panel isn't required for a single WordPress site. If you will manage many sites or customer accounts, a panel makes the job easier.

Six panels side by side

The memory column covers the panel itself only. What your sites need comes on top. The figures come from each panel's official documentation and can change between releases, so check the current documentation before you install.

Where the panels differ

• CloudPanel: A lean panel built on Nginx, PHP-FPM and Node.js. It hosts PHP, Node.js, Python and static sites, issues Let's Encrypt certificates with one click and offers a ufw-based firewall interface. Its official page doesn't mention a mail server, so plan a separate solution for email.
• HestiaCP: Comes with Nginx, Apache (installed by default, can be turned off during installation), PHP-FPM and MariaDB. It also installs Exim and Dovecot for email and BIND for DNS. The default install includes ClamAV and SpamAssassin too, and the 1 GB in the table applies only with both turned off. It suits people who want to manage sites, email and DNS on one server.
• CyberPanel: Built on OpenLiteSpeed, with tools such as a WordPress manager. The installer offers Postfix (email) and PowerDNS options.
• Plesk: The license is per server, and the editions are split by domain limit. Among these six, Plesk is the only panel that supports Windows Server.
• cPanel and WHM: The license is tied to the server's main public IPv4 address and is tiered by the number of accounts. It runs on Linux only.
• DirectAdmin: Licenses are sold in different tiers, and some limit the number of accounts and domains. The panel opens on port 2222.

Which one fits you?

• One or a few sites and no license budget: CloudPanel. If you also want email and DNS, HestiaCP.
• WordPress with OpenLiteSpeed and LiteSpeed Cache: CyberPanel.
• You host customer sites and want a familiar interface: cPanel, Plesk or DirectAdmin. Factor in the license cost.
• A panel on Windows Server: Plesk.
• You run a single application: you may not need a panel. SSH and a ready-made install are enough, and a panel means extra memory use and an extra attack surface.

Questions to ask yourself first

• How many sites and customers? You can manage a few sites by hand. With dozens of accounts a panel saves time.
• Will you host email? A panel installs the mail server, but getting messages into inboxes is a separate job: SPF, DKIM, DMARC and IP reputation. Under the terms of service, sending unsolicited bulk email is prohibited.
• Is there a budget for the license? With a paid panel, the monthly cost adds to the server price.
• Which operating system do you want? The panel you pick limits your choice of operating system. See the column in the table.
• Will you edit settings by hand? Settings you change in files while bypassing the panel can be overwritten by panel updates.

If you can't decide, try the panel on a separate small server rather than on your real one. Panels change the system with their own settings, so removing one often means a reinstall, not a clean uninstall.

What to know before installing

• A panel needs a clean system. Panels install the web server, database and mail services with their own settings. The HestiaCP, DirectAdmin and CyberPanel documentation asks for a clean operating system. Don't install a panel on a server that already hosts a site. Back up first, then reinstall the server. A reinstall deletes all data.
• Don't open the admin port to everyone. The panel interface opens on its own port. According to the official documentation, CloudPanel uses 8443, HestiaCP 8083, Plesk 8443 and DirectAdmin 2222. Open that port only to your own IP address, for example sudo ufw allow from 203.0.113.5 to any port 8443. Keep another way in, such as the VNC console in the panel, in case your IP address changes and locks you out.
• The license is a separate item. For paid panels, the license is not part of the server price. Check the panel's own website for current prices and terms. On Seturack, scaling and reinstalling keep the IP address, so licenses tied to an IP address are not affected.
• A panel uses memory. DirectAdmin's 4 GB minimum means starting with 4 GB of RAM. Add what your sites need on top.
• Keep it updated. An admin panel is a target reachable from the internet. Install panel and operating system updates regularly and give the admin account a strong password.
• Manage the firewall in one place. If the panel has its own firewall interface, manage the rules there. If you also edit ufw by hand, the rules can clash.

At Seturack you pick most of these panels when you order, and the panel installs itself when the server first boots: CloudPanel, HestiaCP, CyberPanel, aaPanel, FASTPANEL, ISPConfig, Webmin, Plesk, cPanel and DirectAdmin. You buy the license for paid panels yourself. Once you know the memory a panel needs, set the size, and scale up from the panel if it isn't enough.

Ready-made on Seturack: CyberPanel, HestiaCP, CloudPanel, aaPanel, FASTPANEL, ISPConfig, Webmin, Plesk, DirectAdmin, cPanel, Easypanel, Coolify.