The Top 5 Hosting Control Panels
A control panel is a standard tool used to manage your hosting package.
The Control panel allows you to manage your domain names, install applications, create and manage email accounts, upload website files, and so on without directly connecting and making changes on the server.
This, however, necessitates some development knowledge. One blunder and the entire site may be rendered inoperable. Furthermore, web panels are usually intuitive and straightforward, saving you time.
Many panels are available online. Their design and feature sets vary. This section covers the most popular and comfy panels.
- cPanel
- Plesk
- •Direct Admin
- Webmin
- ISPmanager
cPanel
Available only to Linux users, cPanel is one of the most popular control panels with a server management interface via WHM (Web Host Manager) and a graphical user interface.
You can administer your website in either environment because they are linked. Beginners and developers who prefer a console over a pretty design may find it handy.
cPanel comes packed with a slew of options. Furthermore, all of the features have brief descriptions that explain what they can do. Furthermore, almost every option allows you to create anything with a few clicks. The following are the main features available:
- Domain name configuration, registration, and transfer;
- Setting up autoresponders and email forwarders and email creation and management.
- Logs of visitors and errors;
- Creating and managing databases;
- Security features such as an IP blocker, leech protection, and password-protected directories are available.
- Server performance tracking;
- Creating and automating backups;
- Creating file managers and FTP users;
- Third-party apps and tools for extending functionality
Plesk
It is available for both Windows and Linux. It’s also prevalent, particularly among European hosting providers. In general, there aren’t many control panels available for Windows. As a result, Plesk is one of the most user-friendly and straightforward panels for this particular operating system.
Each option is broken down into a number of distinct subcategories. They are shown in a list form on the left. A single control panel can oversee a number of different servers.
You can design anything with just a few mouse clicks, thanks to the user-friendly interface. One of the unique characteristics of automation is the wide range of tools available to help you solve problems quickly so that you can focus on website development rather than server upkeep.
The login levels are another unique feature of Plesk. There are four levels in total. They all have different rights and responsibilities:
- Administrator – the highest level, with the ability to manage and configure system components as well as manage multiple servers (if applicable);
- Client/Reseller – the ability to create and manage domain name groups, permissions granted by the system administrator;
- Domain Owner – only one domain name can be managed, and management options are predefined;
- Mail User – the lowest level, allowing access to the webmail interface and management of passwords, spam filters, and so on.
cPanel and Plesk are the most extensively used panels globally. But there are dozens. Some companies create their client control panels.
Direct Admin
Compatible with Linux and BSD, Direct Admin is simple, fast, stable, and more affordable than cPanel.
The alternatives are arranged in a hierarchy. It has three tiers of access: Administrator, User, and Reseller. It also has anti-spam features. Also available are detailed resource utilization data. Its features include DNS management, database management, reseller account management, backup generation, file management, and more. The panel’s key characteristic is its simplicity.
Webmin
All Unix systems, including BSD, Linux, and Solaris, can use this online panel. In addition, it is only available for Windows in a limited capacity. However, Webmin can be installed on Windows, but it will not access all of its functions.
Although Webmin’s design cannot be described as highly user-friendly and straightforward, it is highly customizable. It has an Apache web server, for example, to configure Apache directives and features. Furthermore, Webmin developers created several panels based on Webmin cPanel to meet a variety of needs and hosting types:
- Usermin – a web interface for managing emails, configuring mail filters, and creating passwords, among other things.
- Cloudmin – a graphical user interface for managing virtual servers
- Virtualmin – a tool for managing multiple virtual hosts (like Plesk).
People on a budget can use Webmin because it’s free and installed on many different operating systems.
ISPmanager
Hosts in Eastern Europe frequently utilize this Linux-based control panel. A simplistic design doesn’t mean it’s any less comfortable, either.
This web panel comes in two flavors: Lite and Business. The first, Lite, can be used for web-server management, creating users with different access levels, importing data from remote servers, and so on, in addition to other features that are more or less common for each panel. As a result, the Lite panel is primarily used for Dedicated and VPS servers. The Business ISPmanager version is better for shared or reseller hosting because it allows for the management of multiple servers (clusters) and the creation and management of user accounts.
Summary
Each of the above panels has its peculiarities, benefits, and drawbacks. It’s hard to choose the best. This is a matter of taste. Most importantly, these web panels make operating servers and hosting more accessible and faster. So they’re great for both novices and developers.