How to Install a Control Panel on Your VPS (cPanel, Plesk, Webmin)

To install a control panel on a VPS you run a single installation command from SSH and the wizard handles the rest automatically. The choice between cPanel, Plesk and Webmin depends on your budget and how you plan to use the server.

A control panel turns VPS administration into a visual task: create domains, email accounts, databases and SSL certificates from your browser, without memorizing commands. If you do not have a VPS yet or are comparing options, check our guide on VPS servers.

Which Control Panel Do You Need? Quick Comparison

The three panels target different audiences. Spend two minutes choosing the right one before installing anything.

Practical rule: if you will resell hosting or manage dozens of client accounts, cPanel is the industry standard. For something in between with Windows support, Plesk. If you want zero cost, Webmin.

How to Install cPanel/WHM on a VPS

cPanel only works on RHEL-based distributions. The most recommended today is AlmaLinux 8 or 9. Make sure your VPS meets the minimum requirements before installing:

• RAM: minimum 2 GB (4 GB recommended)
• Storage: minimum 20 GB free
• Fresh OS installation (clean install)
• Valid hostname (FQDN): hostnamectl set-hostname server.yourdomain.com

With that ready, launch the official installer:

cd /home && curl -o latest -L https://securedownloads.cpanel.net/latest && sh latest

The process takes between 30 and 90 minutes depending on server speed. When done, access WHM at https://IP:2087 with the root user and system root password. From WHM you create individual cPanel accounts for each site.

cPanel Licenses: What You Need to Know

cPanel charges by number of active accounts. A basic plan (Solo, 5 accounts) costs around $16 USD/month. If your VPS provider includes the license, use it — it is cheaper than buying it separately.

How to Install Plesk on a VPS

Plesk offers a universal installer that automatically detects the operating system. Compatible with Ubuntu 20.04/22.04, Debian, AlmaLinux and Windows Server.

wget https://autoinstall.plesk.com/plesk-installer
chmod +x plesk-installer
sudo ./plesk-installer

The interactive installer asks which edition (Web Admin, Web Pro, Web Host) and which components to install. Installation takes 20–40 minutes. When done, open https://IP:8443 in your browser to complete the initial setup wizard.

Plesk Obsidian vs. Older Versions

The current version is Plesk Obsidian. It includes built-in support for Docker, Git and Node.js, making it attractive to development teams as well as traditional hosting administrators.

How to Install Webmin on a VPS (Free)

Webmin is the zero-cost option. On Ubuntu/Debian, the cleanest installation uses the official repository:

curl -o setup-repos.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/webmin/webmin/master/setup-repos.sh
sudo sh setup-repos.sh
sudo apt-get install webmin --install-recommends -y

Access it at https://IP:10000 with the system root username and password. Webmin does not include cPanel-style multi-account management natively, but you can add Virtualmin (its hosting module) to manage multiple domains and email accounts from the same interface.

Want to skip the manual setup and get a VPS ready with the panel you need already installed? The team at elenlace.com can have your server ready in hours.

Common Post-Installation Steps (Any Panel)

Regardless of which panel you chose, there are tasks you must complete immediately after installation:

1. Change the root password if you are using a provider-default one.
2. Configure the firewall: open only necessary ports (80, 443, 22, and the panel's port).
3. Enable automatic updates for both the panel and the operating system.
4. Create a secondary admin account — never work directly as root.
5. Install an SSL certificate for the panel itself (Plesk and cPanel include built-in Let's Encrypt).
6. Set up reverse DNS records (PTR) if you plan to send email — essential to avoid your messages landing in spam.

Key Takeaways

• cPanel is the industry standard for resellers and agencies, but has a monthly cost and only runs on RHEL/AlmaLinux.
• Plesk is more versatile (Linux + Windows) and has a more modern interface; its price is slightly lower than cPanel.
• Webmin is free and ideal for personal use or learning; add Virtualmin if you need to manage multiple domains.
• All panels require a clean OS installation — do not install a panel on a server already configured by hand.
• Post-installation hardening (firewall, SSL, secondary user, PTR record) is just as important as the installation itself.

If you would rather have a VPS with the panel already installed and configured, contact us at elenlace.com — we save you hours of setup and make sure everything is secure from day one.

FAQ

Can I install cPanel on Ubuntu?

No. cPanel is only compatible with RHEL-based distributions: AlmaLinux 8/9, Rocky Linux and CloudLinux. If your VPS runs Ubuntu, choose Plesk or Webmin/Virtualmin instead.

How much RAM does a VPS with a control panel need?

cPanel recommends a minimum of 2 GB but works better with 4 GB. Plesk needs at least 2 GB. Webmin is the lightest and can run with 1 GB, though 2 GB is more comfortable if you are also serving websites from the same server.

Does a control panel slow down the VPS?

Yes, any panel consumes additional resources (between 200 MB and 800 MB of RAM depending on the panel and active modules). That is why a VPS running a panel should have more RAM than you would need without one. If peak performance is the top priority, managing the server without a panel using custom scripts is more efficient.

Can I switch control panels after installing one?

Technically yes, but it is not recommended. Switching panels generally means reinstalling the operating system from scratch, since panels deeply modify the server's configuration. Plan your choice carefully before installing.

Useful resources

Other providers and guides worth comparing:

• HostGator México
• Hostinger
• HubSpot