Comparison of the Four Major Server Control Panels

Posted on August 28, 2019 by David Singer | Updated: August 10, 2021

Category: Tutorials | Tags: Control Panel, cPanel, DirectAdmin, InterWorx, Plesk

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In this article, we will be doing a sensible review of four of the major control panels that we encounter most often on a VPS server. These management panels include:

In moving forward, we reviewed multiple features of the following management panels across several systems in order to get a better overview of their functions and capabilities:

Feature	cPanel	Plesk	InterWorx	DirectAdmin
Operating System	CentOS 7	CentOS 7 & Windows	CentOS 7	CentOS 7
Our Pricing (min)	Starts at $15	Starts at $15	Starts at $10	Starts at $2 (limited domains)
Web Server	Apache (Default)	Nginx (Default)	Apache (Default)	Apache (Default)
Apache	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nginx	BSS	Yes	BSS	Yes
CloudLinux	Supports CloudLinux	Supports CloudLinux	Limited CloudLinux Support	Supports CloudLinux
Mail	Exim and Webmail	Postfix and Webmail	Q Mail and Webmail	Exim and Webmail
Spam Filtering	SpamAssassin	SpamAssassin	SpamAssassin	SpamAssassin
LiteSpeed	Supports Lightspeed	Supports Lightspeed	Supports Lightspeed	Supports Lightspeed
Lowest PHP Version	PHP 5.4	PHP 5.4	PHP 5.4
Highest PHP Version	PHP 7.3	PHP 7.3	PHP 7.3	PHP 7.3
Security	CSF	CSF	CSF	IPTables
AutoSSL	Let's Encrypt	Let's Encrypt	Let's Encrypt
Domain Management	Yes	Yes	Yes
Softaculous	Pre-Installed	Extension Available	Pre-Installed	Pre-Installed
File Management	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Databases	MySQL, MariaDB, & PostgresSQL	MySQL & MariaDB	MySQL & MariaDB	MySQL & MariaDB
User Accounts	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Backups	Automatic	Automatic	Automatic	Automatic

Note:

We do not offer DirectAdmin as a supported management panel option. However, DirectAdmin can be installed on one of our Self Managed server options

If you are interested in a new management panel, our Sales team can aid in making the best decision for your needs. Contact us today to find out more!

About the Author: David Singer

I am a g33k, Linux blogger, developer, student, and former Tech Writer for Liquidweb.com. My passion for all things tech drives my hunt for all the coolz. I often need a vacation after I get back from vacation....