The Ultimate Guide to the WHM Control Panel (2025)

Liquid Web offers WHM (WebHost Manager) and cPanel as a unified software package that provides a comprehensive solution for managing web hosting environments. They work in tandem, fulfilling distinct but complementary roles.

WHM (WebHost Manager): The Administrator’s Dashboard WHM is the server-level control panel, primarily used by hosting providers, resellers, and server administrators. It grants the “root” or administrative access to the entire server (dedicated server or VPS). With WHM, you can:

• Create, suspend, and terminate individual cPanel accounts.
• Manage hosting packages and allocate server resources (disk space, bandwidth) to each account.
• Configure server-wide settings, security, and updates.
• Monitor server health and performance.
• Manage DNS, IP addresses, and SSL certificates for the entire server.

cPanel: The End-User’s Interface cPanel is the user-level control panel, designed for individual website owners or clients of a hosting provider. It’s a simplified interface that allows users to manage their specific hosting account without needing server administration knowledge. Through cPanel, users can:

• Manage their website files (via a file manager or FTP).
• Create and manage email accounts.
• Set up databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL).
• Install popular web applications (like WordPress, Joomla) with one-click installers.
• Manage domains, subdomains, and DNS settings for their websites.
• Monitor their website’s resource usage.