Panels

Panels are web-based applications you can install on your VPS that aim to make managing a server easier. However, many of the more advanced panels are targetted towards "resellers" who wish to divide up their server among a number of clients (ie, provide shared hosting).

Linux

  • WebMin is a free panel with basic functionality that can control Apache, FTP, MySQL, SSH and some other servers. Its a good choice if you have low memory (256MB or less) because it has no dependencies - its up to you what services you control with it. Also worth considering if you are to be the only user. We have a Webmin quick-install guide in our Knowledge base.
  • VirtualMin is a free panel that can configure  web, email, FTP, and databases; it also has some performance graphs. Its primarily intended for use if you want to provide multiple people with their own hosting. It requires at least 512MB of memory and installs a number of components you may not require like ClamAV and ProFTPd.
  • CPanel is available for an additional $15.00 per month. CPanel is pretty much the gold standard of control panels in the shared hosting space. If you are already familiar with CPanel or need to use CPanel's site migration feature, this will be the right choice. We have an installation guide for customers who have purchased cPanel in our Knowledge base.

Windows

Most customers are familiar with using Windows directly via its desktop, so control panels for Windows are not particularly popular for VPS. There are some options though:

  • WebSitePanel is a free panel (previously known as DotNetPanel). It can configure web, email, FTP and databases.
  • Parallels Plesk is a suite of panels that can control Windows servers. Their licensing structure is designed around shared hosting so unfortunately its not really cost effective for a VPS.

 

Is there a panel we've omitted? Let us know.

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