Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) VS Webmin

Compare Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) VS Webmin and see what are their differences

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Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) logo Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Learn more about how the Windows Subsystem for Linux works.

Webmin logo Webmin

Webmin is a web-based interface for system administration for Unix.
  • Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-17
  • Webmin Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-08

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) features and specs

  • Seamless Integration
    WSL allows users to run a Linux distribution alongside their Windows environment, enabling a seamless workflow that combines the best of both operating systems without the need for dual booting.
  • Ease of Use
    Setting up WSL is straightforward via the Microsoft Store, and it provides a user-friendly way to access Linux tools without complex installations or virtual machine setups.
  • Performance
    WSL offers near-native performance for Linux applications, as it manages system calls directly using the Windows kernel, providing better speed compared to traditional virtual machines.
  • Resource Efficiency
    Since it doesn't require a full Linux kernel virtualized layer, WSL consumes fewer resources (such as RAM and CPU), allowing for more efficient multitasking with Windows applications.
  • Development Environment
    WSL provides developers with access to powerful Linux-based tools and frameworks directly from Windows, making it attractive for cross-platform development.

Possible disadvantages of Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

  • Limited Hardware Support
    WSL might not fully support all hardware features, especially those related to complex peripherals or proprietary drivers that are typically better handled by native Linux installations.
  • Incomplete Linux Experience
    While WSL gives access to many Linux capabilities, it may not support certain system-level operations or kernel modules that are possible in a complete Linux environment.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some Linux applications or packages might not run smoothly or at all on WSL, requiring workarounds or alternates to achieve the desired functionality.
  • Networking Limitations
    Networking setup may be more complex with WSL, including limited support for certain networking namespaces, which can hinder specific use cases like advanced networking configurations.
  • Overhead Concerns
    Despite lower resource usage than full virtual machines, there's still some performance overhead with WSL due to the translation layer for Linux system calls on the Windows kernel.

Webmin features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Webmin provides a user-friendly web interface that simplifies the management of Unix-based systems. It allows administrators to perform complex configurations without needing to use the command line.
  • Comprehensive Management
    It supports a wide range of modules for managing various services and servers, including Apache, MySQL, DNS, and many more. This makes it a versatile tool for system administration.
  • Remote Management
    Webmin facilitates remote management of servers, which means administrators can manage systems from anywhere with internet access, enhancing flexibility and convenience.
  • Extensibility
    Webmin's modular architecture allows for easy extension and customization. Administrators can add or remove modules as needed, tailoring the tool to fit specific requirements.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source tool, Webmin is free to use, and its source code is accessible for modification, contributing to a large community and continuous improvements.

Possible disadvantages of Webmin

  • Security Concerns
    As Webmin is accessible via a web interface, it can be a target for web-based attacks if not properly secured. Administrators must ensure proper security measures are in place.
  • Performance Overhead
    Running Webmin adds an additional layer on top of the usual system processes, which can potentially introduce some performance overhead, especially on resource-constrained systems.
  • Complex Configuration
    While it simplifies many tasks, Webmin can still be complex to set up initially, especially for less experienced administrators who may find the multitude of options overwhelming.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Certain Webmin features may not be fully compatible with all Linux distributions or versions, which can lead to inconsistencies and potential bugs in functionality.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, there is still a learning curve associated with effectively using all of Webmin's features and understanding the implications of configurations made through it.

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) videos

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) Tutorial & How To

Webmin videos

How to Use and Install Webmin to Control Linux

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Webmin Install, Setup, & Tutorial and a brief comparison to Cockpit at the end
  • Review - Webmin | Manage Your Linux Server from the Web

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Webmin)
Web And Application Servers
Control Panels
0 0%
100% 100
Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Hosting
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Webmin

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) Reviews

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Webmin Reviews

Top 12 Best VPS Control Panels for 2025
Webmin VPS also offers a variety of other features that are useful for web hosting. Its dashboard shows CPU and RAM statistics, which allow you to see your server’s performance. You can also manage firewall rules, schedule cron jobs, and manage users.
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 Most Popular Free Web Hosting Control Panels You Need To Know
Webmin is also a open-source and free software utility, and it is available for Unix-like operating systems, and including Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, and Fedora. Webmin also provide virtualmin module to manage virtual hosts through Graphical single user interface like cpanel ,plesk or cwp panel. It also support LEMP or LAMP based host and It also support all other features like...
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Webmin is good and all, but it doesn’t work for everyone so unexpectedly. Therefore, we have a CentOS Web Panel that absolutely fills in the shoes of Webmin especially when you have VPS, the private virtual server. CentOS is good at distribution and administrating Apache Web Servers, Firewalls, Nginx reverse proxy, and much more. All the great features about this one are...
6 cPanel Alternatives
You’ll only be able to install and fully manage certain system services from the terminal. For those reasons Webmin may be best suited for staging environments. If you choose Webmin, be sure to prioritize system hardening methods beforehand.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) should be more popular than Webmin. It has been mentiond 125 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.

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) mentions (125)

  • What I wish I knew about Python when I started
    If you are running Microsoft Windows, I want to advise one more prerequisite step that you need to take before getting started with Python or uv: install the Windows Subsystem for Linux, also known as WSL2. Do not, for the love of all that is good and holy, try and install Python tooling directly in Windows; install WSL first. This guide outlines all the steps you need to take to get started, though I recommend... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Using curl-impersonate in Node.js to avoid blocks
    Note: node-curl-impersonate is only compatible with Unix-based operating systems like Linux and macOS. If you are on Windows and cannot use the WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), consider using [ts-curl-impersonate](https://www.npmjs.com/package/ts-curl-impersonate) as an alternative as it comes with native Windows support. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Boost Your Productivity with Shell Aliases: A Simple Hack for Flutter Developers
    Another option is to use the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which gives you a Linux-like terminal on Windows. With WSL, you can follow the same steps for creating aliases as you would on macOS or Linux by editing your .bashrc or .zshrc file. To set up WSL, check out the official Windows Subsystem for Linux documentation. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Linux Desktop Market Share Climbs to 4.45%
    A very cursory search would tell you about the Windows Subsystem for Linux: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/about. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Attempted to setup windows-linux dual boot on my PC and screwed it all up - please help
    Dual boot is ssooo previous decades. Let me introduce you to WSL, Windows Subsystem for Linux, now you can run Linux (including GUI) seamlessly from within windows. No dual boot, no sacrifice to security with legacy boot, no restarting to use apps and tools from the other OS, use windows and Linux truly side by side. Source: almost 2 years ago
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Webmin mentions (16)

  • Cockpit: Web-based graphical interface for servers
    What about webmin? I used it in the past, it has plenty of modules and parse config, so you can edit them by hand too. https://webmin.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Cockpit: Web-based graphical interface for servers
    Why use this when Webmin has done the job for decades? https://webmin.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Total beginner here, trying to find an alternative to something like windows “storage spaces”
    Https://webmin.com/ can be used as a GUI for mdadm if you're not comfortable with a console. Source: about 2 years ago
  • ESXI on old desktop
    If you want to roll your own virtualisation box, I would suggest either Debian or OpenSUSE TW with one of these tools, for everything else, I suggest Webmin. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Cant figure out how my disk pace is spread
    You could also just install webmin https://webmin.com and use the web-interface to resize your logical volumes and volume groups... Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Webmin, you can also consider the following products

SSH of Windows' Linux subsystem - Installation instructions for the Windows Subsystem for Linux on Windows 10.

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.

XAMPP - XAMPP is a free and open-source cross-platform web server that is primarily used when locally developing web applications.

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

Laragon - All in one web server.

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