Hosting control panels are there to help you manage servers, websites, domains, and databases. They can simplify routine tasks and automate processes. There is a wide range of panels on the market — some support only Linux and are offered free of charge. Others come at a fee or support a limited number of servers and DBMS versions.

What are the differences between the control panels on offer, how much do they cost, and which one is best for your project? Read on to find out.

A hosting control panel will help you:

• Install and configure web servers, databases, mail services, and other components.
• Manage users and their access rights.
• Create backups and restore data.
• Monitor server performance and security.

Let's take a look at 5 popular panels and compare their advantages and disadvantages. All info below is accurate as of September 2024.

Ispmanager 6

Ispmanager is great for projects of any complexity where basic server management functions are needed. Even a novice can handle ispmanager thanks to its intuitive interface.

Advantages:

• Inexpensive compared to other solutions. A lite license including a minimal set of options costs € 5.99 per month.
• Quick and easy to install, taking no more than 20 minutes. If you go with the default settings, the panel will be up and running right away. If you go with manual configuration, it will take a little longer.
• A wide range of features. You can create websites, manage user permissions, manage domains, install and obtain SSL certificates, configure security measures, create backups, manage databases, and much more.
• Support for popular web servers including Nginx, Apache, and Open LiteSpeed.
• Additional modules for different tasks. For example, BitNinja, Cloudflare, Softaculous, KernelCare, ImunifyAV. Unlike cPanel and Plesk, ispmanager also comes with DDOS-Guard and Site.pro modules.
• Support for various DBMS like MariaDB, MySQL, Percona, and PostgreSQL, including different versions.
• Multiversion scripting software: the panel supports different versions of Python, Node.js, and Docker on one server.

Disadvantages:

• No support for GIT, Redis, or technical domains — unlike Plesk and cPanel.
• Lacks certain extensions available in other panels like Kaspersky Anti-Virus or Imunify360 for protecting your server from viruses.

cPanel

cPanel is good for large and complex projects where you need extra features to manage your server and web applications. cPanel works well for web hosting as it comes with WebHost Manager (WHM), a server management interface for web hosts. WHM is responsible for managing the server at the administrator level, while cPanel is responsible for managing it at the end-user level.

Advantages:

• Support for rare features that competitors don't offer like WP toolkit, Staging Environment, and GIT integration.
• Easy integration with other services. The security and backup system is characterized by easy integration with ImunifyAV and JetBackup. This helps you automate server protection and restore data quickly.
• Support for add-on modules such as Softaculous, Installatron, KernelCare, ImunifyAV, Imunify360, Acronis Backup, and JetBackup.
• Easy testing and website customization. cPanel supports technical domains, which makes it easier to troubleshoot errors.

Disadvantages:

• High license cost, from € 15.86 per month.
• Not suitable for low-performance servers. It requires 4 GB of RAM and 40 GB of free disk space.
• Complicated interface — may be difficult for beginners to understand.
• No PHP composer support out of the box — developers will have to manually install and configure PHP composer to work with PHP projects.

Plesk

Plesk is a universal control panel with a user-friendly interface and support for Linux and Windows servers. It is suitable for projects where you need to manage several sites on different platforms. For example, when you need to develop and maintain sites on WordPress and ASP.NET simultaneously on different servers.

Advantages:

• Support for different operating systems, including Windows. This sets Plesk apart from other dashboards.
• Flexible management. For example, you can set up automatic CMS updates, as well as SEO.
• Support for popular antiviruses including BitNinja, ImunifyAV, 360, and others.
• Ability to install popular CMSes such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Prestashop, and phpBB.
• Docker support, giving you the ability to manage and deploy containers on the server.
• A wide range of tools for site management. For example, features for setting up backups, automatic updates, and performance monitoring. Plesk offers WP Toolkit for WordPress which automates and simplifies site management.
• Support for technical domains, making it convenient to test and customize sites.
• A large selection of modules for different tasks. For example, DDOS-Guard, BitNinja, Cloudflare, Plesk Migrator, and over 100 other extensions.
• Support for different DBMS including MariaDB, MySQL, Percona, and PostgreSQL, including different versions.

Disadvantages:

• High license cost — from € 12.04.
• Difficult to configure for a novice user.
• Sooner or later you will need to add server resources, for example, if you use a lot of extensions or manage sites with heavy traffic.
• No phpPgAdmin support — you can't manage PostgreSQL databases through the web interface.

DirectAdmin

DirectAdmin works well for small and medium-sized projects where performance and cost-effectiveness are key. The panel requires 1 GB of RAM and 10 GB of free disk space, and the processor must be at least 500 MHz.

Advantages:

• Low license cost, from € 4.53 per month.
• Suitable for low-performance servers thanks to its minimal system requirements. It won’t overload even on VPS servers with minimal specs.
• Support for popular web servers like Nginx, Nginx Unit, Apache, Open LiteSpeed, and LiteSpeed.
• A clear and simple interface. The basic features are all just a few clicks away. Even a beginner won’t have any problems.
• Support for popular Linux distributions like CentOS, Ubuntu, and Debian.
• Redis support, which speeds up sites, caches data, and processes requests.

Disadvantages:

• Limited features compared to the more expensive solutions. The dashboard doesn't have built-in mechanisms for automatic WordPress management similar to WP Toolkit in Plesk.
• Offers few extensions and integrations. For example, there is no support for DDOS-Guard, Cloudflare, or antivirus.
• No PostgreSQL support — DirectAdmin won’t work for projects that run on PostgreSQL.

FastPanel

FastPanel is a free control panel with a basic set of features. It is good for small projects, personal sites, and small online stores, where you need to manage a server that doesn’t require deep technical knowledge or high costs.

Advantages:

• Free license.
• The simple and clear interface is nice for beginners. All basic features are just a few clicks away by default.
• Support for popular web servers and databases like Nginx, Apache, and Nginx + Apache. FastPanel supports MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and Percona Server DBMS.

Disadvantages:

• Limited features compared to the commercial solutions. For example, there is no support for Open LiteSpeed and it supports only a few versions of DBMS. Besides, there are no integrated modules, not even DDOS-Guard or Cloudflare. Nor does FastPanel support Softaculous, Python, Node.js, or APIs.
• Offers little information and few tutorials. Finding solutions for non-standard problems or integrations can be difficult, especially for beginners.

Checklist: which control panel to choose

Your choice of a control panel will depend on the goals of your project.

• If you need a simple, inexpensive, and functional solution, ispmanager 6 or DirectAdmin are best, particularly for startups or small sites. Try ispmanager for free →
• For complex and large-scale projects like those with a high load and high traffic, cPanel and Plesk work well.
• If you just have a personal blog with low traffic, check out FastPanel, it’s free.

This article was originally published on the ispmanager blog