cPanel is a widely used Linux-based control panel for easy website and server management. It has a user-friendly, web-based interface and allows you to manage websites/servers without any technical knowledge. It’s been the most popular choice in the hosting industry for over two decades because it is well laid out and easy to operate.
Here are the statistics that show its credibility. cPanel has collaboration with LiteSpeed, JetBackup, Softaculous, Imunify360, CloudLinux PHPSelector, and more, making it more secure, faster, reliable with additional features.
But, the cPanel price hike in June 2019, was a big surprise for many users of cPanel. It disappointed the users of cPanel and forced them to think about cPanel alternatives.
Many small providers are closing shop because of the cPanel price hike. People are going mad.
Damn #cPanel !#MoneyGrab #cPanelPriceHike #Die
— Meiji (@expMeiji) August 5, 2019
Already looking for #cpanel alternatives because of the #cpanelpricehike #byefelicia
— Andrew (@WerdnaSivad) June 29, 2019
Extremely #disappointed with the massive price hike / account based pricing by @cPanel looking for the best alternatives now.. #DirectAdmin is looking promising and their new theme is a beauty. #cPanel #Failed #cpanelpricehike #WebHosting #Alternatives #ThanksButNoThanks pic.twitter.com/3TV8OLcbEF
— Vizubo? (@Vizubo) June 30, 2019
cPanel Price Increase: New Prices vs Old Prices
Before the cpanel price hike, it allowed hosting unlimited control panel accounts with a license per server. In the new licensing structure, you have to purchase the license according to the number of accounts and plans on your server. Ultimately, there is a huge increase in the prices as it depends on the number of cPanel accounts hosted per server.
The old license structure was simple. Regardless of the number of accounts, it was $12/month for VPS hosting and $20/month for a dedicated server.
In the new license structure, when the account reaches its limit for a particular plan, then you have to pay the price difference between the two fixed plans. For instance, if your plan is cPanel Admin and you want to add more than 5 cPanel accounts, then you need to upgrade to the next cPanel Pro plan which allows you to add up to 30 accounts. There is an increase of $10 when you upgrade from cPanel Admin Cloud ($20 per month) to cPanel Pro Cloud ($30 per month)
Impact of cPanel Price Hike on Hosting Industry
Web hosting service providers backfired cPanel due to a sudden price hike. After cPanel announced new pricing and licensing structure in June 2019, many hosting providers started searching for the best alternative. The new account-based pricing policy is extremely expensive, especially for hosting resellers. If they choose to continue with cPanel, it is going to cost them an arm and leg. Customers also used social media platforms to show disappointment with the new cPanel pricing. Here is the google trend on the keyword “cPanel alternatives” in June 2019, you can see a spike in the searches. We have noticed a similar spike in October 2021 when cPanel announced that they are going to revise/increase their price again in January 2022.
Also Read: Best cPanel Alternatives
cPanel Alternatives
In this article, we will discuss 15 control panels which are the perfect alternative to cPanel. Without wasting further time, let’s explore.
1) Plesk
Plesk is an open hosting platform. If you think Plesk can help, then it is for infrastructure providers, IT admins, developers, content managers, and digital agencies.
Let’s have a look at some key features of it such as it is compatible with all the platforms, security is at its best, centralized control panel, backup, and so on.
There are many products and services which Plesk offers, some of them are WordPress toolkit, SEO toolkit, Plesk premium email, and more.
2) Cloudways
Cloudways is well known for its managed hosting platform feature. They believe in providing the best experience to their customers.
And if we look at the features, it is one of the best control panels that you can have. Some of the features are a 24×7 support system, supreme quality of security, 1-click backup and restore, cron job manager, 1-click stop app, app setting via UI, advanced varnish settings, change application webfoot, and more.
3) InterWorx
InterWorx offers configuration tools for your web server, email, domains, and websites. You can use it for WordPress installation, file management, and security enhancements. It has 2 sections one is NodeWorx and the second one is SiteWorx. It is best suitable for web designers, developers, resellers.
Let’s have a quick peek at the key features of it.
It has the best features you can avail such as it allows you to access hosting interfaces from the command line, offering control panel-related community forums, and multiple admin accounts can be created.
4) OviPanel
If you are looking for the most simplified control panel, then OviPanel is what you are searching for. Along with simplification, it is one of the most affordable control panels. It has many features including enhanced security, manual email limits, logging & stats, unlimited accounts, multiple database support, PHP multiple version, One-click SSL, secure panel, and more.
5) Cyberpanel
The next on the list is Cyberpanel. It is one of the famous control panels which offers speed, reliability, and security. In a nutshell, all the best things are under one roof. The key features of Cyberpanel are built-in LSCache module, ModSecurity, email limits, one-click SSL, auto-installer, and many more. You can enjoy all these features at a very reasonable rate with Cyberpanel.
6) Vestacp
It is another one in the list of the open-source control panel. With this, you can create and manage multiple websites too with just one click. And if you want to know about what else it has to offer then there are numerous keyboard shortcuts, a website analytics system, and there is an inbuilt firewall too. This will help you manage your websites faster and hassle-free.
7) Aapanel
Another name in the list of open-source web hosting control panels is Aapanel. It allows the webserver to be managed via a web-based GUI.
The key features of Aapanel are that the website can be generated and managed effortlessly. Using the AaPanel online editor, you can quickly manage python projects, manage safety, schedule tasks, and an all-around file management system, system monitoring, and many more.
8) Ispconfig
Want to manage your server directly through your web browser? Then Ispconfig is the best option for you. Above all, it is an open-source web hosting control panel.
It has a wide array of features like single and multi-server, supports many Linux distributions, and is translated in more than 20 languages, it has 4 access levels, and supports HTTP, SMTP, FTP, DNS.
9) ServerPilot.io
This control panel is best suitable for developers, agencies, and hosting companies. It is best known for security, speed, and support.
You can enjoy features like a free SSL certificate, changes as per your requirements, fast installation, firewall, automated updates, and so on.
10) ISPmanager
The next on the list is ISPmanger. It provides the best solution for VPS and dedicated hosting services. It is best for the website owner as well as a hosting provider.
And if you are looking for the unique features it has then here are some of them such as multiple PHP versions, databases, file manager, security, backup system, domains, and DNS records.
What else do you want? You are getting all of the above mentioned in a single place.
11) Froxlor
Froxlor is the lightweight server management software that you are looking for. Above all, it is an open-source web hosting control panel.
Let’s have a quick peek at the features it offers you. It has a themeable interface, MySQL management Directory protection, allows easy access to all major functions via API, advanced SSL certificate, and so on.
12) Directadmin
Directadmin provides you with everything you are looking for, including ease of use, speed, stability, support, and more. You are getting all this by the Directadmin Cpanel. And all these at a pocket-friendly price.
And if we talk about its features then you will be able to create, modify the settings, the admin can delete or modify any DNS record, two-factor authentication, integrated ticket support system, live update, and many more features.
13) Blueonyx
Blue onyx is an integrated solution for internet hosting that includes email, DNS, web service, and file transfer. It provides a web-based, user-friendly interface that is installed on private or commodity hardware or virtual servers.
It has a very active user base, is available in multi-languages, optional free and commercial third-party modules are available via a built-in interface, and supports HTTP/2.
14) CentOS Web Panel
The next one on the list is the CentOS Web Panel. CentOS Web Panel is a rich control panel, which is way easier to use. It has numerous features such as easy and frequent backups, free DNS server, file system lock, live monitoring, config server firewall, and many more.
15) Cloudron
Cloudron made self-hosting the easiest thing to do. It is a platform that allows you to install web apps on your server, manage them, and secure them easily. It offers a centralized way of managing users’ access control.
The key features of Cloudron – there are more than 45 apps, easy backups, and this allows you to use the Cloudron app store to deploy apps and many more amazing features.
So, these are the top 15 alternatives you can choose instead of cPanel. Now, you don’t have to stick to just one option. Consider all control panels mentioned above before making your final decision.
Planning to migrate from cPanel to its alternative? We at WGS have an expert team providing the best migration services to our customers. With our help, you can easily migrate from cPanel to the best-suited alternative. Contact us at WGS Support.
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