For a long time, cPanel and Plesk have monopolized the web hosting control panel market. That’s resulted in constant price hikes, which few of us can afford in these challenging times. Is it time for a change? If SPanel has anything to say about the matter, then yes.
This article walks you through the features of SPanel and provides input from the SPanel founder Chris Rusev, and a commentary on my usage experience. We’ll also look at who it’s for (or not) and whether it’s worth your time and money.
How SPanel Works (2-min Video)
What We Like & Dislike
SPanel Pros
- Easy to use
- Separate Admin and User interfaces
- 1-click SSL and app deployment
- Real-time threat monitoring
- Wide array of features
- Highly cost-effective
SPanel Cons
- Occupies a fair bit of memory
- LiteSpeed Enterprise requires additional licensing
- It can only deploy on RockyLinux 9
What is SPanel?
SPanel is a management interface for Cloud-based web hosting services. It is a graphic user interface that replaces the typical SSH command line control of your droplet or VPS by offering nice buttons to click instead.
You can throw SPanel onto most Cloud service providers, and it’ll work perfectly. To understand the power of this, imagine getting such a management interface for DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, or any other favored host. It’s awesome.
While it’s not a new product, SPanel has evolved significantly over the years. It once looked like a shadow of cPanel, albeit arguably faster and more streamlined. Since then, it has grown into the big kid on the block looking to stomp on the competition.
Key Features of SPanel
The current SPanel I’m looking at is feature-packed. It is much more comprehensive than it used to be, and several features are particularly notable. Let’s cover the highlights here.
Dual Interface
SPanel has separate, dedicated interfaces for admins and other users. Administrators get all the tools they need to manage accounts, monitor server health, and handle technical tasks, while users can access all the essentials they need to manage their sites.
API Integration
For developers, SPanel offers an API that allows you to build custom tools or applications that integrate directly with SPanel. This allows streamlining workflows, creating custom functionality, or otherwise expanding SPanel’s ecosystem.
Backup and Security
This is not new, but it deserves a mention. Thanks to SShield, SPanel includes real-time security monitoring at no extra cost. It monitors your server, blocking threats like malware and unauthorized access.
You can also enjoy daily backups to remote servers with the option to create manual backups anytime. These backups won’t hog all your storage space. They are a seamless and pain-free system that provides peace of mind.
Choice of Web Servers
With SPanel, you can choose the web server that best suits your needs. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Apache: Reliable and highly compatible with most applications.
- Nginx: Great for handling high-traffic websites, thanks to its speed.
- OpenLiteSpeed: A free alternative similar to LiteSpeed, with performance improvements.
- LiteSpeed Enterprise: This premium option is known for its fast performance and built-in caching, which is ideal for resource-heavy sites.
The flexibility to switch between these servers means you’re never locked in—you can always pick the one that works best for your needs.
Choice of Database Engine
SPanel offers both MariaDB and PostgreSQL as database options, so you can choose the one that fits your project requirements:
- MariaDB is fast, secure, and compatible with MySQL, so if you’re familiar with MySQL, this one’s easy to work with.
- PostgreSQL is perfect if you need something highly stable and capable of handling complex queries.
Important Note
- SPanel has some specific running requirements. It is recommended that your server has at least 1 CPU core, 2GB RAM, and 8GB of storage reserved for the OS and software.
- Your Cloud plan must also run on Rocky Linux 9. Other requirements include a valid hostname and static IPv4 IP address.
How to Use SPanel? A Deep Dive
“If you’ve wanted to use a cloud VPS but found it challenging, SPanel offers a management experience similar to cPanel, making it easier to handle websites, domains, emails, and applications.”
SPanel is quite intuitive. The most important thing is to distinguish between its two interfaces. As the server boss, you’ll use the Admin panel. Everyone else only gets access to the User panel.
The Admin Panel
Once you’ve installed SPanel, you can log in and manage your server via the Admin interface. From this dashboard, you have complete control over your server. The most essential part of this interface is the ability to create, suspend, or terminate accounts. Once your overall setup is in place, you’ll use this feature the most.
In addition, the Admin panel has some neat server monitoring tools that allow you to get a quick overview of your server resource consumption and many more. From the Service Status tab on the monitoring page, you can also restart running services like IMAP or DNS.
It also allows you to customize SPanel so that when users log in, they see your branding. This is especially useful for certain categories of SPanel users, like resellers or those running a web development agency.
The SPanel User Panel
Many users will be more familiar with the User panel, which looks almost identical to the interface on many shared hosting or managed VPS providers. That means domain management, SSL handling, and everything else about this specific account should be pretty straightforward.
The interface is divided into seven main sections for easier navigation:
- Databases
- Settings
- Domains
- Files
- Tools
- Software
Comparison With cPanel and Plesk
| Feature | SPanel | cPanel | Plesk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.95/mo (5 Accounts) | $29.99/mo (5 Accounts) | $15.50/mo (for 10 domains) |
| OS Requirements | RockyLinux 9 | Linux-based | Linux and Windows |
| User Interface | Separate admin and user interfaces | Separate WHM for admins | Unified management for admins and users |
| Web Server Support | Apache, Nginx, OpenLiteSpeed, and LiteSpeed Enterprise | Primarily Apache | Apache, IIS HTTP Server |
| Built-in Security Features | SShield for real-time threat protection | CSF, ModSecurity integration | Fail2Ban, ModSecurity, SpamAssassin |
| SSL Management | Let’s Encrypt | AutoSSL via Let’s Encrypt or Comodo | Let’s Encrypt |
| WordPress Management | SWordPress Manager | WordPress Toolkit (extra add-on) | WordPress Toolkit |
| Joomla Management | Yes | No | No |
| NodeJS Management | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Database Engines | MariaDB, PostgreSQL | MySQL, MariaDB | MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL |
| API Integration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ease of Migration | Managed migration | Migration tools and scripts | Migration tools |
| Managed Services | Yes | Third-party | Third-party |
Aside from the features and usability of SPanel, one of the most exciting comparisons is against the duo of cPanel and Plesk. The good news is that SPanel does admirably well compared to these seasoned veterans.
This was already true to some extent in the past. However, the gap grows increasingly narrow with the introduction of the new version of SPanel. I rate SPanel with equal marks – not because of lacking features, but because of a few quirks.
For example, it’s curious that SPanel can only run on RockyLinux 9. That’s extremely specific and different from what the public might love to learn.
Pricing: How Much Does SPanel Cost?
SPanel is sold in tiers, each supporting a certain number of accounts. The lowest tier, Entry, covers up to five accounts and costs $19.95/mo. At the upper end, the Agency tier supports up to 100 accounts for $39.95/mo.
However, remember that this pricing is only for SPanel. You must also pay for hosting, which depends on your plan and service provider.
As an example, let’s calculate the cost of using the Entry tier of SPanel on Digital Ocean:
- Digital Ocean Droplet (1 vCPU, 2GB RAM, 50GB Storage): $12/mo
- SPanel Entry Plan: $19.95/mo
That works out to $31.95/mo.
As you can see, SPanel may not suit everyone. A comparative Digital Ocean plan at Cloudways would cost only $28/mo.
Huge Savings for Higher-Tier Cloud Plans
But wait… Let’s see what happens when we up the scale for successive hosting tiers:
| Providers | Digital Ocean + SPanel | Cloudways (Digital Ocean) |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-tier Plan | $24 + $19.95/mo = $43.95 | $54 |
| High-tier Plan | $48 + $19.95/mo = $67.95 | $99 |
| Higher-tier Plan | $96 + $19.95/mo = $115.95 | $170 |
As you can see, the more powerful your web hosting plan becomes, the more cost-effective it is to use SPanel.
Who Should Use SPanel?
Although everyone can use SPanel, it’s more advantageous for specific categories of users. Some I would recommend taking a closer look at SPanel include:
- Web Development Agencies
- Web Hosting Resellers
- Anyone running medium to high-traffic websites
As we’re on this topic, I should also be clear about who doesn’t require SPanel. This group includes owners of static or smaller websites that see little traffic. The primary reason is that you can get entry-level managed cloud hosting for a lower price.
Final Thoughts
For users searching for a robust, cost-effective alternative to cPanel and Plesk, SPanel can be an excellent choice. The platform is robust and has all the right features, from performance to usability. The API provision also gives hope that we will one day see a flourishing SPanel ecosystem.
This choice is worth considering, especially for specific user groups. For example, those running high-traffic websites, operating web dev agencies, or hosting resellers. In these cases, SPanel is the key to efficient business scaling.
