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Among web hosting control panels, cPanel is particularly popular in Hungary, but this does not mean there are no other alternatives we could use for our web hosting.
Alongside cPanel, for example, you’re increasingly likely to come across the name Plesk, which offers similar solutions and features; however, it’s no coincidence that it’s starting to find its place in the market. What’s the difference between the two hosting control panels? We’ve summarised the most important points below!
User interface
There are significant differences between the two systems in terms of their user interfaces. Plesk uses a redesigned UX/UI, built using modern JavaScript technology. It is transparent, user-friendly and uncluttered, which is hardly surprising, as it bears a strong resemblance to the WordPress admin panel.
In contrast, cPanel offers a graphical interface that is likely to be more straightforward for Windows users. It is characterised by organising the main functions into groups and allowing the control panel to be customised, making it more intuitive for many people than Plesk.
Services and tools
In terms of key features, it is worth noting that Plesk offers secure WordPress installation with a single click, Git compatibility is available via the Gitman extension, and it supports both Nginx and Apache web servers, whereas cPanel supports only the latter.
Of course, it’s also easy to install WordPress via cPanel, but it requires a few more settings; however, it allows you to set up one-click HTTPS redirection for websites, create Node.js applications, and supports SpamBox by default.
Security
Both platforms offer outstanding security to users, but alongside the similarities, there are some minor differences. With Plesk, security patches are guaranteed within 24 hours; we can secure domains linked to your hosting account via DNS and DNSSEC configuration, and enable SSL and HTTP/2 on all our websites with a single click.
With cPanel, SSL – widely recognised as a security extension – is installed automatically; however, alongside IP blocking and password-protected directories, two-factor authentication stands out, and even the encryption of outgoing messages can be counted amongst its beneficial security features.
It’s also worth mentioning backups here! One of Plesk’s key features is that backups can be scheduled; they can cover the entire contents of the server, and the backup copies can even be protected with a password.
With cPanel, backups can be performed daily, weekly or monthly; you can schedule these here too, and by default, the system saves the files locally to the backup directory.
Support
It is also worth examining the differences between Plesk and cPanel from a support perspective. With Plesk, support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at no extra cost; however, even if you are not a customer, you can still ask questions on the official forum or related social media pages.
cPanel has its own support page where you can leave messages, but you can also ring the support team, which is available Monday to Friday from 6 am to 6 pm, and at weekends from 6 am to 4 pm. They also offer emergency support, for which they charge an additional fee of $65.
Miscellaneous
It is also worth noting, with regard to the two control panels, that whilst Plesk offers MySQL or MSSQL Server databases, cPanel also provides access to phpMyAdmin. Furthermore, cPanel does not have a mobile app, whereas Plesk offers apps for both Android and iOS.