Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Plesk VS ISPConfig

Compare Plesk VS ISPConfig and see what are their differences

Plesk logo Plesk

Plesk puts all the automation, security, and technical tools an IT professional needs in one simple and easy to use dashboard.

ISPConfig logo ISPConfig

ISPConfig 3 is an open source hosting control panel for Linux.
  • Plesk Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-19
  • ISPConfig Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-19

Plesk features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Plesk offers a highly intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for even non-experts to manage web hosting tasks.
  • Multi-Platform Support
    Plesk supports multiple operating systems, including both Linux and Windows, providing versatility for different server environments.
  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    Plesk includes a wide array of features such as automated updates, backups, and security tools, which help manage websites more efficiently.
  • Third-Party Integrations
    Plesk supports integration with various third-party applications and services, including WordPress, Docker, and Git, allowing for enhanced functionality.
  • Security Features
    Plesk offers advanced security features like firewall, SSL certificates, and anti-spam filters, ensuring robust protection for websites.
  • Scalability
    Plesk accommodates businesses of all sizes, making it suitable for both small businesses and large enterprises looking to scale their operations.

Possible disadvantages of Plesk

  • Cost
    Plesk can be relatively expensive compared to some other control panels, especially for small businesses or startups with limited budgets.
  • Resource-Intensive
    Plesk can be resource-intensive, requiring a fairly powerful server to run smoothly, which might not be ideal for low-end hosting environments.
  • Complexity for Advanced Users
    While user-friendly for beginners, advanced users might find Plesk's abstraction layers limiting and prefer more direct control through CLI (Command Line Interface).
  • Vendor Lock-In
    Switching from Plesk to another control panel can be challenging, potentially leading to a feeling of being locked into their ecosystem.
  • Support Costs
    Though Plesk offers customer support, premium support options can be costly, adding to the overall expenditure for businesses.

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.

Analysis of Plesk

Overall verdict

  • Plesk is generally considered a good option for web hosting management due to its comprehensive feature set, ease of use, and flexibility. While it may not be the perfect fit for every situation, its strengths in functionality and user experience make it a solid choice for many users.

Why this product is good

  • Plesk is a popular web hosting control panel used by many administrators due to its user-friendly interface, wide range of features, and support for multiple platforms. It offers extensive tools for managing websites, domains, emails, databases, and various security measures, making it an efficient solution for both beginners and experienced users. Additionally, Plesk supports a wide variety of integrations and extensions, enabling users to customize their hosting environment according to their specific needs. It also provides automation features that can help reduce administrative overhead.

Recommended for

    Plesk is recommended for small to medium-sized businesses, web developers, hosting providers, and anyone looking to manage multiple websites efficiently. It is particularly suitable for users who prefer a graphical interface over command-line tools and those who need reliable tech support.

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.

Plesk videos

cPanel vs Plesk Web Hosting Control Panels Compared

More videos:

  • Review - Website, WordPress, multiple Domains Hosting on DigitalOcean with the Plesk Control Panel
  • Review - Plesk Year in Review: 2018

ISPConfig videos

ispconfig 3 creating site

More videos:

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Plesk and ISPConfig)
Hosting
73 73%
27% 27
Control Panels
0 0%
100% 100
Cloud Computing
100 100%
0% 0
VPS
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 Plesk and ISPConfig

Plesk Reviews

Top 12 Best VPS Control Panels for 2025
Whether you’re an end user looking to manage a VPS or a server admin, the Plesk Control Panel is a fantastic solution to manage your servers. It offers many standard features and automation options. The Plesk control panel is compatible with all major platforms and OS’s.
Explore Top VestaCP Alternative: Find the Perfect Control Panel for Your Hosting Needs
Webmin is a resilient web-based control panel, offering an array of meticulously designed tools to manage diverse functionalities within Linux-based servers. Primarily geared towards Unix-like systems, Webmin provides a notable substitute for Plesk. Through the ease of a web browser, users gain the ability to perform a multitude of tasks – ranging from user account setup to...
Source: cyberpanel.net
10 Best cPanel Alternatives and Competitors in 2022 and Beyond
Whether you are a hosting provider, developer, or an agency, Plesk is for you. With over 100 Plesk extensions, you can get your favorite tools at one-click.
Source: macpost.net
The Best cPanel Alternatives In 2021
Plesk can work with multiple websites and integrates well with WordPress or other CMS platforms. They also offer an extensive plugin library to enhance the feature set and customize the panel. It’s also worth noting that Plesk is owned by the same company that owns cPanel.
Plesk and Other cPanel Alternatives in 2020
Plesk is one of the most popular cPanel alternative in 2020. Plesk is an all-in-one web hosting control panel that lets you set up new websites, new reseller accounts, email accounts, and automate your website management through a web-based interface.
Source: luxhosting.lu

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, you’ll find that ISPConfig is a great choice. It’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
Let’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, you’re going to trade price for functionality with ISPConfig. It’s free, which is fantastic given what’s in the box, but it’s not as equipped. For a handful of sites, you won’t notice a difference, and you might even forget all about cPanel after a while.
Source: kinsta.com

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Plesk and ISPConfig, 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.

Google App Engine - A powerful platform to build web and mobile apps that scale automatically.

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

Salesforce Platform - Salesforce Platform is a comprehensive PaaS solution that paves the way for the developers to test, build, and mitigate the issues in the cloud application before the final deployment.

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

Dokku - Docker powered mini-Heroku in around 100 lines of Bash