Webhosting Control panels reviewed
Introduction
A control panel is a web-based Graphical user interface to allow quick and easy access & configuration of a wide variety of features that your web-host supports. Control panels give you access to user management, email management, file management, web site statistics, database administration, server load viewing and more. We have reviewed 7 Control Panel systems on this page. Almost all shared hosting services will come with one or more of these control panels installed.
The first thing about a control panel is that it should be 'user-friendly'. Web hosting customers will range from newbies to the more advanced 'power-users', so finding a control panel that would work for both types of users may be difficult. Without a doubt, everyone likes a control panel that is easy to navigate so they can find the information/tools they are looking for. We encourage you to go thru our review & try out the online demo that all these companies have, to see which system works best for you.
The most popular control panel system in the market. Cpanel has a very feature rich control panel which is quite easy to use. It has options for users , resellers & also an administration option called Web Host Manager.
CPanel allows the web host to easily customize the features/programs that appear. Additionally, CPanel has a skinning feature, that many hosts prefer, to customize the look of the panel. Of late Cpanel seems to have become the 'de-facto' standard for control panels.
However, it is a more expensive option than some of the other systems & with the wide range of features that are built into Cpanel , there are a few more bugs than with the other systems. It also comes with a steady stream of regular updates & patches. Try the cPanel (End-user) Demo: here
Try the WebHost Manager (WHM) Demo: here
Pricing :
* Pricing options vary between a $450 one year licence to $1100 for a 3 year licence. There is also a One time non-expiring license at $1250 + extra for additional years of support & upgrades. | More Information: http://www.cpanel.net |
HostFlow is a recent introduction into the hosting automation market and its feature rich control panel is already over-shadowing the traditional industry players. HostFlow is the only software on the market that allows to sell web hosting packages, bulk web services and dedicated servers through direct and indirect sales channels.
The complete and seamless integration of modules like; server management, service management, customer management, order management, billing management, help desk, and a true open architecture for evolution makes HostFlow a powerful hosting business automation software.
Their one time fee pricing structure including unlimited domains is also an attractive competitive advantage. So, if you are looking for a solution that automates every aspect of the hosting services delivery process, HostFlow may be your best bet. HostFlow runs exclusively on open architecture platform and unlike other automation software does not tweak codes, ensuring customers and resellers the freedom to switch their hosting platform as wanted. It allows the management of Linux and Windows servers in a scalable environment
Try the HostFlow demo: here Pricing :
* Pricing is a one-time fee based on the version purchased & can be obtained by containg the sales team via their website. The support costs are 20% of licensing fee per year for the Standard edition to €399/month for the Premium edition. | For More Information: http://www.hostflow.com
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A popular option, Plesk offers what they call a PSA which is simply Plesk Server Administrator. It is a budget solution that works on both Unix and Linux web based servers. It allows hosting companies to offer a feature rich control panel to their clients. A comprehensive reseller option is also available.
It features different levels of use such as Master Level (Server Admin) which allows you to manage multiple servers, Server Level which manages a single server, Reseller Level which allows you to signup and register resellers who in turn can manage their clients, and Domain Level which is the basic user level.
Plesk has a history of being very stable & secure. However, the downside to the Plesk control panel is that it lacks a number of features as compared to the other control panels. The web interface is arguably not as pretty as cPanel and lacks a bit of flexibility, but still has most functionality users want.
The Plesk licensing system is very flexible, allowing you to choose from a 10 domain license to an unlimited domains license. Try the Plesk Demo: here Pricing :
* The pricing depends on the version [7-7.5] , the platform and the options / addons / bundled deals selected by the user. There are one-time licenses and a monthly leasing option too. Check out the pricing options here | For More Information: http://www.plesk.com/html/products/psa/index.htm |
Ensim offers an array of features and four levels of administration including a reseller option. It has been ported to both Windows and Linux Platforms. Being geared towards those webmasters on a tighter budget, it has a limited number of options & features as compared to some of the other control panels listed in this review.
Ensim is less bug prone than Cpanel, however the interface is not as user-friendly & well laid out as CPanel's. If you are running on a Microsoft Windows based operating system , this is one of the few Control Panels systems available. On the Linux platform, there are all the other options to choose from. However, if you plan to have two or more Dedicated Servers and want to offer hosting based on both Windows and Linux, then Ensim may be the way to go ! Try out the Ensim demo : here Pricing :
* A range of options available from $199 for a 20 domain version to a $799 unlimited domain version for Linux. There are other options , add-ons and discounts on both the Linux & Windows versions. | More information: http://www.ensim.com/products/webppliance/index.html |
This is probably the most complex of all hosting control panels available on the market. The list of features contains almost every option that you will find on all the other systems. This software integrates the power of resellers along with complete automation and billing.
H-Sphere is a scalable multiserver webhosting control panel that provides complete hosting automation for Linux, BSD & Win2000 platforms , is easy to use and has an extensive user interface. It also features an integrated trouble tickets system. If you are looking for a complete automated web hosting control panel then H-Sphere maybe the answer for you.
You can try the H-sphere demo : here Pricing :
* H-Sphere is licensed at US $4.50 per account one time fee and can be purchased in packs of 25 accounts. Support pricing depends on the plan chosen and upgrades are priced seperately too. | More Information: http://www.psoft.net/promo/
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The Zervex DSM system is a great interface for hosting companies or webmasters who wish to manage several websites on a single server or a group of servers via a web browser and need a powerful browser based interface.
Zervex DSM has three levels of interfaces; Server Administrator, Reseller and End User. All interfaces are graphically identical to provide ease of support at every level. With the use of the plug-ins manager your End Users have the ability to install 30+ pieces of open source software at a click of a button.
Based on your requirement, you can buy a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum version, which have various levels of options and add-ons. Another feature about Zervex which deserves special mention is its small footprint on the server, just 12kb ! The Zervex system supports the Redhat linux versions 7.3 to 9, Fedora 1 & the Enterprise linux 3. The drawback of Zervex is mainly the higher license fees as compared to other Control Panel systems & the cap on email support.
Try the Zervex demo : here Pricing :
* From a Free Bronze version to a Gold version at $69.95/Month or $503.64/Year. There are a number of other licensing options, support options etc. which are priced seperately. You can view the latest pricing here. | More Information: http://www.zervex.com |
| Webmin | Rating :  |
Webmin is a free Control Panel provided 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. If you require a basic control panel software to accomplish rudimentary tasks on your web-server, Webmin is for you. The positive aspect of Webmin is that it is supported on many Linux / Unix based operating systems such as Linux, BSD, Solaris & can be installed on existing systems without fresh installation. With very few options , the Webmin system should have the least number of bugs among all the Control Panel software we have seen. View Webmin screenshots: here
Pricing :
* Free , under open-source , GPL licence. | More information : http://www.webmin.com |
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Windows Dedicated Servers 
