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Web hosting is a process through which businesses shift online by posting a web page on the internet. Web hosting is a crucial part of a website. In the process of web hosting, the control panel plays a very vital role. Web hosting control panels allow users to manage and control their websites on the internet. 

Control Panel in Web hosting is important as it provides the users with an interface through which the interaction of users with the website’s server becomes easier. Before the control panel, server and Website management required great knowledge, and that created a barrier for many users. But, the control panel has made this management easier. Thus, control panels are a crucial part of web hosting and it is important to know about them in order to choose the right control panel to use.

Several control panels are used for web hosting. We get the control panel along with the hosting service we choose to host our website. Some common features are available in all the control panels. We can expect to get them when buying hosting services. 

• Domain and website management is the main use of control panels in web hosting. 
• Security is a necessary concern. So it is available with all the control panels. But the security type can vary according to the service. 
• Database setup and management are also available with control panels that can help with the database work.
• Access to branded email accounts comes with the control panels too. 
• Software and application installation is another important thing available with the control panel. In some, there might be automatically installed applications. While in others, users can choose certain applications according to their needs.

Many control panels are available today for users with different kinds of features. In addition, control panels come with several additional features for the users that make each web hosting control panel different from the others. Among all of those control panels, users go with the one which is easy to use or has more features according to their needs. So it is better to understand all the control panels carefully and the features that are available before buying one. 

Plesk and cPanel are two of such commonly used control panels for web hosting. But now the question is which one is better? Which is the most suitable for us? Which one to choose? In this article let’s try to compare both the control panels and understand which is better for hosting and which can offer us better benefits. 

What are Plesk and cPanel?

Plesk and cPanel are two of the most popular control panels used by several people today. Even most of the web hosting services provide these two control panels along with their web hosting services. 

Plesk is control panel software used for web hosting that can help us manage our web hosting that works with both Linux and Windows. With Plesk, we can manage multiple virtual hosts in a single device. We can easily use Plesk dedicated, shared, or VPS Hosting. This control panel can manage multiple tasks that can allow the hosts to reduce operating costs. Plesk allows easy customization to the users. It is also easy to manage and can be a better option for those new to web hosting. Plesk offers several advantages to its users. Some of the advantages of Plesk are mentioned below.

1. User friendly 
2. Improved productivity with useful tools
3. Strong level of security
4. Better performance by more accessible tools.

cPanel is another popular control panel software by Linux. It allows us to perform tasks like managing domains, publishing websites, creating email accounts, etc. cPanel comes with two interfaces, cPanel, and a server management interface known as Web Hosting Manager (WHM). This combination helps users manage the website and server. cPanel also offers multiple advantages to the users. Some of the advantages of cPanel are the following

1. Simple interface
2. Easy management of email
3. Installation of software by choice
4. High security

Now, as we are aware of both Plesk and cPanel, let’s compare the control panels in different functions and understand the right one that we can use.

Usability of Plesk and cPanel

Everyone wants to use a control panel that is easy to understand and easy to use. If a user is unfamiliar with the control panel, starting with Plesk can be better. Most of the users go for Plesk rather than cPanel. Plesk has a better GUI (Graphic User Interface) that aids in understanding its functions without any hassle. The approach is adding the tools on the left side because users start reading from that side. cPanel does not have such a thing. So, Plesk is better than cPanel in usability especially if the user is new to web hosting.

Security of Plesk and cPanel

Security is one of the biggest concerns for everyone. We always want the best security for us. In this, both the panels are good. Both panels offer amazing security to the users. Plesk offers features like fail2ban that prevent intrusions and spam for emails. On the other hand, cPanel offers features like directories with password protection, automatic installation of SSL certificates, and IP address denials. So in terms of security, both the panels are good and can be used.

Features of Plesk and cPanel

We always expect more additional features from the control panel that can help us. So, which one will offer us the best features? Both Plesk and cPanel provide some similar features that can help in managing servers and accounts. They both provide features and tools like FTP, E-mail, DNS configuration, etc. We can add apps to cPanel according to the requirements and can use them accordingly. On the other hand, Plesk itself offers several apps and extensions to the users. Plesk also provides Docker and Git compatibility. We can run Docker and Git on cPanel also but it has a quite complicated process. If a user is new to hosting, Plesk can aid in making them understand the applications with ease. Despite this, cPanel offers advanced features to the users and there are multiple plugins available so the user can add functionality any time according to the needs

Cost of Plesk and cPanel

The pricing of both the panels is divided through several plans from which we can choose one that suits us the most. The cost of both the panels varies differently according to the plans. Mentioned below is a brief description of the pricing of both panels.

Plesk

• Web Admin Edition: It costs $10 per month to activate this plan for both dedicated hosting and Virtual Private Server. It supports a total of 10 domains and offers WordPress Toolkit SE.
• Web Pro Edition: It costs $15 per month to activate this plan for both dedicated hosting and Virtual Private Server. It supports 30 domains and offers WordPress Toolkit SE. It also provides a developer pack, subscription management, and account management. 
• Web Host Edition: It costs $25 per month to activate this plan for Virtual Private Server hosting and $45 per month for dedicated hosting. Everything from the previous plans is also available in this along with reseller management tools.

cPanel

• Solo: It costs $15 per month to activate one hosting account. 
• Admin: It costs $20 per month for significantly larger businesses that require more than one account. 
• Pro: It costs $30 per month to activate this plan. It is for mid-level businesses or larger businesses.
• Premier: It costs $45 per month to activate this plan and offers up to 100 cPanel accounts to the user. It is better for large businesses.  

The cost of both the panels varies according to the plan and the requirements of the users. According to the data, we can say that cPanel is quite more affordable than Plesk in terms of cost. But, of course, both the control panels are loaded with features so we must choose one by looking after the needs.

Final thoughts

With the development of web hosting, the use of control panels is increasing. They are extremely helpful to the users. Control panel web hosting is prominent for users and the easiest way to manage the website and the server. Both the control panels Plesk and cPanel can be highly useful for the users. It all depends on the requirements of the user which one must use. 

As mentioned earlier also, if the user is new to web hosting Plesk is the best option one must go for. Plesk offers several features that can help the users like automatically installed applications that can help the users who are new to web hosting. On the other hand, cPanel also offers several amazing features. Both panels are great at security. cPanel and Plesk both are the best at certain things. Hence, their usage mainly depends on the needs of the user.