Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ISPConfig VS Hestia Control Panel

Compare ISPConfig VS Hestia Control Panel and see what are their differences

ISPConfig logo ISPConfig

ISPConfig 3 is an open source hosting control panel for Linux.

Hestia Control Panel logo Hestia Control Panel

An open-source Linux web server control panel.
  • ISPConfig Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-19
  • Hestia Control Panel Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-28

ISPConfig features and specs

  • Open Source
    ISPConfig is a free, open-source control panel, which means there's no cost involved, and users can modify the source code to fit their specific needs.
  • Multi-Server Support
    ISPConfig allows for management of multiple servers from one control panel, which is beneficial for users managing a large number of servers.
  • User Management
    It offers comprehensive user management, allowing administrators to create and manage different levels of user accounts with various permissions.
  • Extensive Features
    Includes a variety of functional modules such as email, web hosting, DNS, and FTP, suitable for a wide range of server management needs.
  • Security
    ISPConfig includes features that improve security, such as SSL certificate management and firewall configurations.
  • Community Support
    Being a popular open-source project, there is a substantial amount of community support, including forums and documentation.

Possible disadvantages of ISPConfig

  • Complexity
    The extensive features come with a steep learning curve, making it potentially overwhelming for beginners.
  • Limited Commercial Support
    While it has a strong community, ISPConfig lacks a structured commercial support option, which can be a disadvantage for enterprise users.
  • Third-Party Dependencies
    ISPConfig relies on several third-party tools and services, which can lead to additional complexities in managing compatibility and updates.
  • User Interface
    The user interface is not as polished or modern compared to some commercial alternatives, potentially affecting user experience.
  • Performance Overhead
    Like many control panels, ISPConfig adds an additional layer of software, which can result in a performance overhead on the server.
  • Documentation
    While there is community documentation, it may not always be complete or up-to-date, posing challenges in troubleshooting.

Hestia Control Panel features and specs

  • Open Source
    Hestia Control Panel is open-source software, meaning it is free to use, modify, and distribute, which can be a major cost-saving benefit for users and businesses.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    HestiaCP offers a clean and intuitive graphical user interface, making it easy for users, even those with limited technical skills, to manage their servers and websites effectively.
  • Feature-Rich
    The control panel includes a variety of features such as support for multiple web servers, database management, DNS management, and email accounts, providing comprehensive server management tools.
  • Lightweight
    HestiaCP is designed to be lightweight, which can lead to reduced server load and improved performance compared to more resource-intensive control panels.
  • Community Support
    As an open-source project, HestiaCP has a growing community of users and developers that contribute to its development and provide support through forums and other platforms.

Possible disadvantages of Hestia Control Panel

  • Limited Official Support
    Being an open-source project, HestiaCP does not offer dedicated professional support, which might be a downside for users who require reliable customer service.
  • Fewer Features Compared to Paid Options
    While feature-rich, HestiaCP may not offer as many advanced features as some premium, paid control panels, which might be a limitation for users with extensive requirements.
  • Potential Stability Issues
    As HestiaCP is open-source, updates and patches depend on community contributions, which can sometimes lead to stability and security concerns if not managed properly.
  • Learning Curve for Beginners
    Despite its user-friendly interface, new users who are unfamiliar with web hosting and server management might still experience a learning curve when starting with HestiaCP.
  • Limited Customization
    While it offers solid functionality, some users may find HestiaCP less customizable than other solutions, especially those who want highly tailored server configurations.

Analysis of ISPConfig

Overall verdict

  • ISPConfig is generally considered a good solution for those who need a powerful and flexible web hosting control panel. Its comprehensive features, active community support, and cost advantages make it a solid choice for both small-scale and enterprise-level deployments. However, it might require more technical expertise to set up compared to some commercial alternatives.

Why this product is good

  • ISPConfig is a popular open-source hosting control panel that allows for the management of web servers. It is favored for its rich feature set, which includes support for multiple servers, a wide range of web hosting needs such as email, DNS, FTP, and databases, all under a unified interface. It is highly customizable and supports various Linux distributions, making it versatile for different server environments. Additionally, being an open-source solution, it offers a cost-effective alternative to paid control panels.

Recommended for

    ISPConfig is recommended for system administrators and web hosting providers who are comfortable working within the Linux ecosystem and are looking for a robust, flexible, and cost-effective control panel solution. It is particularly suitable for those who need to manage multiple servers and require extensive customization capabilities in their hosting environments.

ISPConfig videos

ispconfig 3 creating site

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Install ISPConfig on Ubuntu 18.04?
  • Review - ISPconfig Part 1 - Installation

Hestia Control Panel videos

HestiaCP - control panel review (install and demo)

More videos:

  • Review - Creando Hosting VPS con HestiaCP
  • Review - HestiaCP - Panel de Control WEB - Video 1

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ISPConfig and Hestia Control Panel)
Control Panels
53 53%
47% 47
Hosting
50 50%
50% 50
Server Management
46 46%
54% 54
System Administration
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare ISPConfig and Hestia Control Panel

ISPConfig Reviews

Top 12 Best VPS Control Panels for 2025
Whether you are looking for a VPS control panel for personal websites, digital studios, or reseller hosting, youโ€™ll find that ISPConfig is a great choice. Itโ€™s powerful, free, and has a very reliable track record. In addition to that, it has the ability to handle large enterprise-level websites, as well as small, personal sites.
Explore Top VestaCP Alternative: Find the Perfect Control Panel for Your Hosting Needs
ISPConfig is a potent and open-source web-based control panel, that acts as a catalyst for seamless management across a range of web hosting environments. With precision, this versatile tool is crafted to cater to the requirements of both individual users and hosting service providers. At its heart, ISPConfig furnishes an expansive set of tools that adeptly configure, manage...
Source: cyberpanel.net
10 Most Popular Free Web Hosting Control Panels You Need To Know
ISPConfig is another free and open source hosting control panel that also allow to manage multiple servers from its own interface . It is available for Linux different flavors and it can be installed on single server and cluster of servers.
Top cPanel Alternatives worth trying in 2022
Letโ€™s focus on ISPConfig features. It is known to manage multiple servers at once. In case you work with more than one, you can trust ISPConfig, which gives you continuous experience without any extra control panel. This one even works perfectly with CentOS, Ubuntu, and Debian with code via GitHub in an open-source BSD license. Besides, ISPConfig 3 is one free cPanel that...
Top 11 cPanel Alternatives to Help Manage Your Websites
As a cPanel alternative, youโ€™re going to trade price for functionality with ISPConfig. Itโ€™s free, which is fantastic given whatโ€™s in the box, but itโ€™s not as equipped. For a handful of sites, you wonโ€™t notice a difference, and you might even forget all about cPanel after a while.
Source: kinsta.com

Hestia Control Panel Reviews

Forget cPanel! 5 Free cPanel Alternatives That Will Manage Your Web Apps
If youโ€™re ready to embrace innovation, break away from the traditional, and discover the perfect control panel alternative for your unique needs, letโ€™s dive into the details of CloudPanel, HestiaCp, FastPanel, CyberPanel, and aaPanel. Get ready to unleash the true potential of your website, one click at a time.
Source: webshanks.com
Explore Top VestaCP Alternative: Find the Perfect Control Panel for Your Hosting Needs
Positioned as an alternative to VestaCP, Hestia Control Panel (HestiaCP) emerges as a meticulously crafted response to simplify the intricate responsibilities tied to managing web hosting services and server setups. Prioritizing an enhanced user experience, HestiaCP introduces an intuitive interface tailored to meet the needs of administrators and end-users alike. This...
Source: cyberpanel.net
10 Most Popular Free Web Hosting Control Panels You Need To Know
HestiaCP is very similar to Vesta Control Panel and it is a fork of VestaCP . HetiaCP is a free and open-source panel . This is fast and reliable control panel and easy to use and provide user friendly interface.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Hestia Control Panel seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 8 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ISPConfig mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ISPConfig yet. Tracking of ISPConfig recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Hestia Control Panel mentions (8)

  • Please help a total newbie set up a wordpress server
    Have you considered using a control panel like https://hestiacp.com to make it a touch easier to install apps like Wordpress? Source: over 2 years ago
  • Currently on DreamHost Shared VPS Need Alternative
    If a GUI is important to you, try out hestiacp.com. Never used it but I heard only good stuff about it, it has one centralized UI from which you can set up everything. The good thing is it's open source and supports both Nginx and Nginx + Apache, although I recommend going with Nginx + FastCGI for caching, so no plugin is needed. Source: over 2 years ago
  • What is the best way to self host WordPress
    I know there is Hestia Control Panel which is a script that downloads everything (NGinx + Wordpress + Php + MariaDB) on Debian/Ubuntu (I'm using Ubuntu) and that seems like the fastest way to get it setup. It even includes auto SSL certificate creation/renewal which is great. But it seems it installed the packages from APT rather than a Docker registry, and I'm wondering if there are any security implications with... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Anyone here have experience running Hestia Control Panel in a production environment?
    I stumbled on VestaCP, but that project seems dead, Hestia Control Panel seems to be the fork of that, and has code commits on github as recently as two days ago. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • GPS server/website manager with a user friendly GUI?
    To run any webpages I highly recommend you use https://hestiacp.com Can run your web server File server Mail server Database. Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing ISPConfig and Hestia Control Panel, you can also consider the following products

cPanel - With its first-class support and rich feature set, cPanel & WHM has been the web hosting industry's most reliable, intuitive control panel since 1997.

Webmin - Webmin is a web-based interface for system administration for Unix.

Vesta Control Panel - โ€“ What I love about Vesta is that it's fast and easy to use

CyberPanel - CyberPanel is web hosting control which is based on OpenLiteSpeed.

Control Web Panel - (Former CentOS Web Panel) Free & PRO Linux Web Hosting Control Panel

aaPanel - aaPanel is a simple but powerful control panel for linux server.one-click install LNMP/LAMP/OpenLiteSpeed developing environment and software