In this article we are providing top 30 free cPanel Alternatives in 2024. When looking for the best free cPanel alternatives, there are several options available that offer a range of features for managing web hosting and server configurations.

When it comes to web hosting control panels, cPanel has long been the gold standard. It offers an intuitive interface, robust features, and reliable performance. However, the increasing costs and licensing changes have led many to seek out free alternatives. Luckily, there are plenty of viable options available in 2024. This article will guide you through the top free cPanel alternatives, helping you find the best fit for your hosting needs.

Why Look for cPanel Alternatives?

Cost Considerations

cPanel’s licensing fees have become a significant burden for many small businesses and individual developers. With costs rising, finding a free alternative can substantially reduce your hosting expenses.

Features and Flexibility

While cPanel is feature-rich, some users find its offerings either too complex or not sufficiently tailored to their specific needs. Alternatives often provide a more customizable experience, allowing users to tailor the control panel to their exact requirements.

Performance and Resource Usage

cPanel can be resource-intensive, which might not be ideal for servers with limited resources. Free alternatives often have a lighter footprint, making them better suited for smaller servers or VPS setups.

Criteria for Choosing a cPanel Alternative

User-Friendliness

A control panel should be easy to navigate and use. Look for alternatives with a straightforward, intuitive interface that doesn’t require a steep learning curve.

Feature Set

Different users have different needs. Ensure the alternative you choose offers the necessary features, such as email management, domain handling, and security options.

Support and Community

A strong community and reliable support can make a big difference, especially for free software. Look for alternatives with active forums, comprehensive documentation, and responsive support teams.

Security

Security is paramount when it comes to web hosting. Choose an alternative that offers robust security features and regular updates to protect your data and websites.

List of Top 30 Free cPanel Alternatives in 2024

1. Webmin

Webmin is a web-based system administration tool for Unix-like servers, and services with about 1,000,000 yearly installations worldwide. Using it, it is possible to configure operating system internals, such as users, disk quotas, services or configuration files, as well as modify, and control open-source apps, such as BIND DNS Server, Apache HTTP Server, PHP, MySQL, and many more.

Features:

• Comprehensive web-based interface for Unix systems.
• Manage various aspects of the server including users, DNS, file systems, and more.
• Extendable with a wide range of modules for additional functionalities.

Pros:

• Highly customizable.
• Strong community support.
• Frequent updates and improvements.

Cons:

• Can be complex for beginners.
• Interface might seem dated compared to cPanel.

2. ISPConfig

ISPConfig 3 is an open source hosting control panel for Linux. ISPconfig 3 is capable of managing multiple servers from one control panel. ISPConfig is licensed under BSD license.

Features:

• Manage multiple servers from one control panel.
• Supports Apache and Nginx web servers.
• Integrated support for mail servers, DNS, FTP, and more.

Pros:

• Multi-language support.
• Open-source and actively maintained.
• Good documentation and community.

Cons:

• Initial setup can be challenging.
• User interface is functional but not as polished.

3. Ajenti

Fast remote access for every occasion

Ajenti is a Linux & BSD modular server admin panel. Ajenti 2 provides a new interface and a better architecture, developed with Python3 and AngularJS. Install once and never google for PuTTY downloads again. An admin’s tool for a more civilized age, providing you with a fast and secure way to manage a remote Linux box at any time using everyday tools like a web terminal, text editor, file manager and others.

Features:

• Lightweight and responsive web interface.
• Real-time monitoring and management.
• Supports custom scripts and plugins for extended functionality.

Pros:

• Easy to install and use.
• Modern, clean interface.
• Suitable for lightweight server management.

Cons:

• Not as feature-rich as some other options.
• Limited in comparison to cPanel for advanced tasks.

4. VestaCP

Vesta is an open source Hosting Control Panel that is free to use under GPLv3. It provides an easy to use control panel that allows the management of websites, DNS, mail, backups, and more!

Features:

• Simple and clean interface.
• Supports Apache and Nginx web servers.
• Integrated firewall and security features.

Pros:

• Easy to install and configure.
• Good performance.
• Active development and community support.

Cons:

• Limited documentation.
• Less extensible compared to others.

5. CentOS Web Panel (CWP)

CWP is a World Leading advanced Free and PRO web hosting panel that gives you all the flexibility to effectively and efficiently manage your server and clients. Now with CWP Secure Kernel providing the highest possible security level for your server.

Features:

• Comprehensive control panel with many features.
• Support for various web servers like Apache, Nginx, and Varnish.
• Integrated security features including a firewall and intrusion detection.

Pros:

• Rich set of features.
• Good for managing multiple domains and email accounts.
• Active community and frequent updates.

Cons:

• Requires CentOS to run.
• Can be resource-intensive.

6. Froxlor

The lightweight server management software for your needs. Developed by experienced server administrators, this open source (GPL) panel simplifies the effort of managing your hosting platform.

Features:

• Lightweight and efficient.
• Supports multiple web servers, mail servers, and FTP servers.
• Customizable and extensible.

Pros:

• Easy to use.
• Good for smaller, lightweight setups.
• Active development and support.

Cons:

• Not as feature-rich as cPanel.
• Documentation could be better.

7. Virtualmin

Virtualmin is the leading and most sophisticated web hosting control panel designed for Linux systems. It supports a wide range of Linux distributions, including Debian and Ubuntu, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, and RHEL.

Features:

• Comprehensive web hosting control panel.
• Integrated with Webmin for added features.
• Supports Apache and Nginx web servers.

Pros:

• Highly customizable.
• Good for managing multiple virtual hosts.
• Strong community support and documentation.

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve.
• Interface can be complex for new users.

8. DirectAdmin

DirectAdmin is a graphical web-based web hosting control panel allowing administration of websites through a web browser. The software is configurable to enable standalone, reseller, and shared web hosting from a single instance.

Features:

• Simple and efficient user interface.
• Supports Apache and Nginx web servers.
• Comprehensive management tools for DNS, email, databases, and more.

Pros:

• Lightweight and fast.
• Easy to use for both beginners and advanced users.
• Active development and good support.

Cons:

• Free version is limited in features.
• Some advanced features may require additional configuration.

9. CyberPanel

CyberPanel is the first open-source control panel which supports OpenLiteSpeed and LiteSpeed Enterprise. CyberPanel development is community driven – you are not alone, there is whole squad for support.

Features:

• Powered by OpenLiteSpeed web server.
• Built-in support for LSCache, WordPress, and other applications.
• Comprehensive security features including firewall and automatic updates.

Pros:

• Optimized for performance with LiteSpeed.
• User-friendly interface.
• Free version is quite feature-rich.

Cons:

• Some advanced features may require a paid version.
• Learning curve for those unfamiliar with LiteSpeed.

10. HestiaCP

Hestia Control Panel is an Open-source web server control panel. Fast, reliable, open-source. The control panel you’ve always wanted is just a command away.

Features:

• Fork of VestaCP with improved features and security.
• Simple and intuitive interface.
• Supports Apache and Nginx, DNS, mail servers, and more.

Pros:

• Easy to install and use.
• Active community and frequent updates.
• Good performance and security.

Cons:

• Less feature-rich compared to cPanel.
• Limited to Debian and Ubuntu systems.

11. Plesk (Free Version)

Plesk is a web hosting control panel that allows you to manage your server and website. You can install Plesk on any supported Linux-based OS or Windows Server via RDP.

Features:

• Full-featured control panel with extensive tools.
• Supports multiple web servers and database management systems.
• Strong security features and extensions for various functionalities.

Pros:

• Professional and polished interface.
• Highly extensible with many plugins and integrations.
• Good for managing multiple websites and applications.

Cons:

• Free version has limited features compared to the paid version.
• Can be resource-intensive.

12. aaPanel

aaPanel is a software that improves the efficiency of managing servers, supports more than 100 functions such as one-click LEMP/LNMP/monitor/FTP/database. After more than 80 iterations, it is fully functional and safe, and has been approved and installed by millions of users around the world.

Features:

• Simple and clean interface.
• Supports Apache, Nginx, MySQL, PHP, and FTP.
• Integrated app store for easy installation of common applications.

Pros:

• Easy to install and use.
• Regular updates and good support.
• Feature-rich and flexible.

Cons:

• Some features are behind a paywall.
• Documentation can be improved.

13. Sentora

Sentora – The open-source web hosting control panel!

Sentora is based on the solid foundations of ZPanel and developed by the original team, Sentora provides a robust open-source web hosting control panel for small to medium ISPs.

Features:

• Open-source and community-driven.
• Simple interface for managing web hosting, DNS, email, and databases.
• Modular design for easy extension.

Pros:

• Easy to use for beginners.
• Active community support.
• Lightweight and efficient.

Cons:

• Development has slowed in recent years.
• Not as feature-rich as other options.

14. BlueOnyx

BlueOnyx is a fully-integrated Internet hosting platform that includes web, email, DNS and file transfer services from a simple, user-friendly web-based interface that is easily installed on commodity hardware or virtual private server.

Features:

• Comprehensive server management suite.
• Built on CentOS with strong security features.
• Supports multiple domains, databases, and applications.

Pros:

• Robust and reliable.
• Strong focus on security.
• Good for enterprise environments.

Cons:

• Requires CentOS to run.
• More complex to set up and manage.

15. CloudPanel

CloudPanel is a free software to configure and manage a server with an obsessive focus on simplicity.
Run static websites, PHP, Node.js and, Python applications.

Features:

• Optimized for cloud environments like AWS, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean.
• Simple and modern interface.
• Supports multiple PHP versions and databases.

Pros:

• Great for cloud-based hosting.
• Easy to use and manage.
• Free and open-source.

Cons:

• Limited to cloud environments.
• Not as feature-rich as cPanel for traditional hosting.

16. Kloxo-MR

This is special edition (fork) of Kloxo with many features not existing on Kloxo official release (6.1.12+). This fork named as Kloxo-MR (meaning ‘Kloxo fork by Mustafa Ramadhan’), supporting Nginx, Nginx-Proxy and Lighttpd-proxy, Hiawatha, Hiawatha-proxy and Httpd 24, beside Httpd and Lighttpd; also Dual and Multiple Web server.

Features:

• Based on Kloxo but with additional features and improved performance.
• Supports Apache, Nginx, Lighttpd, and Hiawatha web servers.
• Integrated mail server, DNS, and database management.

Pros:

• Lightweight and efficient.
• Good for small to medium hosting environments.
• Active community support.

Cons:

• Interface can be outdated.
• Setup can be complex for new users.

17. BrainyCP

Multi-functional server hosting control panel for Linux

The main task of BrainyCP is to make server management as easy as possible for a system administrator as well as automatize all server processes. The product will come handy both for a webmaster working on small tasks who needs the tool for VPS-management, and for a large hosting company for locating their clients on a shared hosting.

Features:

• Control panel for managing Linux servers.
• Supports multiple web servers, databases, and email services.
• Integrated security and monitoring tools.

Pros:

• User-friendly and modern interface.
• Comprehensive feature set.
• Active development and support.

Cons:

• Less known compared to other alternatives.
• Documentation can be limited.

18. TinyCP

TinyCP is a lightweight web-based control panel for managing Linux systems. It’s characterized by its lightness and doesn’t overload the system.

Features:

• Lightweight control panel for Linux servers.
• Supports web server management, databases, mail servers, and FTP.
• Simple and minimalistic interface.

Pros:

• Very lightweight and fast.
• Easy to install and use.
• Suitable for small-scale deployments.

Cons:

• Limited features compared to more robust alternatives.
• Smaller community and less extensive documentation.

19. i-MSCP (Internet Multi Server Control Panel)

i-MSCP (internet Multi Server Control Panel) is an open source software (OSS) for shared hosting environments management on Linux servers. It comes with a large choice of modules for various services such as Apache2, ProFTPd, Dovecot, Courier, Bind9, and can be easily extended through plugins, or listener files using its events-based API.

i-MSCP has been designed for professional Hosting Service Providers (HSPs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and IT professionals.

Features:

• Modular and extendable hosting control panel.
• Supports Apache and Nginx, FTP, email, and databases.
• User-friendly interface with multi-language support.

Pros:

• Highly modular and customizable.
• Active community and frequent updates.
• Good performance and stability.

Cons:

• Can be complex to configure.
• Less polished interface compared to cPanel.

20. EasySCP

EasySCP software appliance provides complete hosting automation for Linux platforms. EasySCP offers an easy-to-use graphical interface for administrators, resellers and domain owners and complete functionality to manage the server and its components.

Features:

• Fork of the original VHCS (Virtual Hosting Control System) project.
• Supports multiple domains, email, FTP, and databases.
• Simple interface with basic functionalities.

Pros:

• Easy to install and manage.
• Lightweight and efficient.
• Good for small hosting environments.

Cons:

• Limited features compared to cPanel.
• Smaller community and slower development pace.

21. Aegir Hosting System

Aegir is massive hosting system for Drupal powered sites based on many Drupal itself (for Aegir core), Drupal deployment tools, and the Drush. Aegir makes it simple for you to host Drupal sites, as well as to manage and deploy them effectively. 

Features:

• Specializes in managing Drupal websites and servers.
• Automated deployment, updates, and backups.
• Supports multiple sites and environments.

Pros:

• Excellent for managing Drupal sites.
• Automates many repetitive tasks.
• Active community and development.

Cons:

• Limited to Drupal sites.
• Complex to set up and manage.

22. Cockpit

Cockpit is a web-based graphical interface for servers, intended for everyone.

Features:

• Web-based graphical interface for server management.
• Real-time monitoring and management of services.
• Extensible with additional modules.

Pros:

• Modern and responsive interface.
• Easy to use and extend.
• Good for managing multiple servers.

Cons:

• Not as feature-rich for web hosting as cPanel.
• Requires additional configuration for full hosting stack.

23. ServerPilot

ServerPilot is a cloud service for hosting WordPress and other PHP websites on servers at DigitalOcean, Amazon, Google, or any other server provider. You can think of ServerPilot as a modern, centralized hosting control panel.

ServerPilot does not provide servers. Instead, we make it easy to host PHP sites on your own servers. You don’t need to know how to administer a server because ServerPilot does it for you.

Features:

• Cloud server management tool optimized for PHP and WordPress.
• Supports Nginx and Apache web servers.
• Automatic updates and security patches.

Pros:

• Easy to set up and use.
• Optimized for performance and security.
• Good for managing multiple servers.

Cons:

• Limited to PHP-based applications.
• Free version has limited features.

24. InterWorx

A comprehensive Linux server system for server admins, and a broad toolset for customers to manage their domains, email, and websites

Features:

• Clustered server management capabilities.
• Supports Apache web server and multiple databases.
• Advanced security features and user management.

Pros:

• Highly scalable and robust.
• Excellent for managing multiple servers.
• Good customer support.

Cons:

• Free version is limited.
• More suited for experienced users and larger environments.

25. Cloudron

Self-hosting has never been simpler. Complete solution for running apps on your own server.

Features:

• App platform for running web applications.
• Supports one-click installation for many web apps.
• Integrated user management and automatic updates.

Pros:

• Easy to use with a focus on applications.
• Good for deploying web applications quickly.
• Regular updates and active community.

Cons:

• Limited to the applications supported by Cloudron.
• Free version has limited app installations.

26. KeyHelp

Regardless of whether you are a user of a web hosting plan or an administrator of a server – an easy-to-use management interface with many functions and options is appreciated by everyone equally.
The server hosting panel KeyHelp is aimed at administrators, resellers and users.

Features:

• Free and professional web hosting control panel.
• Supports Apache, Nginx, MySQL, and PHP.
• Integrated backup and security features.

Pros:

• User-friendly and modern interface.
• Comprehensive feature set.
• Active development and community support.

Cons:

• Less known than some other alternatives.
• Documentation can be limited.

27. Open Source Software Image Map (OSSIM)

OSSIM is an open source, C++ (mostly), geospatial image processing library used by government, commercial, educational, and private entities throughout the solar system. It has been in active development since the last millenium. This repository contains the full OSSIM package including core library, applications, tests, and build system.

Features:

• Comprehensive security management platform.
• Integrates various open-source security tools.
• Supports monitoring, vulnerability assessment, and more.

Pros:

• Highly focused on security.
• Good for managing security aspects of web hosting.
• Active community and frequent updates.

Cons:

• Not a traditional web hosting control panel.
• Requires significant expertise to manage effectively.

28. Feathur

Feathur is a VPS control panel which is designed to be used to administrate OpenVZ and KVM VPS. Feathur supports multiple nodes using a master and slave type functionality.

Features:

• Simple and lightweight VPS control panel.
• Supports OpenVZ virtualization.
• User-friendly interface with basic VPS management features.

Pros:

• Lightweight and efficient.
• Easy to use and manage.
• Good for small VPS deployments.

Cons:

• Limited features compared to more robust control panels.
• Development has slowed down.

29. CloudStick

Cloudstick is a control panel and hosting platform that allows a basic user to host their applications on Linode, Vultr, AWS, GCP, and DigitalOcean without the help of a Linux system admin.

Features:

• Cloud server management for PHP applications.
• Supports multiple PHP versions and web servers.
• Integrated monitoring and security features.

Pros:

• User-friendly and modern interface.
• Good for managing cloud servers.
• Active development and support.

Cons:

• Limited to PHP applications.
• Free version has limited features.

30. Virtualizor

Virtualizor is a powerful web based VPS Control Panel using which a user can deploy and manage VPS on servers with a single click. Virtualizor supports KVM, Xen, OpenVZ, Proxmox, Virtuozzo, LXC, etc with an inbuilt hourly billing system.

Features:

• VPS control panel supporting KVM, Xen, and OpenVZ.
• Comprehensive VPS management features.
• Integrated billing and client management.

Pros:

• Highly flexible and powerful.
• Good for managing virtualized environments.
• Active community and frequent updates.

Cons:

• Not a traditional web hosting control panel.
• More complex to set up and manage.

Conclusion

In 2024, there are plenty of excellent free cPanel alternatives available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Whether you’re looking for something lightweight and easy to use like VestaCP or a more feature-rich solution like Virtualmin, there’s an option out there for you. Take the time to evaluate your needs and choose the one that best fits your requirements.

FAQs

What is cPanel? cPanel is a popular web hosting control panel that provides a graphical interface and automation tools designed to simplify the process of hosting a web site.

Are free cPanel alternatives secure? Yes, many free cPanel alternatives offer robust security features. However, it’s crucial to keep your software up to date and follow best security practices.

Can I migrate from cPanel to a free alternative? Yes, migrating from cPanel to a free alternative is possible, though the process may vary depending on the specific alternative you choose. Most alternatives provide migration guides and tools.

Which cPanel alternative is best for beginners? For beginners, VestaCP and aaPanel are highly recommended due to their user-friendly interfaces and straightforward setup processes.

How do I choose the right cPanel alternative for my needs? Consider factors such as user-friendliness, feature set, community support, and security. Evaluate your specific requirements and test a few alternatives to find the best fit.

If you like this post and resources kindly like the post and leave a comment, also mention any other cPanel alternative that i have not included in this list. Thanks