Comparison

Laranode vs Plesk

Plesk is a polished commercial panel that runs on Linux and Windows, licensed per server and priced by edition and domain count. Laranode is a free, open-source panel for hosting websites on your own Ubuntu VPS. If you want the essentials without a licence, Laranode covers them. If you want Plesk's extras, like WordPress Toolkit, Windows hosting and bundled email, Plesk is still the choice.

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.

Choose Laranode if…

  • ✓You want to manage sites, PHP, SSL, databases, firewall and backups without paying for a licence
  • ✓Your servers run Ubuntu and your email is handled elsewhere
  • ✓You prefer open-source code (MIT) you can audit and extend
  • ✓You'd rather have a small, focused panel than a large suite

Choose Plesk if…

  • ✓You need Windows Server / IIS / ASP.NET hosting
  • ✓You rely on WP Toolkit for WordPress staging, cloning and updates
  • ✓You need built-in email and DNS
  • ✓You want an extensions marketplace and vendor support

Feature comparison

LaranodePlesk Obsidian
PriceFree, MIT licencePaid licence per server; editions are priced by number of domains
Source codeOpen source (MIT)Proprietary
Operating systemsUbuntu 24.04+Many Linux distributions + Windows Server
Web serverApache + PHP-FPM (a pool per site)Apache and/or NGINX (IIS on Windows)
PHP versions7.4 to 8.5, chosen per siteMultiple PHP versions per domain
DatabasesMySQLMySQL / MariaDB, PostgreSQL (MS SQL on Windows)
Free SSLLet's Encrypt, one clickLet's Encrypt via SSL It!
Email & webmailNoYes
DNS serverNoYes
WordPress toolkitNoYes
File accessWeb file manager + SFTP over SSH (per-account toggle)File manager, FTP, SFTP
FirewallUFW rules in the UIFirewall extension
BackupsAccounts, sites and databases; local, S3 or SFTP; scheduled with retentionBackup manager with cloud storage extensions
Multi-userAdmin and user roles; each account is a Linux userAdmin, resellers and customers
Built withLaravel, React, Inertia.jsProprietary

Plesk editions and pricing change over time; see plesk.com/pricing for current prices.

What you give up, and what you don't

Most of Plesk's cost goes into features that sit around hosting itself: WP Toolkit, Sitejet, the extensions catalogue, Windows support and bundled email. If you use those every day, they're worth the licence.

If what you actually do is add a site, pick its PHP version, issue SSL, create a database and make sure backups leave the server, Laranode does exactly that. It's free, it installs in one command, and you can read every line of code that touches your server.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free, open-source alternative to Plesk?
Yes. Laranode is a free, MIT-licensed hosting panel for Ubuntu servers. Other open-source options include HestiaCP, ISPConfig and Virtualmin; see our list of open-source cPanel and Plesk alternatives.
Does Laranode have a WordPress toolkit like Plesk?
No. Laranode hosts WordPress like any PHP site (Apache, PHP-FPM, MySQL, SSL), but it has no WordPress-specific toolkit for one-click installs, staging or plugin management.
Does Laranode run on Windows Server?
No. Laranode runs on Ubuntu 24.04 and newer only. If you need ASP.NET or IIS hosting, Plesk on Windows is the better fit.
Does Laranode include email like Plesk?
No. Laranode doesn't install a mail server. Use a dedicated email provider for your domains, or choose a panel that bundles email.

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

Or deploy it in one click on DigitalOcean.

More comparisons

Laranode vs cPanelLaranode vs HestiaCPOpen-source cPanel & Plesk alternatives