cPanel vs CyberPanel (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, cPanel and CyberPanel share a 2.2 GPA, and only CyberPanel has a free plan.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
cPanel grades higher on features. CyberPanel grades higher on the free plan. 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
CyberPanel
Free OpenLiteSpeed control panel with paid add-ons
Which one is for you
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
Pick CyberPanel if
- Fits if you want a no-licence panel on your own server and run OpenLiteSpeed
- Works for people who are comfortable with a command-line install
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, as CyberPanel is the panel and not hosting
- Tight if you want backups and the WordPress manager in full, which are paid add-ons
- Pricey if you add the .htaccess module, which is $59 a year or $199 once
- Watch out: add-on licences are tied to a single server IP
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAcPanelFair | 2.2GPACyberPanelFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CThe core is free but only if you host it yourself, so it counts as C. The add-ons bundle is $7.99 a month, $59 a year or $169 once, tied to one server IP. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 15-day full-access trial. The listing does not say whether a card is needed. No free plan. | BThe core is free and open source with no listed cap, which one person could run on. WordPress Manager Pro, Backup V2, SSL V2 and the rest are paid. |
| Features | 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. | CSites, email, DNS, PHP, databases, Docker and a WordPress manager. Backup V2, WordPress Manager Pro, SSL V2 and root file manager are paid add-ons, and the .htaccess module is sold separately. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It installs on your own Cloud, VPS or dedicated server and has to be administered. | DNo store rating on record. You provide, install and maintain the server. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but it works with WordPress, Sitejet Builder, WP Toolkit, Imunify360, CloudLinux and SocialBee. | BWeb only, but it ties into OpenLiteSpeed, WordPress, Docker, n8n, Google Drive and Amazon S3. |
| Best for | a licensed control panel for your own server | a free OpenLiteSpeed panel you install yourself |
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: cPanel and CyberPanel. How we grade
Price against what you get
cPanel starts at $27.46 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. CyberPanel starts at $7.99 a month and scores 2.0.
cPanel scores higher, and starts $19.47 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 10 score higher than cPanel for less, and 21 score higher than CyberPanel 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
- CyberPanel is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- cPanel also covers managed WordPress.
- CyberPanel also covers file management.
At a glance
| cPanel | CyberPanel | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $27.46 per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly), for Solo | $7.99 per month for the premium add-ons bundle |
| Free plan | None | CyberPanel core is free and open source, with website, email, DNS, PHP, SSL, file, database and Docker management. |
| Free trial | 15-day free trial of cPanel & WHM with full access. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | WebPros International | CyberPanel |
| Price read from | cpanel.net | cyberpanel.net |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
CyberPanel
- You must provide and maintain your own server; CyberPanel is the panel, not the hosting.
- WordPress Manager Pro, Backup V2, SSL V2, Root File Manager and Rspamd Manager need the paid add-ons.
- The .htaccess module is a separate product at $59 a year or $199 lifetime; a bundle with the add-ons is $99 a year.
- CyberPanel also sells Cloud VPS from $4.99 a month and email delivery as separate products.
Key features
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.
CyberPanel
- OpenLiteSpeed at the core
- The panel runs on the OpenLiteSpeed web server and manages websites, PHP versions and databases from one interface.
- Email and DNS servers
- The free core includes an email server built on Postfix and Dovecot, and DNS management through PowerDNS.
- WordPress Manager
- Installs WordPress and handles staging sites and updates; the Pro version is one of the paid add-ons.
- Docker and n8n managers
- Deploy and manage Docker containers, and run n8n workflows, alongside websites on the same server.
- Backups and restores
- Local and remote backups; the paid Backup V2 adds incremental backups to SFTP, S3 and Google Drive.
- SSL and firewall tools
- Basic SSL and firewall management are free; SSL V2 adds automatic renewal with DNS verification and wildcard support.
Plans
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.
CyberPanel
CyberPanel Core$0
Free and open source under GPLv3. You host it yourself on a server you manage; includes OpenLiteSpeed.
Premium add-ons, monthly$7.99
per month, billed monthly, tied to one server IP
SSL V2, WordPress Manager Pro, Backup V2, Email Debugger, Root File Manager and Rspamd Manager.
Premium add-ons, yearly$59
per year, tied to one server IP
The same six add-ons billed once a year.
Premium add-ons, lifetime$169
one-time, tied to one server IP
The same six add-ons with lifetime updates, paid once.
Ways to pay less
cPanel
- Annual discount
Save 8.4% with annual billing
Solo, Admin and Pro list an 8.4% saving when billed annually instead of monthly.
CyberPanel
- Annual discount
Yearly add-ons at $59 versus $7.99 monthly
The yearly add-ons license costs $59, against $95.88 for twelve months at the monthly rate. A lifetime license is $169.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, cPanel or CyberPanel?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CyberPanel is cheaper to start with: $7.99 a month, against $27.46 a month for cPanel. cPanel starts at $27.46 per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly), for Solo, and CyberPanel starts at $7.99 per month for the premium add-ons bundle.
Which has a free plan, cPanel or CyberPanel?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only CyberPanel 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.