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cPanel is the world’s most widely used web hosting control panel. With cPanel hosting, you can manage your website’s files, email accounts, databases, domains, SSL certificates and backups all from a single graphical interface, without needing any programming knowledge. As it is offered by almost all major hosting providers, there are plenty of guides available, and migration between cPanel hosting providers is also straightforward.
In this guide, we’ll explain what cPanel can do, who it’s suitable for and who it isn’t, what to look out for when choosing cPanel hosting, what alternatives are available, and what aWh’s cPanel plans look like.
What is cPanel?
cPanel consists of two parts: WHM (WebHost Manager), the server management interface used by the service provider or a reseller to create accounts and configure the server; and cPanel itself, the interface for individual hosting accounts that you see. Our knowledge base article explains the difference between cPanel and WHM.
A cPanel hosting plan is a shared hosting plan that includes a cPanel account. The server, operating system, web server, PHP and email system are managed by the provider; you work within your own account.
What can cPanel do?
Files: Using the File Manager, you can upload, edit and compress files directly from your browser, create FTP accounts, and, with larger plans, you can also work with SSH and Git. This is covered in the article on file management for cPanel hosting.
Domains: additional domains (new websites), subdomains, redirects and DNS records in the Zone Editor. See: adding domains and subdomains.
Email: mailboxes, forwarding, automatic replies, filters, spam filtering, webmail, and one-click SPF and DKIM checks under the ‘Email Deliverability’ menu item.
Databases: Creating MySQL/MariaDB databases and users, and using phpMyAdmin to manage databases. See: Creating databases.
Applications: WP Toolkit (WordPress Management) installs and manages WordPress, whilst Sitejet Builder is a no-code website builder; with CloudLinux add-ons, you can also run Node.js and Python applications.
PHP: In the ‘Select PHP Version’ menu, you can choose the PHP version and extensions, and you can also set different versions for each directory. See: Managing PHP extensions.
Security: free, automatically renewing SSL (AutoSSL), two-factor authentication, password-protected directories, IP blocking, malware scanning.
Backups: download full and partial backups; at aWh, you can browse and restore daily JetBackup backups yourself. See: restoring from a backup.
Scheduled tasks: cron jobs; our cron guide covers this.
Statistics: visitor numbers, disk usage, resource usage (CPU, memory, I/O) and error logs.
Our step-by-step cPanel beginner’s guide explains how to use the interface.
Who is cPanel hosting suitable for?
A good choice if:
- If you run one or more websites (WordPress, Joomla, online shop) and would like to manage them via a comprehensive, familiar interface,
- If you manage lots of email accounts, domains and databases,
- Do you need an older version of PHP for an old application, or Node.js and Python,
- As a developer, you’d use SSH and Git,
- It’s important that you’re able to restore data from your backups yourself,
- You’ll find it easy to move your site later on, as your cPanel account backup can be restored to another cPanel hosting account.
Another solution might be better if:
- If you’re running just a single, simple website and looking for the cheapest option, a web hosting plan with a simpler interface will suffice;
- If you only use WordPress and need WordPress-specific tools (staging, bulk updates): WordPress hosting;
- If you’re running a static website: static hosting;
- You need complete freedom in your software environment: KVM VPS.
What should you look out for when choosing cPanel hosting?
- Resource limits: CPU, memory, I/O and concurrent connections. Most cPanel hosting plans use CloudLinux, which imposes limits per account; check what these limits are. aWh’s limits are set out in the article on resource limits for hosting plans.
- Storage: NVMe SSD.
- PHP versions: the latest ones and, if required, older ones too.
- Backups: daily, stored separately, with self-service restoration.
- Security: malware scanning, account isolation (CageFS), free SSL.
- Number of additional domains: if you have more than one website.
- Email sending limit: how many emails you can send per hour.
- SSH and Git: if you’re a developer.
The licence fee for cPanel has risen significantly in recent years, which is why many providers have passed this on in the price or range of their plans; it is worth checking the renewal price as well.
aWh’s cPanel plans
| Plan | Storage | CPU | RAM | IO | Additional domain | SSH, Git | Email limit | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cP Start | 2 GB | 100% | 1 GB | 50 MB/s | 2 | – | 100 emails per hour | €19.58 |
| cP Basic | 5 GB | 200% | 2 GB | 100 MB/s | 10 | – | 200 emails per hour | €26.11 |
| cP Premium | 20 GB | 300% | 3 GB | 150 MB/s | 50 | ✓ | 250 emails per hour | €65.28 |
| cP Pro | 50 GB | 400% | 4 GB | unlimited | unlimited | ✓ | 300 emails per hour | €114.24 |
Prices are exclusive of VAT. Every plan includes unlimited traffic, databases, subdomains and email accounts, PHP 5.1–8.5 (CloudLinux PHP Selector), Python and Node.js, ImunifyAV+ malware scanning, daily JetBackup backups, free Let’s Encrypt SSL, DDoS protection and 99.9% uptime. A larger 100 GB plan (cP Pro 100) is also available, whilst reseller cPanel hosting or dedicated cPanel hosting is suitable for many websites. All plans come with a 14-day money-back guarantee, and migration is free of charge.
Which plan should you choose? For one or two small websites, the cP Start or cP Basic; for an online shop or several websites, the cP Premium (with SSH and Git); and for many websites or higher traffic volumes, the cP Pro.
Alternatives
- KeyHelp: the free, simpler and faster control panel; we use this on aWh’s web hosting service.
- Plesk: cPanel’s main paid competitor, which also runs on Windows servers.
- DirectAdmin: simpler and cheaper, with fewer features.
- HestiaCP, CloudPanel and other free control panels: can be installed on your own VPS.
A comparison of cPanel alternatives can be found in a separate article.
Summary
cPanel hosting is the most comprehensive and best-known shared hosting solution: you can manage everything from files to email and databases right through to backups via a single interface, and it’s easy to perform migration between cPanel hosting plans. When making your choice, check the CPU, memory and I/O limits, backups, PHP versions and the number of additional domains – don’t just look at the storage.
Check out the cPanel hosting plans
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between cPanel and WHM?
WHM is the server management interface used by the service provider or a reseller to create accounts and configure the server; cPanel is the interface for individual hosting accounts.
Do you need technical knowledge to use cPanel?
No. You can carry out common tasks (setting up an email account, installing WordPress, setting up SSL, performing a backup) with just a few clicks. Some experience is useful when using the advanced features (SSH, cron, DNS).
Can I install WordPress on cPanel?
Yes, either with the Softaculous installer in just a few clicks, or manually. The steps are described in our WordPress installation guide.
Can a cPanel account be transferred to another provider?
Yes, a complete cPanel account backup (files, databases, emails, settings) can be restored to another cPanel hosting account almost unchanged. The migration is free with aWh.
How many websites can I run on a cPanel hosting account?
As many additional domains as the plan allows (ranging from 2 to unlimited at aWh), within the resource limits.
Which PHP versions are available?
On aWh’s cPanel hosting plans, you can use any version of PHP from 5.1 to 8.5, even with different versions per directory.