I currently manage multiple websites, including those belonging to friends, utilizing CentOS7 and ISPmanager 5 with a perpetual license. However, due to moving to a new server, I am unable to install ISPmanager 5 and must pay for a subscription to upgrade to version 6.
As this is not a desirable option for me, I am now exploring alternative hosting solutions. It would be preferable to use a free and open-source option, such as VestaCP or Fastpanel, both of which I have used in the past. However, my experience with these options has been mixed and I often had to make additional modifications.
Therefore, I am still weighing my options and considering different free hosting solutions. It's essential to find the right fit for your needs and budget when dealing with website hosting.
I have experience using various web panels, and my opinions on them have been mixed. Cyberpanel, for example, is not aesthetically pleasing but excels in terms of organizing sites hosting different servers. It offers separate storage locations for each site under a specific user account, along with the ability to access features like Lets Encrypt, file management, access restrictions, and web application firewall out-of-the-box.
However, I had several issues with Cyberpanel. It was frequently overloaded and tends to crash, leading to broken projects. Additionally, bugs with updates completely impaired panel functionality and made it impossible to work effectively. Despite my repeated attempts to report such issues, there was no help available.
Similarly, VestaCP has a straightforward and easy-to-use interface. But the templates and web server configurations were poorly designed, making it vulnerable to frequent crashes and disruptions. Moreover, the last meaningful update for VestaCP was in 2017-2018.
HestiaCP and FastPanel had comparable issues, with both having inefficient architecture and numerous bugs. HestiaCP's author failed to address the community's concerns, resulting in an inadequate support structure for its users. Meanwhile, FastPanel seemed disorganized and vague in practical usage despite being well-designed in principle.
Ultimately, all these tools have significant flaws that make it challenging to recommend any one of them. It's crucial to assess your needs and test multiple platforms before settling on one for web hosting.
At some point, it's common to realize that web panels are unnecessary and often make things more complicated. As you grow more skilled in server administration, examining the configurations panel creates can be alarming, especially when those panels are hacked, leading to direct access to the server.
Moreover, web panels consume extra server resources, making them less efficient than manually setting up certain specific tasks. In most cases, servers only need to be set up once, and further updates or modifications can be done with scripts or automation tools. You can even develop your own configurations script for quick setup of a web server.
Therefore, relying on web panels may not be the most efficient option, and most tasks can be accomplished faster and with fewer resources if you rely on your skills and experience to manage server configurations. However, it's important to have ready-to-use configurations at hand to simplify this process.
Over the years, I've become increasingly skeptical of panels due to the frequent problems I encounter despite using them as an inexperienced server administrator. My recurring issues with panels like ISPmanager, Plesk, cPanel, Ajenti-V, and DirectAdmin have left me frustrated.
For instance, with Ajenti-V, everything seemed to be working fine during initial deployment, but after several months, I needed to add a second site. Unfortunately, I couldn't create a PHP FastCGI filter for processing PHP files in the site content settings menu as the option was no longer available. Though I eventually resolved this problem by copying necessary parameters from the config of the first site's config file, it was frustrating to deal with the issue.
As a result, I am now of the opinion that relying solely on panels is not advisable. Instead, it's essential to have a backup plan and be prepared to write or tweak server configurations when things don't go as planned. Experience and hands-on skills eventually become more valuable than relying on panels exclusively.
While free and open-source options like VestaCP and Fastpanel can be viable choices, they may require additional modifications to suit your specific requirements. If you're open to exploring other alternatives, you could consider platforms like Apache2, Nginx, or even cloud-based solutions like AWS or Google Cloud Platform.
Each option has its own advantages and limitations, so it's important to carefully evaluate them based on factors such as scalability, performance, security, ease of use, and cost. Additionally, it might be worth exploring community forums and online resources to gather insights from others who have used these hosting solutions in similar contexts.
Ultimately, the decision should align with your needs, budget, technical expertise, and long-term goals.
Some popular web hosting control panels include cPanel, Plesk, ISPmanager, DirectAdmin, VestaCP, and Fastpanel. These control panels offer different features, functionalities, and user interfaces. They typically provide tools for managing domains, DNS settings, file and database management, email accounts, security settings, and more.
cPanel and Plesk are widely used commercial control panels known for their extensive features, user-friendly interfaces, and large user bases. They offer a range of advanced capabilities and integrations that make managing multiple websites and accounts more convenient.
ISPmanager, DirectAdmin, VestaCP, and Fastpanel are free and open-source control panels. While they may have fewer features compared to the commercial options, they still provide core functionalities for managing hosting environments.
When choosing a web hosting control panel, it's important to consider factors such as ease of use, scalability, security, resource requirements, community support, and compatibility with your server operating system.