CyberPanel vs HestiaCP (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HestiaCP grades higher than CyberPanel: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
HestiaCP grades higher on the free plan and 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.
CyberPanel
Free OpenLiteSpeed control panel with paid add-ons
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.2GPACyberPanelFair | 2.6GPAHestiaCPGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | 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 | 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. | AEntirely free and open source, with no paid tier and no cap listed. The project asks for donations. |
| Features | 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. | 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, install and maintain the server. | DNo store rating on record. It needs a fresh Debian or Ubuntu install and command-line setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but it ties into OpenLiteSpeed, WordPress, Docker, n8n, Google Drive and Amazon S3. | BWeb only, with a REST API, Roundcube, phpMyAdmin, Rclone, WordPress and Nextcloud support, and Let's Encrypt. |
| Best for | a free OpenLiteSpeed panel you install yourself | 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: CyberPanel and HestiaCP. How we grade
Price against what you get
CyberPanel starts at $7.99 a month 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 and starts $7.99 a month lower. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 21 score higher than CyberPanel 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
- CyberPanel also covers file management.
At a glance
| CyberPanel | HestiaCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $7.99 per month for the premium add-ons bundle | Free |
| Free plan | CyberPanel core is free and open source, with website, email, DNS, PHP, SSL, file, database and Docker management. | Entirely free and open source under the GPLv3 license, with no paid editions. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | CyberPanel | Hestia Control Panel |
| Price read from | cyberpanel.net | hestiacp.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Ways to pay less
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.
HestiaCP
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CyberPanel or HestiaCP?
As of Nov 13, 2026, HestiaCP is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $7.99 a month for CyberPanel. CyberPanel starts at $7.99 per month for the premium add-ons bundle, and HestiaCP is free.
Which has a free plan, CyberPanel or HestiaCP?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both CyberPanel 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.