Plesk vs Virtualmin (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Plesk and Virtualmin share a 2.2 GPA, and only Virtualmin has a free plan.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Plesk grades higher on features. Virtualmin 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.
Plesk
Web hosting and server control panel licensed per server
Virtualmin
Open-source hosting control panel with a paid Pro edition
Which one is for you
Pick Plesk if
- Fits if you manage several client sites on a VPS and want a standard control panel
- Makes sense if you run Windows servers, which many panels here don't cover
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want hosting included, because Plesk is a licence only
- Tight if you host more than 10 domains, since Web Admin stops there and Web Pro caps at 30
- Pricey if you need unlimited domains, as Web Host is $57.74 a month on a VPS
- Watch out: licence prices are due to be adjusted from 1 January 2027, and prices exclude VAT
- Watch out: Plesk says it cannot accept payments from Russia
Pick Virtualmin if
- Fits if you want a free panel for a few domains on a Debian or RHEL-family server
- Makes sense if you may add Pro later for tickets and resellers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want hosting included, because Virtualmin is the panel and not hosting
- Tight if you need resellers or WP Workbench, which are Pro only
- Too light for support on GPL, which has the forum only
- Watch out: Pro price depends on the domain tier, and the shop page shows only the entry price
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAPleskFair | 2.2GPAVirtualminFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CWeb Admin is $15.57 a month billed annually for up to 10 domains, inside the middle of web hosting at $10.99 to $20.83. Web Pro for 30 domains is $27.49, and the server is extra. | CGPL is free but self-hosted, so it counts as C. Pro starts at $7.50 a month for 10 domains, between the $5.00 and $10.99 lines for web hosting, and rises with the domain tier. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 2-week full trial with no card. No free plan. | BThe GPL edition is free and open source with no listed cap. It has forum support only, 5 installable scripts and no resellers. |
| Features | BSites, domains, email and WordPress management with WP Toolkit, Sitejet Builder, security features and an extension catalogue. The domain caps are on the plans, not in the panel's job. | CDomain accounts, a mail stack, DNS options, cloud backups, a CLI and a remote API. Resellers, Podman, WP Workbench and 60-plus scripts need Pro. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It is installed on your own server, and running it means administering that server. | DNo store rating on record. It needs a fresh supported Linux install and administering the server. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but it sits on Linux or Windows and works with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr and Linode, plus an extensions catalogue. | BWeb only, but it connects to Webmin, Cloudflare, Route 53, Amazon SES and S3, Dropbox, Google Drive and Let's Encrypt, with a remote API. |
| Best for | a licensed control panel for a Linux or Windows server | a free-or-paid hosting panel for Linux servers |
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: Plesk and Virtualmin. How we grade
Price against what you get
Plesk starts at $15.57 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Virtualmin starts at $7.50 a month and scores 2.0.
Plesk scores higher, and starts $8.07 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 5 score higher than Plesk for less, and 21 score higher than Virtualmin 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
- Virtualmin is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Plesk also covers managed WordPress and dMARC.
- Virtualmin also covers file management.
At a glance
| Plesk | Virtualmin | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $15.57 per month, paid annually ($16.99 paid monthly), for the VPS Web Admin edition | $7.50 per month for Pro, 10 domains |
| Free plan | None | Virtualmin GPL is free and open source, with community forum support and 5 installable scripts. |
| Free trial | 2-week free trial, fully functional, no credit card required. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Plesk | Virtualmin |
| Price read from | plesk.com | virtualmin.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Plesk
- Plesk is a license only; the server or hosting plan is bought separately.
- Editions are capped by domains: 10 on Web Admin, 30 on Web Pro, unlimited on Web Host. Web Host is shown for dedicated servers as well as VPS.
- The page notes that licence pricing will be adjusted from January 1, 2027, for new orders and renewals.
- Prices exclude VAT, and Plesk cannot accept payments from Russia.
Virtualmin
- Pro is priced by domain count (10, 50, 100, 250 or unlimited); only the entry price is shown on the shop page.
- GPL has 5 installable scripts, against 60+ in Pro, and gets forum support only.
- The installer needs a fresh supported OS: Debian, Ubuntu, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux or Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
- You run the server yourself; Virtualmin is the panel, not hosting.
Key features
Plesk
- Server and site management
- Domains, subscriptions, accounts and resellers are managed from one panel, with a power-user view that combines server and site administration.
- WordPress tools
- WP Toolkit is included, in a limited SE version on Web Admin and in full on Web Pro and Web Host.
- Sitejet Builder
- A site builder is included in all three editions.
- Security features
- Let's Encrypt, DNSSEC and Security Core with ModSecurity rules are listed, with email security and WP Guardian as options.
- Extensions catalogue
- Extensions such as SEO Toolkit, Premium Email by Kolab, Email Security and SocialBee add features, some sold in bundles.
- Runs on your infrastructure
- Plesk can be installed on a VPS, a dedicated server or hyperscalers including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Alibaba Cloud.
Virtualmin
- Domain accounts and delegation
- Domain owner and reseller accounts give users control over their own sites; Pro adds resource limits and advanced user management.
- Mail stack
- Mailboxes with spam and antivirus protection, forwarders and auto-responders; Pro adds Amazon SES delivery.
- DNS options
- Manage DNS locally, or link to Cloudflare, Google Cloud DNS and Amazon Route 53 (some providers are Pro).
- Backups to cloud storage
- Scheduled backups with Amazon S3 in GPL and Google Storage, Backblaze, Dropbox and GPG encryption in Pro.
- Podman and WP Workbench
- Pro includes a Podman plugin for per-domain containers and WP Workbench for WordPress updates, cloning and backups.
- CLI and remote API
- A command-line tool and an authenticated HTTP API automate server setup, routine tasks and bulk changes.
Plans
Plesk
Web Admin Edition$15.57
per server / month, paid annually ($16.99 paid monthly)
VPS pricing for up to 10 domains, with Sitejet Builder, WP Toolkit SE, subscription, account and reseller management.
Web Pro Edition$27.49
per server / month, paid annually ($29.99 paid monthly)
VPS pricing for up to 30 domains, with the full WP Toolkit, Sitejet Builder and the developer features.
Web Host Edition$57.74
per server / month, paid annually ($62.99 paid monthly)
VPS pricing for unlimited domains; dedicated-server pricing is $64.16 annually or $69.99 monthly.
Virtualmin
Virtualmin GPL$0
Free and open source; you host it yourself. Apache or Nginx, MySQL and PostgreSQL, mail, CLI and HTTP API.
Virtualmin Professional, monthly$7.50
per month for up to 10 domains, billed monthly
Adds private ticket support, resellers, Podman and WP Workbench plugins. Tiers go to 50, 100, 250 and unlimited domains.
Virtualmin Professional, annual$75
per year for up to 10 domains
Same features as monthly, billed yearly. Prices rise with the domain tier you pick.
Ways to pay less
Plesk
- Annual discount
Save 8% with yearly billing
The pricing page labels yearly payment as an 8% saving over monthly billing.
Virtualmin
- Annual discount
Annual billing at $75 versus $7.50 monthly
The entry Pro tier costs $75 a year or $7.50 a month; the shop lists both subscription types.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Plesk or Virtualmin?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Virtualmin is cheaper to start with: $7.50 a month, against $15.57 a month for Plesk. Plesk starts at $15.57 per month, paid annually ($16.99 paid monthly), for the VPS Web Admin edition, and Virtualmin starts at $7.50 per month for Pro, 10 domains.
Which has a free plan, Plesk or Virtualmin?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Virtualmin has a free plan. Plesk 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.