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When the Internet was first becoming popular, managing a website took a huge amount of work and knowledge. A webmaster had to know how to code their website, configure the server, and keep everything in proper working order. Today, things are much easier and have gotten to the point where you can successfully run a site without any technical experience. One of the big steps that made this possible was the development of control panels.
Control panels are what allow you to interact directly with your web hosting server. You are given control over things like running backup jobs, uploading files, configuring custom email addresses, installing content management systems, and much more. There are three major options to choose from when it comes to control panels, and learning about each of them is an important step. The options are cPanel, Plesk, and H-Sphere.
Introducing cPanel
cPanel is by far the most popular control panel available today. It is a Linux based system that has hundreds of features built right in. Most people who use cPanel will find it to be extremely easy to navigate because of the fact that it is all image and menu based. They have various categories to make it easier to find exactly what you need quickly and easily. The main categories are:
Files– Easily upload, delete, and move files around to make them easily available on your hosting server.
Databases– Create and manage the databases for your website in just seconds with no technical knowledge needed.
Domains– Manage multiple domains and subdomains with just a few clicks.
Email– Create, forward, and manage all your custom email addresses from one convenient interface.
Metrics– cPanel allows you to track visitors, errors on the site, bandwidth used, and much more.
Security– Set up advanced security options including SSH access, IP blockers, SSL certificates, more to keep your site safe.
There are additional options available as well. When it comes to managing your website, you won’t find a more comprehensive system out there today.
Introducing Plesk
Plesk is a control panel that is made for Windows hosting platforms. Users who are familiar with the Windows operating system will find Plesk pretty easy to use, including its icon-based display system. Plesk has just one system interface regardless of what type of user you are. This means whether you are a website owner, a web hosting provider, or a reseller, you will have the same basic interface. This is a nice setup for people who operate in each of these roles, but it can be confusing for those who are only looking to manage their own websites.
The Plesk platform does offer an easy interface for managing files, creating databases, and keeping a website up and running smoothly. While Windows web hosting is not nearly as efficient or popular, there are some types of sites for which it is popular. Users who must have Windows based hosting will likely be happy with the Plesk control panel system.
Introducing H-Sphere
H-Sphere is not nearly as popular as either cPanel or Plesk, but it dos have some features that make it an attractive option for certain people. It is a cross-platform system, meaning it can operate on both Windows and Linux platforms. It is written in Java, which is what allows it to run on any system. Java is known for requiring more system resources to operate than other options, but in many cases, it is worth the tradeoff.
You will find quite a few advanced features in the H-Sphere control panel. For example, they offer scalable clustering, which can be very useful when running lots of websites, or a single website that is quite large. They have some built in e-commerce functions that are only available as addons in most other control panels. There is no doubt that this is a powerful control panel option, but it also needs to be made clear that it is not for most users. This system requires significantly more technical knowledge and experience to use successfully than either Plesk or cPanel.
Which is Right for You?
While all three of these options can provide a good interface to manage your web hosting, they aren’t all the same in terms of quality or features. There is a reason that cPanel is the largest and most popular control panel system on the market today. The company behind cPanel does an excellent job at developing new features, making everything user friendly, and ensuring their system is stable for any type of site. Here at Verpex, we offer all of our customers full access to cPanel as part of their hosting package because we believe it is the best. If you have any questions about cPanel or anything else related to hosting, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.
