ISPManager Vs CPanel

ISPmanager vs cPanel is a great comparison if you’re confused about choosing the right control panel for your server.

Are you worried that ISPManager is harder to use? Do you think a lesser-known panel would not be the right option for your server management? Above all, do you think your clients (if you’re an agency) can shift from cPanel to ISPManager?

We are here to answer all these questions. For that, WebHostingAdvices is back with an ultimate head-to-head comparison of the two control panels. We will cover all the necessary factors to help you choose the right panel.

Let’s begin.

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We will start the ISPManager versus cPanel battle with a basic overview of all the features. This is to give a quick idea about both the control panels.

Before we get into the table, it’s important to know that ISPManager is not available in any of the shared hosting providers. Instead, they either offer cPanel or hosting companies like Dreamhost offer their custom panel. So, ISPManager is an option only if you have a VPS server.

Let’s see the table grid.

	ISPmanager	cPanel
Supported OS	CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu	CentOS, CloudLinux, RHEL, Amazon Linux
Web Servers	Apache, Nginx, Apache+Nginx	Apache, Nginx, Apache+Nginx, LiteSpeed
DNS Servers	Bind, PowerDNS	Bind, MyDNS, NSD
PHP Modes	DSO (mod_php), FastCGI, CGI	suPHP, DSO (mod_php), FastCGI, CGI
PHP Version Selection	Yes	With third-party plugins or CloudLinux
DBMS	MySQL, PostgreSQL	MySQL, PostgreSQL
Database Management	Create/Delete DB and DB users, create DB dumps, phpMyAdmin, phpPgAdmin	Create/Delete DB and DB users, create DB dumps, phpMyAdmin, phpPgAdmin
Script and CMS Installation	Yes	Yes
SSL	Let’s Encrypt	Let’s Encrypt
FTP Servers	ProFTPd, PureFTPd, vsFTPd	ProFTPd, PureFTPd
SMTP Servers	Postfix, Exim, CommuniGate Pro	Exim
IMAP and POP3 Servers	Courier, Dovecot	Courier, Dovecot
File Manager	Yes	Yes
Backup	Yes	Yes
Git Integration	No	Yes
Node.js Support	No	Yes
Hosting Reselling	Yes (in business version)	Yes

Winner: Well, if you consider the features, cPanel is slightly better in terms of features.

Visit ISPManager

Visit cPanel

Ease of Use

The actual head-to-head comparison of ISPManager and cPanel begins with user-friendliness. Ease-of-use is subjective depending on how used you are with the server management. For newbies, both the panels are good enough to start with.

ISPManager

ISPManager provides a left panel with various options. It’s comparatively easy to use with all the options given right in the dashboard itself. You can scroll through various other options from the panel.

The minimalist design makes it easier to understand the panel and manage your server.

cPanel

While cPanel is also minimalist with multiple themes, it could be a bit harder to use due to its feature-rich quality.

There are a lot more options available inside cPanel. You will find all the features in different sections of the same page. It could be overwhelming for many people.

Winner: There is no clear winner as it depends on your requirements.

cPanel is more familiar if you had a hosting service before while ISPManager will take a few minutes to understand.

Overall, both have a decent user interface. If you wish to switch hosts in the future, cPanel would be a better choice as most hosting providers use cPanel.

In this way, you don’t need to relearn the control panel.

Security

You should never ignore security, especially in your control panel. If the control panel is compromised, you lose out a lot. All the popular control panels offer a great level of security for their users.

Here’s an overview of security for ISPManager versus cPanel.

ISPManager

Anti-spam features with IP Blocking.
System firewall to protect you from malware.
Regular updates and patches ensure that the software is updated.
The limited third-party plugins ensure better security (also limits the usability).

cPanel

You get 2FA and automatic SSL to secure your websites.
CSF (ConfigServer Security & Firewall) and ImunifyAV to protect you from malware.
SpamAssassin to protect you from spam.
Full customization using ModSecurity and even hosting providers can add plugins.

Winner: cPanel is generally better for security. Just ensure that you don’t install third-party plugins from unknown sources. cPanel always ensures that all the software available in their extension store is safe and secure. So, you don’t need to worry more about third-party plugins.

Backup

Despite having the best security, it’s important for the panels to have backups. It keeps your website safe from any damage. Especially if you’re making changes regularly, you will need a control panel backup feature to regularly safeguard your work.

ISPManager

ISPManager provides a built-in backup option where you can take daily backups, full backups, partial backups, and even exclude a few files you need. You can even store it in remote locations.

cPanel

cPanel also provides the same backup facilities. You can take daily backups, partial backups, and even take full backups. It allows you to store backups in remote locations.

Winner: Both are good options in terms of backups. It’s a draw.

Documentation and Technical Support

You will need help in managing the server especially if you’re not using CMS. Therefore, you will need the help of documentation and technical support.

Support is very much important if you are a hosting provider and want to offer the control panel to your users. Alternatively, it’s needed even if you are a medium to large agency with a lot of clients/customers. In that case, support becomes extremely important.

For regular users, you can ensure that the control panel has proper documentation as you also have the hosting service’s support team to help.

Let’s see the documentation and technical support for ISPManager and cPanel.

ISPManager

ISPManager has extensive documentation including knowledgebase, blog, community, forum, etc. You can send them an email or also call their support team for help.

cPanel

cPanel documentation comes with various categories where you can explore all the tools and sections. They have a ticket support system as well. cPanel is used by many hosting providers. So, there are a lot of videos, articles, etc. available on the internet for cPanel.

For instance, even we at WebHostingAdvices recently shared an article on How to fix the “Entry process limit reached” on cPanel. In the same way, web hosting companies and blogs often share tutorials on how to work in cPanel.

Winner: While ISPManager has better support, cPanel is slightly better as you can find the solution from various other sources due to its popularity.

Cost of ISPmanager and cPanel

Cost plays an important role in server management. Remember, you also need to pay for the server along with the panel. If you want some extra features in the control panel, there are a few add-ons you can get.

If you want a free option, you should prefer cloud services that also offer a free control panel. To add a cherry on top of the cake, Kamatera has a free trial. So, you can try the host before paying anything.

Coming back to the ISPManager vs cPanel, they both also offer a free trial. Let’s see the pricing in detail to know more about which is better.

ISPmanager

14-day free trial.
The Lite plan with up to 10 accounts costs €5.99 ($6.51) per month
Their Pro plan with up to 50 accounts costs €11.99 ($13.03) per month.
For unlimited accounts, you can go with their host plan which costs €18.99 ($20.64) per month.

One 1-month is free if you go with the annual payment.

cPanel

15-day free trial.
Solo plan with 1 account costs $17.49 per month.
Admin panel with 5 accounts costs $29.99 per month.
The Pro plan with 30 accounts costs $42.99 per month.
The last Premier plan with up to 100 accounts costs $60.99 per month.

Winner: ISPManager is a clear winner when it comes to pricing.

Conclusion: Which control panel should you choose?

Looking for a clear winner? It’s hard to say in that case.

Features: ISPManager provides a great set of features usable for everyday needs with easy management. However, cPanel is more feature-packed. Overall, we would still recommend ISPManager for better server management.
Ease of Use: In terms of ease of use, both are good enough to use. However, cPanel is more commonly used. So, it’s easier for anyone to understand.
Backups and Security: Both are equal when it comes to backups.
Documentation and Support: Want better support? ISPManager is your go-to option. But, If you’re an agency with several clients, cPanel would be preferable as most people are used to cPanel compared to ISPManager.
Pricing: Clearly, ISPManager is a lot cheaper and more affordable.

So, which one to choose: ISPManager or cPanel?

ISPManager: Affordable option available for VPS. A little difficult to manage but it’s still learnable. It’s recommended for server management.
cPanel: A bit expensive option with the simplest and easy-to-use UI. cPanel is great for website management.

Also read: Cheap VPS with cPanel

Visit ISPManager

Visit cPanel

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is the best alternative to cPanel?

DirectAdmin is the best alternative to cPanel in terms of user-friendliness as well as price.

Is DirectAdmin better than cPanel?

DirectAdmin has better UI, and support, and comes with an affordable option as compared to cPanel. It’s even better in terms of speed and security. However, cPanel has more features. One can make the choice accordingly.

ISPmanager vs cPanel