How to choose a VPS hosting administration panel

• configuration and management of user account data;
• database control and file system management;
• mail management;
• collection and analysis of statistics.

Additional features and capabilities may vary, depending on the selected VPS control panel. In this article we are going to highlight the selection criteria and look at the most popular control panels:

1. Plesk Panel.
2. ISPManager.
3. cPanel.
4. Vesta CP.

The main criteria for choosing a hosting control panel

So, there are a number of aspects to consider when choosing:

1. The method of distribution - paid or free. You should immediately prepare for the fact that free control panels will be inferior to paid ones in terms of functionality. However, if the budget is tight, there are enough interesting options among free control panels that will work.
2. System requirements. The fewer resources the software consumes, the better because in this way you have more power to ensure the work of the sites, placed on VPS.
3. The list of supported operating systems. Sometimes customers, for whatever reason, prefer specific Linux distributions or versions of Windows, so at the stage of selecting a control panel for VPS, it is important to make sure that the operating system is compatible with the selected software.
4. List of compatible web servers, databases, and DNS servers.
5. Security features.
6. Availability of versions for iOS and Android mobile operating systems. This allows the administrator to perform his direct duties more effectively since he can manage the webserver from any smartphone.
7. Ability to track statistics. Detailed analytics is important because it allows you to identify weak points in the optimization and configuration of servers. You can use the collected statistical data later to adjust the promotion stratagem and business development as a whole.

Types of hosting control panel installation

According to the method of installation VPS control panels are divided into two types:

1. With automatic installation - are installed without user participation during the installation of the operating system.
2. With manual installation - here you will need to use scripts.

In the second case, the installation will be a bit more complicated, but such PUs allow more flexibility in setting up individual parameters and selecting the desired components from a variety of available options. With automatic installation, you will get only those components that are provided by the developers by default.

Popular VPS server control panels

Consider the most popular hosting control panels:

Plesk Panel

Developed by SWSoft in 2003, the guys from Parallels are currently distributing the product. One of the main advantages of Plesk Panel is its versatility - it is supported by all popular distributions:

• СentOS;
• OpenSUSE;
• CloudLinux;
• RHEL;
• Debian;
• Ubuntu;
• Windows.

To install this panel, you just need to go to the official site and download the installation script, and then run it using the console. The modular structure of components will allow you to build the best configuration for your tasks.

Another important advantage of the Plesk Panel is the default admin panel which supports the combination of Nginx + Apache without any configuration. That is, you can register a domain and download the site data immediately. And yes, it is recommended to install an additional Firewall module to restrict access to the Apache web server and thereby increase security.

Let us summarize the key advantages of VPS Plesk control panel:

• The installer contains a large number of modules and plugins that you can activate with a single click when you first install it;
• There is a reselling feature, which is critical for many entrepreneurs;
• Not a bad interface - albeit not without flaws, but it provides the user with enough convenient ways to manage the main functions;
• Supports Nginx + Apache by default.

Well, the main disadvantage of Plesk is considered an overload. In theory, a large number of modules is an advantage, but in practice, it turns out that about half of them are absolutely unnecessary for the vast majority of users. And if they are not needed, then, according to Occam's principle, they should have been removed a long time ago.

ISPManager

Developed by ISP System in 1997, this control panel is still one of the most popular in the industry. ISPManager functionality is aimed at meeting the needs of hosters and their clients, and the key advantages of the panel include:

• User-friendly and up-to-date interface - it's as simple as possible, yet detailed, all the tools are in their place;
• Low cost of the software;
• Extremely low consumption of system resources of the server, good optimization;
• Two-factor authentication is provided for the protection of web-server data;
• Supports APS-formatted web scripts, which simplify the installation of ready-made CMS for selected domains;
• It is possible to set the version of PHP and the handler for all sites;
• Solid assortment of functions for server management;
• Convenience when transferring accounts from one hosting to another;
• The ability to directly edit the configuration files of Apache and Nginx.

As we can see, there is an impressive amount of honey, but there is a small fly in the ointment. Firstly, the ISPManager VPS control panel does not contain features for creating and managing reseller rights, which automatically makes it an unacceptable option for the same resellers. Secondly, many administrators note the limited data backup options, which makes backups less convenient than on other panels.

cPanel

One of the most popular admin tools, which is used not only in the CIS countries but also abroad. A distinctive feature of cPanel is the high complexity of the initial installation - not only do you need to download special installation scripts from the developers' site, but you also can't install them at once. You will have to do some preparatory work first:

• Turn off SELinux;
• Install Perl;
• Specify the full name for the domain (fqdn) in files /etc/sysconfig/network and /etc/hosts.

But all this is compensated by extremely high performance, convenient and quick installation of additional modules.

cPanel includes a WHM web interface that grants full access to the environment's key settings. There you can change various settings that affect Apache security and performance. If you need a simple and efficient tool to manage multiple sites, emails, and domains, cPanel is ideal as it is 100% stable and consumes only minimal system resources.

Vesta CP

Vesta Control Panel is one of the most functional control panels that provide a lot of advanced features for working with websites, databases, and DNS. It is installed using a script in automatic mode, but if necessary, the user can connect additional modules.

Vesta CP is extremely simple and elegant, after installation no additional configuration is required, just specify key nameserver, and then you can get to work. The program interface is simple and convenient - the first block of the menu contains technical functionality, and the second block contains the user's characteristics. As a result, you get an impressive set of features:

• Tracking statistics in the form of graphical indicators of site load;
• System logging;
• Work with several databases;
• Managing mailboxes;
• Backup creation;
• User account management;
• Setting PHP parameters and much more.

The Vesta CP VPS server control panel is ideal for providing a high degree of control over projects - especially for those who are only considering free options.

That ends our review of the best control panels for VPS servers. To chat in more detail about the choice of CP or server lease conditions, please contact the HostZealot specialists.