Dedicated Servers :
Control Panels
When choosing a Control Panel, the first thing you should think about is who the Control Panel is for (new users, advanced users, system administrators). Your users/customers (or even yourself) may range from new to very experienced users, so it is important to select an appropriate Control Panel. Without doubt, everyone likes a Control Panel that is easy to navigate so they can find the information/tools they are looking for. The Control Panels we have listed below are all well known and popular.
Webmin
Webmin is a free Control Panel owned by Caldera (a Linux distributor/devloper). It is focused mainly for system administrators and advanced users, and offers little functionality for end-users. While it does offer some in-built help, it is not the easiest Control Panel to use, as it expects the person using it to have good existing knowledge regarding the system. It also isn't really for web hosting, but can be used as a rudimentary tool for users.
Our Opinion:
Pros: supported on many operating systems, can be installed on existing systems without fresh installation
Cons: tailored for administrators and power users only, very basic web interface, not designed for web hosting
View Webmin screenshots: here
This Control Panel is available on Linux, BSD, Solaris, and many others, and we can help to install and configure it on all supported Dedicated Servers free of charge.
cPanel
cPanel is arguably one of the most popular Control Panels on the market. It is a very feature rich Control Panel which offers daily updates. It offers an easy to use Control Panel for the system administrator, users and resellers. The administration option called "Web Host Manager" is also powerful, and the control panels look good. cPanel has virtually become the "de-facto" standard for control panels.
Our Opinion:
Pros: constantly updated, unlimited domains per license, nice web interface, supported on many operating systems and platforms
Cons: Constant updates may introduce bugs
Try the cPanel (End-user) Demo: here
Try the WebHost Manager (WHM) Demo: here
This Control Panel is available on Linux and BSD, and we can help to install and configure it on all supported Dedicated Servers free of charge. A license for each server is required (and supports unlimited accounts and domains), which can be purchased from them directly online at Cpanel.net, or you can try BuyCpanel.com which sells US$55 unlimited licenses.
Plesk
Plesk is considered one of the most stable and secure control panels available (although it may have less new features than cPanel). This control panel is also considered to be among the most popular. The web interface is arguably not as pretty as cPanel and lacks a bit of flexibility, but still has most functionality users want. The licensing system is very flexible, allowing you to choose from a 10 domain license to an unlimited domains license.
Our Opinion:
Pros: Stable, secure, flexible licensing
Cons: Not as many new features, slower development cycle
Try the Plesk Demo: here
This Control Panel is available on Linux and BSD, and we can help to install and configure it on all supported Dedicated Servers free of charge. A license for each server is required, which can be purchased from them directly online at SWSoft.
Ensim
Ensim is one of the only Control Panels available for both Windows and Linux Platforms. Some of the options that are available are limited when compared to some of the other Control Panels listed in this section. However, if you want to offer hosting based on Microsoft Windows, this is one of the only Control Panels available; on the Linux platform it only works on the outdated Redhat Linux 7.3, so it is not recommended on Linux. However, if you plan to have 2 or more Dedicated Servers and want to offer hosting based on both Windows and Linux, this cannot be beat.
Our Opinion:
Pros: Works on both Linux and Windows
Cons: Only works on outdated Redhat Linux 7.3, not flexible
This Control Panel is not supported by us directly, but we can assist with installation and setup issues if possible.
GotoMyPC
GotoMyPC is a remote control application for Windows, which allows you to access your server/computer from virtually anywhere you have access to a web browser (such as an internet cafe). No additional software like Remote Desktop is required on the connecting computer, and this can work through our hardware Firewall/IDS system and most software firewalls.
This Control Panel can be installed on Microsoft Windows.
In conclusion, if you are a System Administrator or experienced/advanced user, then Webmin may do everything you need. However, if you plan on hosting many websites, or you want something that is easy to use and is essentially "point and click", then we recommend cPanel. Either way we can assist in installing and setting up the Control Panel software for you. Note that you need to already have a Dedicated Server with us in order for us to install the Control Panel software for you, so please order a server first, then let us know which Control Panel software you prefer.
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