Got a VPS and looking for one of the best VPS control panels? We have your back.
Chances are you already tried some traditional control panels like cPanel when you were using shared hosting. Now, it’s time to level up and go with something easy, affordable (or maybe free), and better, right?
Go ahead, the list is for you.
7 VPS control panels
With rising cPanel prices, everyone is looking for an alternative. We made this list to provide the best cPanel alternative for VPS.
The list comes with a few premium options where you will get more control over your server while most of the control panels for VPS are free. You can choose any of them as they serve your basic needs.
1. DirectAdmin
One of the most popular control panels for VPS in the industry is DirectAdmin. Their user-friendly interface and many features allow you to gain full control over the server. However, the panel is not totally free. It is super-affordable making it the best alternative to cPanel.
Ever since the cPanel increased their pricing, DirectAdmin is not just the choice of the VPS users but many hosting companies also adopted DirectAdmin for their customers. The ease of use and fast performance make it a great competitor.
In some cases such as support, it’s even better than cPanel. It has amazing options for easy management of CMS such as WordPress. Except for a small monthly fee starting at just $5, there are no other disadvantages.
Features of DirectAdmin
- Supported OS: Cent OS, Debian, Red Hat (RHEL), Linux, AlmaLinux, Ubuntu, and CloudLinux.
- Free: No, a nominal fee is charged.
- DNS management: Yes, DNS Clustering is also available.
- Email Management: Yes, with spam-fighting email features.
- FTP Management: Yes, anonymous FTP is also supported.
- Database Management: MySQL + PHPMyAdmin.
- IPv6 support: Yes
Website of DirectAdmin: DirectAdmin
2. Webmin
Webmin is the web version of the Virtualmin control panel. Better known for their flexibility and security, Webmin is free and open-source. So, if you are not looking to spend money on a control panel, Webmin is an excellent choice to move forward.
Their official website looks simple and less maintained. However, the Webmin panel is fully flexible and comes with all the modules you need for controlling your server. On the home page, you can see a quick graphical view of your server usage.
The server overview can be seen from the dashboard of the admin panel. There is a panel shown at the left side in the dashboard for navigating through the control panel. As the panel is developed in Perl, it’s pretty fast and responsive.
Features of Webmin
- Supported OS: All Unix-based systems including CentOS, Debian, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, AlmaLinux, OpenSUSE, etc.
- Free: Yes
- DNS management: Yes, BIND DNS options for advanced settings.
- Email Management: Yes, with the SpamAssassin package for spam filtering.
- FTP Management: Yes
- Database Management: MySQL and Postgres modules are available.
- IPv6 support: Yes
Website of Webmin: Webmin
3. Virtualmin
Some people who have just deployed their app on a VPS might want one of the control panels which they can install for free and upgrade later. Well, if that’s the case with you, Virtualmin is your choice.
Virtualmin has a free GPL license and a professional license. For cloud infrastructure, you can go with their Cloudmin panel (license).
One of the unique features of the Virtualmin control panel is the user and reseller account control. You can create sub-accounts inside the panel and assign them specific permissions to control the server.
So, if you have a small team, you can give access to your junior system administrator without any issues. From resource alerts to advanced security, they have got it all covered.
It’s an advanced version of the Webmin panel. So, the interface is similar to Webmin. The free license is good for most people.
Features of Virtualmin
- Supported OS: All Unix-based systems including CentOS, Debian, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, AlmaLinux, OpenSUSE, etc.
- Free: Yes, 2 other commercial licenses are also available
- DNS management: Yes, BIND DNS options are just like the Webmin panel.
- Email Management: Yes, advanced spam filtering.
- FTP Management: Yes
- Database Management: MySQL and Postgres modules are available.
- IPv6 support: Yes
Website of Virtualmin: Virtualmin
4. HestiaCP
Hestia is an open-source control panel available for free. Although they offer a user-friendly interface, still the navigation is quite difficult. The control panel has a bit more unique interface than other panels which we generally use. You will see a few options on the top bar.
It’s flexible and can communicate with other apps using third-party APIs. It’s completely free to use. If you are used to the cPanel interface, this might not quite amaze you.
The panel doesn’t have IPv6 support. However, in some cases, configuring the server in an advanced way will allow you to add IPv6 support with this panel.
Features of HestiaCP
- Supported OS: Debian 10+ and Ubuntu 20+
- Free: Yes
- DNS management: Yes, with cluster and DNSSEC options.
- Email Management: Yes.
- FTP Management: Yes, SFTP is also supported.
- Database Management: MySQL, PHPMyAdmin, Postgres, PHPPgAdmin, and MariaDB.
- IPv6 support: No (possible through advanced configuration)
Website of HestiaCP: HestiaCP
5. VestaCP
VestaCP is one of the best VPS control panels if you want to focus on security and features. You will get a built-in firewall to block all unwanted attempts on your control panel. It’s easy to install and use.
The overall user interface looks traditional but the number of features you will get here is outstanding. Starting from Softaculous to the CLI interface, it has all the features you are looking for.
If you are fine with the traditional interface, you should also be fine with FTP as it will cost you extra if you want to add a file manager. The core functionality of VestaCP is free. However, it will cost extra for add-ons.
Features of VestaCP
- Supported OS: CentOS, Ubuntu, Debian, and Red Hat (RHEL)
- Free: Yes
- DNS management: Yes with Named DNS
- Email Management: Yes
- FTP Management: Yes, with VsFTPD and ProFTPD
- Database Management: MySQL + PHPMyAdmin and Postgres + PHPPgAdmin.
- IPv6 support: No (manual configuration possible)
Website of VestaCP: VestaCP
6. ISPConfig
Sometimes you are looking for a specific feature in a VPS control panel but you aren’t sure whether the feature is available or not. ISPConfig solves that issue. Here, you will find most of the features you need.
The best thing about this control panel is that all the features are listed directly on their website. With this, you can look for the feature before you install the panel.
The panel is free. But, if you are looking for an advanced documentation manual, you will have to pay for it. You don’t need to worry here as they have an engaging helpful community along with its active development team.
It also supports multi-server setups. Make sure your server has at least 4 GB of RAM for a smooth experience. Their support is amazing. Most importantly, the panel is multilingual and you have over 22 languages to choose from. So, teams with different languages can work easily.
Features of ISPConfig
- Supported OS: Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, Fedora, and OpenSUSE
- Free: Yes
- DNS management: Yes, they use Bind and PowerDNS.
- Email Management: Yes
- FTP Management: Yes, PureFTPd
- Database Management: MySQL + PHPMyAdmin and Postgres + PHPPgAdmin.
- IPv6 support: Yes
Website of ISPConfig: ISPConfig
7. CyberPanel
Are you still afraid that you will miss out on some CMS cPanel features if you go with one of the alternative virtual private server control panels? CyberPanel solves these issues.
They have WordPress manager and similar features which are much like cPanel. You will also get a resource manager and file manager. If you are planning to host CMS, this is the best panel.
Apart from CMS, they have all the features you will need to control and manage the server. It works perfectly well with Litespeed to increase the performance of your server. The most important functions are beautifully presented on the admin dashboard.
Their admin dashboard allows you to easily navigate the rest of the features from the left hierarchy menu.
Features of CyberPanel
- Supported OS: CentOS, Ubuntu, CloudLinux, and AlmaLinux.
- Free: Yes, on unlimited websites and it’s free forever.
- DNS management: Yes, with power DNS.
- Email Management: Yes, advanced email management
- FTP Management: Yes, with Pure-FTPd.
- Database Management: MariaDB and MySQL.
- IPv6 support: Yes
Website of CyberPanel: CyberPanel
Conclusion
Depending on your requirements, you can choose one of the best panels to control your VPS.
We would highly recommend you go with DirectAdmin if you want an advanced way of controlling your server. They have better control options for custom scripts as well as CMS like WordPress.
As you are already paying for the VPS, it’s better to pay a bit more and get complete control over your VPS.
Which panel did you like the best? Let us know in the comment section. You can also share the list on your social media and ask for the opinions of your partners.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Do I need a control panel for VPS?
No, you don’t specifically need a control panel to manage a VPS. However, having a control panel makes it easier for you to control and manage the server.
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