A web hosting control panel is a browser-based GUI software that helps you quickly perform common tasks involved in managing your web hosting account. The control panel provides the tools to manage domains, subdomains, files, databases, email accounts, FTP accounts, etc. Without a control panel, managing a hosting account will be very difficult for non-technical users. Even technical users will find that managing multiple websites without a control panel is a big challenge. Naturally, offering one of the best hosting control panels is a big selling point for a hosting company. Here are some of the top web hosting control panels.
1. cPanel:
cPanel is undoubtedly the most popular and reputed control panel for a Linux server. cPanel is very user-friendly, and hosting packages that come with cPanel are considered premium products by the online community. Backing up or restoring your website or moving it from one cPanel host to another is a smooth and easy process. The GUI is simple, and people who are used to it may frown at any other control panel. Another advantage of the cPanel is the vast amount of information available online and how easy it is to get help in case of any difficulty.
2. Plesk:
Plesk is the most popular control panel for Windows servers. Plesk is available for both Windows and Linux, and it can also be used for managing multiple hosting accounts, VPS or dedicated servers. The interface, which has large icons and is easy to use, is somewhat similar to Windows XP. Plesk, being a web server control panel, has four levels of access. Users can login as administrators, resellers, domain owners or email users. Plesk is an excellent control panel for resellers and for those who wish to delegate their server or web administration tasks among multiple employees.
3. DirectAdmin:
Unlike cPanel or Plesk, which comes with a license fee, DirectAdmin is a free, open source web hosting control panel. Users can manage multiple websites, and it also allows them to automate certain tasks. DirectAdmin does not have large icons, but all the options are prominently arranged and are easy to find. Many people are of the opinion that DirectAdmin is one of the fastest and among the most stable control panels available. As it is free, hosting companies offering DirectAdmin can keep prices low compared to similar packages with cPanel.
4. WebsitePanel:
WebsitePanel is an easy to use, open source control panel meant for Windows servers. Like other top panels, it is powerful and user-friendly. It is very suitable for managing software like IIS, Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server and SharePoint, which are found only on Windows platforms.
5. ISPConfig:
ISPConfig is an open source control panel available on Linux, which is capable of managing multiple web servers. It also provides many tools to manage websites. It is easy to use and meets all the requirements of both hosting clients and server administrators.
Some web hosts offer standard control panels, and others offer their own in-house developed panel or a customized version of the open source control panel. Regardless of which panel is offered, all the tools you need as a webmaster will be available on it. Websites of many web hosting companies include a live demo, video or screenshots of their control panels. A demo will help you quickly gauge the suitability of the panel for your requirements.