CloudPanel vs HestiaCP (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HestiaCP grades higher than CloudPanel: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
HestiaCP grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
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 HestiaCP if
- Fits if you run a Debian or Ubuntu VPS and want a panel with no licence cost
- Works for people who are happy to rely on a community forum
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want paid support, because there is none and help comes from the forum
- Not for you if you run another OS, as only Debian 12 or 13 and Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04 or 26.04 are supported
- Tight if you use a 32-bit CPU, since only AMD64 and ARM64 are supported
- Watch out: you patch and secure the server yourself, and it is software, not hosting
How we grade them
| 2.4GPACloudPanelFair | 2.6GPAHestiaCPGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CFree under GPLv3 with no paid editions, but it only runs on a server you rent and manage, so it counts as C rather than A. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright for commercial and hobby sites, with no site or user cap listed. Support is the docs and Discord. | AEntirely free and open source, with no paid tier and no cap listed. The project asks for donations. |
| 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. | BWeb domains and PHP, mail, DNS, MySQL, MariaDB and PostgreSQL, users, backups and a REST API. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the panel's core 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 needs a fresh Debian or Ubuntu install and command-line setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but it launches on AWS, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Google Cloud, Azure and Vultr, and uses Let's Encrypt. | BWeb only, with a REST API, Roundcube, phpMyAdmin, Rclone, WordPress and Nextcloud support, and Let's Encrypt. |
| Best for | a free panel for PHP, Node.js, Python | a free open-source panel on a fresh Debian or Ubuntu 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 HestiaCP. 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. HestiaCP has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
HestiaCP scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other web hosts on the chart, none scores higher than CloudPanel for less, and none scores higher than HestiaCP 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
- HestiaCP is open source, according to its own site.
- CloudPanel also covers managed WordPress.
In commonFree planWebSelf-hostable
At a glance
| CloudPanel | HestiaCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The Community Edition is free for commercial and hobby sites, with documentation and Discord for support. | Entirely free and open source under the GPLv3 license, with no paid editions. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | MGT-COMMERCE | Hestia Control Panel |
| Price read from | cloudpanel.io | hestiacp.com |
| 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.
HestiaCP
- It must go on a fresh Debian 12 or 13, or Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04 or 26.04, install; other systems get no support.
- Only 64-bit AMD64 and ARM64 processors are supported.
- Support comes from the community forum, not a paid support plan.
- You run and patch the server yourself; Hestia is software, not hosting.
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.
HestiaCP
- Web domains and PHP
- Multiple domains per server with per-domain TLS certificates, Nginx caching, and PHP versions from 5.6 to 8.3.
- Self-hosted mail
- Runs Exim and Dovecot with Roundcube webmail, Let's Encrypt for mail domains and rate limits per user or mailbox.
- DNS server
- Host your own nameservers, set up DNS clusters and enable DNSSEC on domains.
- MySQL, MariaDB and PostgreSQL
- Database support with phpMyAdmin and phpPgAdmin included.
- Users and security
- Share access with other users under resource limits, with SFTP and SSH chroot jails, SSH keys and two-factor login for the admin panel.
- Backups and REST API
- Automated backups to SFTP, FTP or any of 50+ cloud providers via Rclone, and a REST API for third-party software.
Plans
CloudPanel
Community Edition$0
Free for commercial and hobby sites; support through the documentation and Discord.
HestiaCP
Hestia Control Panel$0
Free and open source; you install it on your own server. The project asks for donations by PayPal or cryptocurrency.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CloudPanel or HestiaCP?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both CloudPanel and HestiaCP are free to use.
Which has a free plan, CloudPanel or HestiaCP?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both CloudPanel and HestiaCP have a free plan.
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.