What is a Web Hosting Control Panel?
Every website owner or web hosting service understands the difficulties associated with website management and server functionality without a management software like a web hosting control panel installed.
A web hosting control panel is simply a web-based interface that manages web hosting service accounts. It helps users to easily carry out functions to boost website functionality. These control panels allow their users to manage dedicated servers, VPS, managed servers, etc.
With web hosting control panels, jobs that would have required a lot of technical knowledge and perhaps taken a whole lot of time to execute are now executed more efficiently. The good thing about web hosting control panels is that they are easily accessible on the internet through a web browser, and apart from helping users to manage their website accounts, they also aid the management of the user’s server.
Web hosting control panels equips the user with simple-to-use tools that should help in the management, control, and set up of servers, domains and sub-domains, databases, software, etc. Depending on the web hosting control panel a user works with, a control panel can carry out some advanced functions like managing web server switching, and controlling server migrations.
There are a number of web hosting panels available to users. The most popular ones include cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin, and a host of others.
The Benefits of a Web Hosting Control Panel
There are many reasons why web hosting services place a lot of importance on web hosting control panels. Some of these reasons include:
- managing accounts; A web hosting control panel helps users to administer their accounts by providing tools for managing, creating, and removing accounts from the server. It performs other account administration functions like managing credit card details, updating and renewing account passwords, plans, user profiles, and settings.
- easy installations; Once in a while, you may need to install certain applications which may require some time to install. To quicken the installation process, your web hosting control panel may provide a ‘one-click installer’ for that purpose. By simply clicking on the ‘click’ promoter, you can have your application quickly installed into your server.
- file transfer protocol (FTP); The file transfer protocol helps the user to access and transfer files on a server. You can also use the FTP to manage files on your server. A control panel is what makes it possible for users to set up their FTP accounts to enable them to transfer files to their servers.
- domain Management; Control panels perform the all-important functions of administering domains, and sub-domains.
- analytical functions; The control panel can perform some analytical functions by providing the user with statistical data. It can also help the user have a broader idea of the server functionality.
- support and backup. Control panels help you access frequently asked questions and other materials that you may find useful when in difficult situations. Good control panels provide some sort of support for some applications and services like email servers, web servers, etc.
Control panels also have backup systems and if you wish to use an alternative backup system, it is the control panel that helps the users to access them.
Top 3 control panels
A user’s choice of control panels is solely a matter of preference. It is just advisable that a user take certain factors into consideration before choosing a control panel to work with. The following represents the best web hosting control panels for a reseller hosting business:
- The cPanel: The cPanel is arguably the most popular control panel right now and this comes as little surprise. cPanel usually shares its functions with WHM. While cPanel manages a single account, WHM manages the entire server. They offer unbeatable features for affordable prices. It is a Linux server control panel and offers the following advantages:
- User-friendliness. cPanel has an easy to operate interface that any server administrator would fall in love with. Its tools are easily accessible and arranged in a way that makes it easy to find. cPanel is also very easy to install. A user doesn’t need to have technical experience before using the cPanel to manage their websites and server. Once cPanel is installed, it is difficult to uninstall. In that case, server administrators are advised to reformat their servers. For the server administrators who may not want to reformat their server, cPanel has an uninstall guide for them to follow.
- Flexibility. Aside from its advantage in user-friendliness, cPanel tops the chart in terms of flexibility. With the cPanel, a user can easily transfer a website and its contents from one server to another server without hitches. There is hardly any other control panel that does this as cPanel does.
- Compatibility. cPanel is compatible with so many web browsers. cPanel works well with such a wide range of browsers that many users choose them without having to check if they are compatible with their preferred browsers.
- Reliability. cPanel has managed to maintain its popularity and credibility even after 24 years since its release. This makes cPanel a very reliable control panel for everyone to use. cPanel is reliable enough to detect a failed service and once it does, it logs the service out and re-starts it immediately.
- Rich in Features. cPanel offers a lot of wonderful features for client convenience.
- Plesk: Next to cPanel, Plesk comes second in our ratings for the best control panels for your reseller hosting business. When it comes to organized server management, Plesk comes first. It’s usually considered to be the more mature control panel. Plesk is best suited for a Microsoft – run server, and offers its users the following advantages:
- It supports multiple operating systems. One advantage Plesk has over many other control panels is the fact that it supports more operating systems. This is what makes Plesk a major cPanel competitor as it attracts a bulk of the users who run windows servers.
- Affordability. Plesk is cheaper than cPanel and a couple of other control panels. Plesk also offers a free trial license which most other control panels do not offer.
- Security. This is another area where Plesk tops the game. Plesk automatically secures users’ applications and websites to make sure they are safe from hackers and unauthorized access.
- Efficiency. Plesk is generally regarded for its efficiency and optimal functionality.
- Mobile-Friendliness. Plesk is accessible even from mobile devices. This also makes Plesk very attractive to users as it can be accessed anywhere, and at any time on the user’s mobile device.
- DirectAdmin: DirectAdmin comes third in our rankings. It is best suited for Linux setups, and has the following features:
- Suitable for restricted environment hosting
- Affordability
- User-friendliness
- Feature-rich
- Great support functions
Conclusion
When it comes to server administration and web hosting management, nothing does the job better than a reliable web hosting control panel.
More than just choosing any control panel for your reseller hosting business, it is important that you choose one that is reliable, secure, affordable, compatible and can offer you the best features for optimum productivity.
Whether you are a novice with no technical experience whatsoever, or you are an experienced server administrator, you’d find that the cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin control panels would serve you best.