# HestiaCP review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source web server control panel Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Hestia Control Panel is a free, open-source control panel for Debian and Ubuntu servers, released under the GPLv3 license. It manages web domains, mail, DNS, databases and users, and the project is funded by donations rather than license fees. - **Category:** Web Hosting - **Made by:** Hestia Control Panel (since 2019) - **Website:** https://hestiacp.com - **Runs on:** Web - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want paid support, because there is none and help comes from the forum. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, HestiaCP is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Entirely free and open source under the GPLv3 license, with no paid editions. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Hestia Control Panel | $0 | Free and open source; you install it on your own server. The project asks for donations by PayPal or cryptocurrency. | Read from https://hestiacp.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with HestiaCP before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Self-hosters and small agencies running several sites on one VPS - People who want a no-cost panel with no license tiers ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.6 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Hestia is a free control panel for Debian and Ubuntu servers covering web domains, mail, DNS, databases and backups. Support is the community forum only, and you install, run and patch the server yourself. - **Value for money: C.** Free 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: A.** Entirely free and open source, with no paid tier and no cap listed. The project asks for donations. - **Features: B.** Web 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: D.** No store rating on record. It needs a fresh Debian or Ubuntu install and command-line setup. - **Platforms and integrations: B.** Web only, with a REST API, Roundcube, phpMyAdmin, Rclone, WordPress and Nextcloud support, and Let's Encrypt. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Hestia Control Panel's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among web hosts - HestiaCP's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 114 of the 122 other web hosts we grade, and level with 5. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 121 of 122) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0). - HestiaCP has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/web-hosting ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** HestiaCP is free, so making your own would save you nothing. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 114 of the 122 other web hosts we grade. - You could not: It plugs into other products, Roundcube, phpMyAdmin and Rclone among them, and has an API. - You could not: The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with Roundcube, phpMyAdmin, Rclone, WordPress, Nextcloud, Let's Encrypt **Tags:** Open source, Self-hostable, Public API ## Alternatives - [CyberPanel](https://toolgpa.com/tools/cyberpanel): Free OpenLiteSpeed control panel with paid add-ons. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/cyberpanel-vs-hestiacp) - [CloudPanel](https://toolgpa.com/tools/cloudpanel): Free server control panel for PHP, Node.js and Python sites. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/cloudpanel-vs-hestiacp) - [Virtualmin](https://toolgpa.com/tools/virtualmin): Open-source hosting control panel with a paid Pro edition. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/hestiacp-vs-virtualmin) - [cPanel](https://toolgpa.com/tools/cpanel): Web hosting control panel licensed per server, by account count. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/cpanel-vs-hestiacp) - [Plesk](https://toolgpa.com/tools/plesk): Web hosting and server control panel licensed per server. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/hestiacp-vs-plesk) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://hestiacp.com - https://hestiacp.com/features - https://hestiacp.com/docs/introduction/getting-started Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/hestiacp Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).