CyberPanel is the most prominent choice for free web hosting control panel at present. It shines forth with the use of OpenLiteSpeed, a high-performance, open-source web server, allowing users to get started with it easily- whether they are complete beginners or experts.
CyberPanel comes with amenities such as DNS management, email accounts, SSL certificates, and even automatic backups. It is also optimized for WordPress hosting and supports staging, cloning, and one-click installations for WordPress developers.
ISPConfig is another powerful open-source solution that has gained widespread usage in server management. ISPConfig supports not just Apache, but Nginx and Lighttpd, which makes it flexible with different types of server configurations. ISPs can manage several servers from a single control panel with ISPConfig, a feature that comes in very handy in large setups or those handling several websites.
Some of its excellent features features include DNS and email server management, FTP user management, firewall settings, and creating multiple clients and resellers. Scalability is also easy to use, creating a topical choice for hosting providers and web developers.
Webmin is one of the very highly customizable control panels with a wide range of functionalities, which until recently has mostly been the default option for Linux system administrators. It will let you administer almost anything on the web server from the web interface from accounts to DNS settings, databases, and software packages.
The fact that the design could be retro from some modern panels belies its functionality. Its flexibility comes in the version of modules supported by Webmin, making it adaptable to diverse server environments. With good security features built into the system and extending with plugins, for those familiar with Linux systems, it remains among the top choices.
VestaCP is an open-source control panel with a simple, minimalist interface that is full-bodied in its features, useful to the person who seeks simplicity in their web hosting experience.
It has a firewall, automatic backups, email management, DNS services, and database management. It is supported by two popular options, Apache and Nginx, so, in reality, you can use either the one you prefer for your needs. It is lacking in some advanced options offered by other panels but VestaCP is very suitable for users who tend to focus more on simplicity and performance.
Ajenti is one of the newest control panels, and at the time of this writing, its latest release features a modern, responsive web interface. Best for those in need of a lightweight control panel that doesn't compromise on usability, it's highly extensible combined with some preinstalled plugins that manage quite a few aspects of server administration, including firewalls, user accounts, and software packages.
Ajenti also supports Python, Ruby, and PHP, so it is a great solution for developers who might need more sophisticated scripting capabilities. Being light on system requirements, Ajenti will run pretty well even on low-resource servers, great for small projects or personal websites.
Froxlor is an open-source, lightweight, powerful management panel for web hosting. It should be a real help for users, hosting providers, as well as resellers in managing domains, SSL certificates, email accounts, DNS settings, and much more. This clean interface packs some seriously robust features, including multi-language support, ticketing systems, and reseller management.
Of course, Froxlor also supports the free generation of Let's Encrypt SSL certificates. This means your websites are going to be secure. Froxlor is a good choice for those looking for a no-nonsense control panel without heavy resource requirements.
CentOS Web Panel is shortened as CWP. It's a feature-rich control panel designed especially for CentOS and other similar Linux distributions. It provides almost all of the tools available for the administration of your server including DNS, MySQL databases, FTP services, firewall, and email services. CWP also supports an auto-installer for popular web applications such as WordPress, Joomla, Magento, etc.
CWP is available in a free version that includes all capabilities; however, it has a paid version for users to attain high-end options like Apache performance optimization and security add-ons.
Virtualmin is a fast and flexible web hosting control panel built on Webmin. It has gained much credit because of its flexibility to administer multiple virtual hosts through a single panel, and it supports both Apache and Nginx, which keeps it very liberal in terms of server environment compatibility.
Virtualmin provides quota management, reselling facilities, email settings, and integration with most commercial DNS services. It also supports both cloud and virtualized environments, making it suitable for all kinds of hosting users.
HestiaCP is a fork of VestaCP, focused on security improvements and a modern interface. It supports the use of Apache, Nginx, and PHP-FPM, which allows one to define a high-performance web hosting environment. Pre-installed here are various handy tools that can be used in managing websites, email, databases, DNS settings, and also backup copies.
It also offers one-click installations for popular web applications like WordPress and Joomla that make the setup of any website in a couple of minutes painlessly easy. Regular updates with security patches and new features characterize HestiaCP, establishing it as a secure and user-friendly web host.
aaPanel is one of the newer control panels compared to those above, but it has gained popularity in just a short period because it is simple and feature-rich. It provides an easy graphical interface for managing websites, databases, FTP, DNS, email, and much more.
aaPanel also has its application store from which users may download different additions, such as server monitoring, security extensions, and even performance optimization tools. It supports multiple web servers: Apache, Nginx, and OpenLiteSpeed, so it's very flexible for users who need an enterprise-grade yet highly modern control panel.
To sum up, in 2024, the market of free control panels is tremendous and offers every possible sort of functionality or feature from totally different kinds of panels for a diverse group of users. There's a server administrator for every kind of feature-rich, high-feature content control panel such as CyberPanel and ISPConfig; lightweight solutions such as Ajenti and Froxlor come in handy here.
All the control panels on this list have strengths in ease of use, performance, and scalability. What is better depends on the size of your hosting setup, what sort of customization you might need, and whether you want your interface to be minimalist or feature-rich.
Go and grab your choice and ease!