Free control panels for a VPS: which one to choose
A hosting control panel turns a bare VPS into a convenient environment: sites, domains, mail, databases, SSL certificates and backups are configured through a web interface, without hand-editing configs in the console. Below are four popular free panels that install on a ServerPlus cloud server without any trouble.
HestiaCP
An open-source fork of VestaCP with an active community. It installs on Debian 11/12 and Ubuntu 20.04/22.04/24.04 LTS. Out of the box: a web server (Apache with Nginx as a proxy), mail (Exim, Dovecot, SpamAssassin anti-spam and ClamAV antivirus), DNS (BIND), an iptables-based firewall with Fail2ban, a file manager and free Let's Encrypt SSL. The panel is lightweight — it runs from 1 GB of RAM.
FastPanel
A free panel from the FASTVPS team. It supports Debian 9-12, Ubuntu 18.04-24.04, as well as CentOS 7, AlmaLinux 8 and Rocky Linux 8. It manages multiple PHP versions, databases, mail and DNS, makes backups to remote storage and installs a CMS in one click. A clear interface and convenient site management.
aaPanel
The international version of the Chinese BT panel. It installs on Ubuntu, Debian and CentOS. Its strength is the plugin store: web server (Nginx/Apache/OpenLiteSpeed), Docker, monitoring, firewall and mail server are added as modules. Some features (WAF, advanced protection, mail) are moved into separate plugins, several of which are paid.
CyberPanel
A panel built on OpenLiteSpeed with LiteSpeed Cache — a good choice for a fast WordPress. It supports Ubuntu 20.04/22.04, AlmaLinux and CentOS. It includes a WAF (ModSecurity with rule sets), a CSF firewall, DNS on PowerDNS, mail with rspamd anti-spam, a Docker manager and one-click CMS installs.
Comparison by security and features
| Feature | HestiaCP | FastPanel | aaPanel | CyberPanel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firewall | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fail2ban (brute-force protection) | Yes | Yes | Plugin | Yes |
| WAF (ModSecurity) | Manual | No | Plugin | Yes |
| Two-factor authentication (2FA) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mail antivirus and anti-spam | Yes | Yes | Plugin | Yes |
| Auto-updates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Backups (incl. remote) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DNS server | Yes | Yes | Plugin | Yes |
| File manager | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free SSL (Let's Encrypt) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
"Plugin" — the feature is available but added as a separate module; "Manual" — installed additionally by the administrator.
How to choose
If you need an all-in-one "sites + mail + DNS" set out of the box and simple administration, take HestiaCP or FastPanel. If your main goal is a fast WordPress with caching and a built-in WAF, look at CyberPanel. If you like flexibility and are ready to assemble features from modules, aaPanel fits.
What you need to install on ServerPlus
Create a cloud server in the ServerPlus panel with a clean image of a supported Debian or Ubuntu version (at least 1 GB of RAM and 1 vCPU; 2 GB is better for mail and anti-spam). The panel installs on a "clean" system without pre-installed software. After installation the web interface opens over HTTPS on a separate port — 8083 for HestiaCP and 8888 for FastPanel. Step-by-step guides for installing HestiaCP and FastPanel are in the neighboring knowledge-base articles.