CloudPanel vs cPanel (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CloudPanel grades higher than cPanel: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
CloudPanel grades higher on the free plan. cPanel grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
cPanel
Web hosting control panel licensed per server, by account count
Which one is for you
Pick CloudPanel if
- Fits if you host PHP, Node.js or Python sites on a Debian or Ubuntu VPS
- Works for people who want a panel without licence fees
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you need paid support, as the ticket system and managed offer are listed as coming soon
- Not for you if you want mail or DNS handled in the panel, since the listing doesn't show either
- Watch out: the Premium and Enterprise columns show no prices
- Watch out: only Debian 11 and 12 and Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 are listed, and you maintain the server
Pick cPanel if
- Fits if you run client sites and want the panel most hosts use
- Works for small agencies on a VPS who need separate accounts per client
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want hosting included, because cPanel is a licence only
- Pricey if you have one or two sites, as Solo is $27.46 a month for a single account
- Tight if you need dedicated hardware, since only Premier covers dedicated servers
- Watch out: licence pricing changes from 16 December 2026, and prices exclude VAT
- Watch out: custom branding is limited to Premier, which is monthly billing only at $69.99
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACloudPanelFair | 2.2GPAcPanelFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe Community Edition is free for commercial and hobby use, but only if you host it yourself on a server you pay for, so it counts as C. | CSolo is $27.46 a month billed annually for one account, above the $20.83 dearer-quarter line for web hosting. Five accounts is $32.96, and the server is separate. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright for commercial and hobby sites, with no site or user cap listed. Support is the docs and Discord. | CA 15-day full-access trial. The listing does not say whether a card is needed. No free plan. |
| Features | CA site wizard, isolated sites, several PHP versions, firewall rules, a CLI and WordPress quick install. The listing shows no mail or DNS management. | BAccount and website management, email, SSL, WordPress tools, migrations, Node.js app hosting and an AI assistant. The account caps are on the plans, not in the panel's job. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. You provide a Debian or Ubuntu server and install it yourself. | DNo store rating on record. It installs on your own Cloud, VPS or dedicated server and has to be administered. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but it launches on AWS, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Google Cloud, Azure and Vultr, and uses Let's Encrypt. | BWeb only, but it works with WordPress, Sitejet Builder, WP Toolkit, Imunify360, CloudLinux and SocialBee. |
| Best for | a free panel for PHP, Node.js, Python | a licensed control panel for your own server |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CloudPanel and cPanel. How we grade
Price against what you get
CloudPanel has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. cPanel starts at $27.46 a month and scores 2.3.
cPanel scores higher, and starts $27.46 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other web hosts on the chart, none scores higher than CloudPanel for less, and 10 score higher than cPanel for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- CloudPanel is self-hostable, according to its own site.
At a glance
| CloudPanel | cPanel | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $27.46 per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly), for Solo |
| Free plan | The Community Edition is free for commercial and hobby sites, with documentation and Discord for support. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 15-day free trial of cPanel & WHM with full access. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | MGT-COMMERCE | WebPros International |
| Price read from | cloudpanel.io | cpanel.net |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CloudPanel
- The vendor lists Debian 12 or 11 and Ubuntu 24.04 or 22.04 as the choices for the operating system.
- The Premium and Enterprise columns on the pricing page show no prices, and their ticket system is listed as coming soon.
- A managed offer for support is announced as coming soon, so there is no paid support plan today.
- You supply and maintain the server; CloudPanel is the panel, not the hosting.
cPanel
- cPanel is licensed per server and does not include hosting; a server's public static IP is needed to buy a monthly license.
- Solo covers a single account, and the three lower plans are available only on Cloud/VPS servers.
- Prices exclude VAT, and the page says license pricing will be adjusted from December 16, 2026, for new orders and renewals.
- Premier is listed monthly only, and custom branding is limited to it.
Key features
CloudPanel
- Site wizard
- Create a WordPress site, PHP application, Node.js app, Python app or static site from templates, including a free Let's Encrypt certificate.
- Isolated sites
- Each site is isolated at the system level, so a vulnerability in one site does not reach the others on the server.
- Several PHP versions
- The panel ships with multiple PHP versions, and changing the version for an app is a single selection.
- Firewall and access rules
- A UFW-based firewall interface, IP restrictions for panel access, an IP blocker and a bot blocker.
- Cloud launch options
- Launch images on AWS, DigitalOcean, Hetzner Cloud, Google Compute Engine, Azure or Vultr, with automated backups on those providers.
- CLI
- Sites can also be set up from the command line with their application-specific configuration.
cPanel
- Accounts and websites
- Hosting providers create and manage cPanel accounts through WHM; every plan allows unlimited websites within the account limit.
- WordPress and site tools
- WP Toolkit, a website builder, website monitoring and SSL certificates are included on every plan.
- Email and migration
- Email accounts and self-guided migration tools, including the built-in Transfer Tool, come with each plan.
- cPanel AI
- An AI assistant for in-panel help and diagnostics, AI-guided onboarding and an MCP connection for your own agent are listed for v138 and higher.
- Node.js app hosting
- The pricing page lists AI App Hosting for deploying Node.js apps.
- WP Squared
- A WordPress-focused product, $84.99 a month billed monthly for 10 sites, is sold alongside the panel.
Plans
CloudPanel
Community Edition$0
Free for commercial and hobby sites; support through the documentation and Discord.
cPanel
Solo$27.46
per server / month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly)
1 account, for freelancers and small agencies on a single server. Cloud/VPS only.
Admin$32.96
per server / month, billed annually ($35.99 billed monthly)
Up to 5 accounts, for application developers and small dev shops. Cloud/VPS only.
Pro$49.46
per server / month, billed annually ($53.99 billed monthly)
Up to 30 accounts, for large agencies and growing hosting businesses. Cloud/VPS only.
Premier$69.99
per server / month, billed monthly
Up to 100 accounts, then $0.49 for each additional account, with custom branding. Cloud/VPS and dedicated servers.
Ways to pay less
CloudPanel
No public discounts listed.
cPanel
- Annual discount
Save 8.4% with annual billing
Solo, Admin and Pro list an 8.4% saving when billed annually instead of monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CloudPanel or cPanel?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CloudPanel is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $27.46 a month for cPanel. CloudPanel is free, and cPanel starts at $27.46 per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly), for Solo.
Which has a free plan, CloudPanel or cPanel?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only CloudPanel has a free plan. cPanel does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.