What a control panel does
A control panel is the web dashboard where you create email accounts, databases, FTP users and DNS records, install apps like WordPress and restore backups, without typing commands on the server. cPanel and DirectAdmin both do this well. They differ mostly in weight, licence cost and how familiar they are.
Feature by feature
| Feature | cPanel | DirectAdmin |
|---|---|---|
| Email, webmail and forwarders | Yes | Yes |
| DNS zone editor | Yes | Yes |
| Files, FTP and databases | File manager, FTP accounts, MySQL or MariaDB with phpMyAdmin | File manager, FTP accounts, MySQL or MariaDB with phpMyAdmin |
| One-click app installers | Supported, for example Softaculous, when the host includes it | Supported, for example Softaculous, when the host includes it |
| Backups | Built-in account backups and restores | Built-in account backups and restores |
| Reseller accounts | Through WHM, the server and reseller side of cPanel | Built in as a reseller access level |
| Server footprint | Heavier; needs more memory on small servers | Lighter; comfortable on a small VPS |
| Licence | Commercial, generally priced by the number of accounts | Commercial, generally lower priced at the same account count |
| Learning curve | Very widely documented; most tutorials assume it | Simpler menus, fewer screens |
Features depend on the licence and the add-ons a host installs. Check the plan details before you order.
Which one should you pick?
- Pick cPanel if you want the panel most guides, developers and agencies already know, or you run reseller hosting for clients who expect it.
- Pick DirectAdmin if you run your own small VPS, want the panel to use as little memory as possible and want a lower licence cost.
- Pick neither for a single application server managed with SSH, Docker or a deployment tool: a panel adds little there.
Which panel comes with our plans
- On a VPS or dedicated server you have root access, so you can install either panel with a licence from its vendor, or ask our engineers which fits your server.
Switching from one panel to the other
- Back up everything on the old panel, including databases and mailboxes.
- Use the target panel’s import tool where one exists: both panels can import accounts from the other, with some limits for email and settings.
- Check PHP versions, cron jobs and DNS records after the import, since each panel stores them differently.
- Test on a temporary address before you change DNS.
Moving to us? Our free migration accepts sites from cPanel, Plesk, DirectAdmin or plain WordPress, and our engineers handle the differences for you.