Software like cPanel can help you manage your website hosting. This software makes it easy for non-experts to control different aspects of website administration through a web browser. This includes functionality for administrators, resellers, and end-users.
cPanel is the most popular, most widely used, and probably a powerful software for managing websites or email accounts. However, it is not free, which is why many webmasters look for free cPanel alternatives.
The majority of the software listed in this guide are open source, allowing you to examine their source code. You may also make any necessary modifications. They are all free, but some have commercial use restrictions
cPanel is a user-friendly web hosting control panel that administers the entire server for you. You can easily manage anything from files and databases to DNS and emails if you have cPanel access to your web hosting account.
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CyberPanel is one of the best web hosting control panels that offers simple yet powerful features to manage and host your websites. In addition to WordPress, the control panel allows you to host PHP applications and popular content management systems such as Magento, Joomla, and Prestashop.
CyberPanel is built with security in mind, with FirewallD installed by default and just necessary ports opened. Install other modules, such as ModSecurity, to better handle security rules.
Webmin is the most feature-rich alternative to cPanel, in my opinion. It is regarded as an ideal solution for the majority of needs.
Most of the functions cPanel offers are free in the Webmin Panel. You can do many things with the supplied modules, such as backing up configuration files, configuring Apache web servers, monitoring traffic, setting up fail2ban, configuring IPtables and the firewall, administering users, setting up cron tasks, and safeguarding SSH connections. Although the Webmin control panel’s UI isn’t the finest, adding unique visual themes may make it more user-friendly.
Webmin has a well-documented installation procedure for Ubuntu, Debian, and CentOS users. If you want to go a step further, the Webmin source code is available on GitHub.
Ajenti is a comprehensive control panel that identifies itself as “An administration tool for a more civilised age” that provides a quick and secure method for managing a remote Linux system.
It is possible to manage the firewall, install packages, manage users, monitor resource usage, and more via a remote terminal.
Ajenti also has a series of plugins that add functionality and compatibility, and it can be further extended with Python.
Ajenti is a top control panel for those who already have some services running on their servers.
Other panels delete existing configurations, but Ajenti allows you to “inherit” the current setting without changing it. Ajenti also considers itself “thoughtful,” as all changes are non-destructive and will not overwrite files, options, and comments.
The main project is open source and is available on GitHub.
ISPConfig is another long-standing competitor in the free cPanel alternatives list. It is undoubtedly one of the most popular, with 40,000 downloads per month. With this software, you can configure Apache2 / Nginx web server, mail server, DNS, mirroring, and much more, just like Webmin or Ajenti.
A unique feature of ISPConfig is its ability to manage multiple servers from a single control panel. If you work with more than one server and want a consistent experience on all of them without installing the same control panel, then ISPConfig could be for you.
ISPConfig works with Debian, Ubuntu, and CentOS; the source code is available through the GitLab repository under an open-source BSD license.
The most versatile free control panel on this list is ISPConfig 3. It has practically all the features you will need from an open-source Linux hosting control panel, as it offers four user levels: administrator, control panel user, reseller, and client.
The administrator level allows you to configure the server and administer all users. In contrast, the user level of the control panel allows the user to access only what is specified by the administrator. This means that you can ONLY allow access to the file manager or administer mail. The Reseller Level will enable resellers to resell a set amount of resources assigned to them by the administrator.
However, resellers can subsequently create their packages and resell them. The client level includes valuable resources allocated by the reseller, but clients have the authority to use everything that the administrator allows and is fully customizable. These rules are good or bad for all software of this kind.
Froxlor calls itself the “light” alternative to Webmin. From their website: “Developed by experienced server administrators, this open-source (GPL) panel simplifies the hosting platform’s management effort.”
Froxlor has a relatively user-friendly interface. Features include installing Let’s Encrypt, PHP configuration, MySQL management, etc.
Froxlor has Debian packages and a .tar.gz for production installations. Only Debian is officially supported, but it seems possible, with a bit of effort, to install it on Ubuntu as well.
Froxlor comes licensed with GPL 2.0, with source code on GitHub. You are free to edit and distribute the software as you see fit. However, you will need to make changes to the source available. Commercial use is also possible if you declare that your product uses Froxlor.
This popular alternative to cPanel allows the management of 3 types of users: administrators, resellers, and customers; it does not include a file manager but will enable you to create an FTP account very quickly.
Sentora is a free, simple, and easy-to-use web hosting control panel that you can install quickly on your cloud VPS server. Some providers, such as SkySilk, offer one-click installation of the Sentora panel while deploying a new VPS server.
The Sentora panel gives you access to manage services on your web server, such as PHP, MySQL and caching. Apart from this, you can also manage multiple clients and offer them different login credentials and accounts. It serves as your FREE WHM alternative as well.
The sole purpose of the YunoHost panel, unlike cPanel or Webmin, is to install various self-hosted applications for you.
Here you will not find a firewall or reverse proxy managers. Only a certain number of apps officially supported the installation of various programs, such as Baikal, Nextcloud, WordPress, Zerobin, and little else.
It is possible to administer a VPS via the YunoHost web interface or the command line. YunoHost officially supports Debian 8 and is primarily coded in Python with an open-source GPL license. The code is available on GitHub.
Vesta CP is a beautiful control panel. Linux users love it because it is written in Bash. Built-in features include IPtables and fail2ban management for security, Nginx and Apache for a web server, various email solutions, monitoring solutions, backups, etc. If you prefer to work via a command line rather than a web interface, you can do it with Vesta CP.
VestaCP is an elegant, simple, and effective control panel for CentOS, Debian, and Ubuntu servers. It can manage high-traffic websites with the same efficiency as cPanel. With Vesta, you can install Nginx immediately and set up a cache and hosting. VestaCP automatically updates and offers DNS Manager, Antivirus, AntiSpam, and the WHMCS billing.
You can install VestaCP on SkySilk with a one-click installation on your VPS.
Vesta works with CentOS, Debian, and Ubuntu and is licensed with GNU. The source code is available on GitHub.
CentOS Web Panel is the best alternative to Webmin if you’re using CentOS on your private virtual server (VPS) and you don’t think Webmin is a good fit. It permits the distribution and administration of Apache Web servers, firewalls, MySQL databases, SSL certificates, a Nginx reverse proxy, and self-hosted email, among other services. Through the services monitor, it is also possible to manage users, distribute backups, and monitor the system’s integrity.
Auto-Fixer is a unique feature of the CentOS Web Panel that analyses critical configuration files and attempts to correct them automatically if you (or the panel itself) make a mistake.
An updated CentOS system, a functioning LAMP stack, and at least 1 GB of RAM are needed for installation. It is important to remember that CentOS Web Panel is officially supported only on CentOS; if you use Debian or Ubuntu, you will need to examine one of the other options. Unfortunately, the CentOS Web Panel code is not entirely open-source but remains free.
LXCenter’s Kloxo is the last on the list. The interface of this control panel is almost identical to that of cPanel, making it a suitable replacement. WHMCS (Web Hosting Billing & Automation Platform), Hostbill, and AWBS are integrated with Kloxo.
I hope this introduction to web server configuration systems has bought some interest to you, as you can see, you can save money by using alternatives to cPanel. Paid solutions are also available such as Cloudron, Plesk, and ClusterCS with a little expenditure.
Olga Shevchenko is a freelance writer and has been working for more than 5 years. She is a senior SEO and content marketing analyst at CorporateBloggingTips. She has more than five years of experience in blogging and advertising technology as well. She has been writing for several authoritative SEO, Make Money Online & digital marketing blogs.
