Roundup
Open-source cPanel & Plesk alternatives
Updated September 2026. Written by the Laranode maintainer, so we're biased; we've tried to be fair about where the other panel is the better choice.
At a glance
| Panel | Licence | OS | DNS | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laranode | MIT | Ubuntu 24.04+ | No | No | Hosting websites on a VPS with per-site PHP versions and off-server backups, in a modern Laravel + React panel. Doesn't include email, DNS or FTP. |
| HestiaCP | GPL-3.0 | Debian, Ubuntu | Yes | Yes | The closest free all-in-one replacement for cPanel on a single server: web, mail, DNS and FTP. |
| ISPConfig | BSD-3-Clause | Debian, Ubuntu, and others | Yes | Yes | Hosting providers managing several servers from one panel. Mature, but harder to learn. |
| Virtualmin | GPL-3.0 (paid Pro edition) | Debian, Ubuntu, RHEL family | Yes | Yes | Sysadmins who want deep control; built on Webmin, powerful but dense. |
| CyberPanel | GPL-3.0 | Ubuntu, AlmaLinux | Yes | Yes | WordPress sites on OpenLiteSpeed with LSCache. |
| Froxlor | GPL-2.0 | Debian, Ubuntu | Yes | Yes | A lightweight, long-running panel for hosting providers. |
| CloudPanel | Free, not open source | Debian, Ubuntu | No | No | Fast NGINX-based PHP, Node.js and Python hosting. Free to use, but the source isn't open. |
Summaries reflect each project's documentation as of September 2026. Check each project's site before installing.
How to choose
Do you need email on the same server? If yes, choose HestiaCP, ISPConfig, Virtualmin, CyberPanel or Froxlor. If your email is already with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or similar, a web-focused panel like Laranode or CloudPanel is simpler and has less to keep secure.
One server or many? ISPConfig is designed for multi-server setups. Most of the others, Laranode included, manage the server they're installed on.
Open source matters? Everything here except CloudPanel publishes its source code under an open-source licence.
Want to try before you install? Laranode has a limited live demo with simulated actions, and HestiaCP has a public demo too.
Where Laranode fits
Laranode is the newest panel on this list. It does fewer things and focuses on hosting websites well: every account is a real Linux user, every site gets its own PHP-FPM pool and PHP version (7.4 to 8.5), SSL is one click, and backups can go to S3 or SFTP on a schedule. It's MIT licensed and built on Laravel and React. Start with the VPS control panel overview, or read the detailed comparisons: vs cPanel, vs CyberPanel, vs aaPanel, vs Plesk and vs HestiaCP.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to cPanel?
What is the best open-source alternative to Plesk?
Is CloudPanel open source?
Can I install a control panel on a server that's already running websites?
Try Laranode
Click around the limited live demo (safe, simulated actions), or install it on a fresh Ubuntu 24.04+ server as root:
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/crivion/laranode/refs/heads/main/laranode-scripts/bin/laranode-installer.sh | bash