Why Plesk is better than cPanel ??

[wayfarer]

Hi there, As I can see over the Internet cPanel is more popular than Plesk. But why do you use Plesk? Is it really better? Easy ? More stable?

 

[TheExcitedOne]

You must be joking, right?

 

[IgorG]

I stocked popcorn. This thread should be hot

 

[wayfarer]

no, I'm serious. I want to see advantages, real facts.

 

[UFHH01]

I brought some drinks to chill with others, while watching upcoming posts. ( sorry... no alcohol... I want to be "clear minded" ).

Apart from this thread, I found some really amusing threads/posts from so called "premium" webhosters ( or even "best webhoster ever" ) and from the all "genius" webhostlist / webhostingtalk. They sadly never really compare cPanel and Plesk, but have really funny opinions, why cPanel would be a better choice. ( Please use Google with the search option: "cPanel" "versus" "Plesk" ). Funny are as well blog - posts to your topic... you will find them as well with a Google search.




Most software providers offer trial software or trial keys, so that every one might test the software, before buying. Don't you think that this is more efficient?

Plesk for example offers this option here:

Download and Trial ( Official Odin page )
​

cPanel offers:

Try cPanel & WHM — for Free ( Official cPanel page )

​

Discussions about likes/dislikes or advantages/disadvantages often just state feelings or likes, without pointing to facts, which might be interesting for you. We don't know what parts are important for you and what parts are less important for you. We don't know, if you rather like the color blue and we don't know, if you are going to host 1,2, 50 or 100 domains on your server. We even don't know, if you are an experienced server administrator, or if you are a hobby blogger, who just decides to host his first domain ever. This "we don't know" - part could be extended, but to shorten it up, here's my very personel opinion:

cPanel just had a more efficient marketing strategy in former times, which resulted to more hosting - bundles ( server + software renting/housing ) and to more long-term contracts with server hosters. The server hosting providers never compared different software, they just offered the bundles as an additional feature to their products and Odin ( former SW-Soft / Parallels ) didn't catch up in the former times, so cPanel was installed more often and therefore was used more often in the past. You know as well, that if a customer uses a software for quite some time, it is hard to make him change to another one, even if there would be tons of advantages for him/her. It's even the same with Microsoft and Apple... so what do you like more? Windows? Or MacOS ?

In the very end, the choice what you want to use, is a very specific and personal choice, what might be an advantage for somebody, could be a reason for another one, to choose a different product!

 

[TheExcitedOne]

UFHH01, I see that you're an expert. So, I'm sure that you know much more about chronic problems with Plesk, than I can get just reading blog posts like "Plesk vs cPanel". I've tried both panels, but I don't have such experience (as you have, I suppose). The blogs say a lot ... [bad things] about Plesk support, about stability, especially on updates or mirgration happen. But... I don't know about the facts. Where should I pay more attention? Which of these problems are more possible?

 

[UFHH01]

Hi TheExcitedOne,

it really depends on your skills and knowledge, if updates/patches/upgrades for example result in issues/problems/failures. People stating that Plesk is instable for example, are just telling lies ( for what ever reason ), or have no clue at all, what they are talking about. They mostly don't even explain their lies or describe their issues, but construct a story, where you will always investigate the user and it's misconfiguration(s) as a root cause.

Just to give an example on this: On some previous Plesk updates/upgrades, there has been nginx - implementation. The user(s) switched to nginx and where suprised, that their website(s) were showing "Bad gateway" - errors, without even mentioning, that their site(s) used special htaccess - rules ( sometimes they didn't even know that their sites used htaccess - definitions ), which nginx couldn't see, because nginx doesn't follow htaccess - definitions at all. Now it's onto you, to explain, why user(s) complain about "Bad gayteway" - issues, when using nginx... is this really a Plesk - related issue?


People complaining about migration issues are really strange for me... Odin provides absolut free migration support ( http://www.odin.com/products/plesk/free-migration-support/ ). I don't understand, why people don't ask for that free assistance, in case of any issue(s). I never heard or read about any issue(s), from people using the free migration support! I never heard or read as well, that the Odin support wasn't able to solve possible issue(s), when using the free migration support.


Other than cPanel, Odin offers a HUGE knowledge base, updated and expanded faster than I ever experienced all over the net. Possible issues are not only described, they mostly provide instant resolutions and work-arounds, to solve your possible issues in no time ( as well for several operating systems ). You can even subscribe to different newsletters and learn from them each and every day.


People complaining about "bad support" mostly didn't even read, how Odin handles support. They probably registered here at the forum, thinking that this is the offical support ( ... which is not the case! The forum is a SELF-SERVICE - SUPPORT option, as mentioned at odin.com - just click on "Support" at the navigation bar ). I never heard or read about an unsolved support request... you even get your money back, when the support request was a cause of a bug.


So please... judge again after reading my lines... and compair it to the wonderfull blog - posts or compare it with amusing discussion threads, where strange users write opinions and thoughts ( I wouldn't call it facts at all ).



To come back to your question:

Where should I pay more attention? Which of these problems are more possible?

As mentioned before, I really don't know your skills, likes, or your hosting plans, but I can definetely encourage you to prefer Plesk. It's easy to use for unexperienced users and gives an enormous lot of possible features to experienced ( professional ) server administrators. The documentation(s) are easy to read and the knowledge base and the forum will help you to solve issues/problems and questions ( which you will always have, when you administrate a server ^^ ). You won't be left alone and you will learn something new every day, if you wish to. Start with Plesk as a hobby and grow to a "real premium" hoster with thousands of customers...

 

[Dx3webs]

for us it is the flexibility.. want domain1.com to run pure nginx and domain2.com to run nginx>apache or domain3.com to run pure apache.. all are possible at the same time in plesk. Plesk also seems to play nicer with the underlying OS rather than demanding that things are done THIS way. Also, you can install on a wider range of OS. We are running a lot of sites with nginx > HHVM on ubuntu.. again.. ridiculously easy with plesk.

 

[IgorG]

Also, you can install on a wider range of OS.

6-8 years ago this range of supported OSes was significantly more. Even FreeBSD, OSX, FedoraCore, etc were supported But maintaining this OSes zoo was a terrible headache.

 

[wayfarer]

@UFHH01 thanks for you detailed answer, of course color of the CP is not important for me. I want to host several websites for now. But I have bigger plans for the future. What about stability? Bugs? How often Plesk releases new features ?

And also how about support? cPanel offers free support and for Plesk Support I will need to pay..

I don't know why some people making fun of my questions I just want to make right decision. I don't want to change and reinstall everything several times.

 

[TheExcitedOne]

@wayfarer I thought there are a few free options for Plesk Support...

...and in emergency cases you need to pay for support anyway, no matter what you will choose. cPanel support costs $65 per incident, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Chris1]

I've never understood why people like cPanel over Plesk. The Plesk interface is so much more user friendly for new users.

The one thing I don't like is the paid support, this should be included in the monthly license fees like any other subscription such as WHMCS. It doesn't leave a great impression for those that need genuine help to be made to pay upfront; it's a silly support structure I feel.

 

[UFHH01]

Hi wayfarer,

and again... I'm really surprised about the question in the first place: If you order for example directly from Odin:

Web Admin Edition
Up to 10 domains for hosting your own sites.

$4 ( $ MSRP (per-server, per-month – US dollars)

... do you really expect free technical support for all your requests and questions from a offical support team? Please answer this question by yourself and be honest... it is just not possible to offer that. The daily coffee - costs for each employee are higher than your possible monthly payment, if you choose the above licence! Odin has a very clear and understandable price structure and offers an enormous lot of possible free self-service support and even some official support options are totally free of charge! Again, please be honest to yourself ( and to others...) : Official technical support is a service and such services have to be paid for!


If you would like to inform yourself about prices and licences, please go to "http://www.odin.com" - choose your desired product and afterwards choose "How to Buy".

If you would like to inform yourself about official Odin Support and it's possible prices, please visit: "http://www.odin.com/support/".

As you can see again, Odin has nothing to hide and shows clearly their prices and products and as well all informations you might ever have regarding prices and services.


If you would like further informations to prices and services, please consider to contact the always free of charge buisiness offices sales departments: http://www.odin.com/contact/

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Odin is very open minded, when it comes to informations. Each Plesk version for example has its own static site, where changelogs can be reviewed:

For example Plesk 12.0:

http://download1.parallels.com/Plesk/PP12/parallels-plesk-12.0-for-linux-change-log.html​

For example Plesk 12.5:

http://download1.parallels.com/Plesk/PP12/parallels-plesk-12.5-for-linux-change-log.html​

( Please use Google to have a look at other change-logs and use for example: "parallels.com/" "change-log" )

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

What about stability? Bugs? How often Plesk releases new features ?

I'm not discussing questions like "is Plesk stable / has Plesk bugs" or related questions. Each server administrator knows how time - investing it can be, to keep a server system up-to-date, secure and stable, without the help of any additional software, like Plesk for example. Please keep in mind, that Plesk for example doesn't replace a server administrator, it just makes his/her job far easier and less time-investing, when using Odin - products. You will always find bugs in EVERY software. If you ever find a software with no bugs, then you found a real money mine... please consider to inform me about it, so I can invest in that company all my money and could completely stop to work!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Again, I'm surprised, where you get the information from, that cPanel's technical support is free of charge? Because they promote on their site "Priority and Complimentary Support" ?!? Well... o.k. ... I'm not discussing such misleading advertising at all. Please contact cPanel itself, if you would like detaiiled informations to their products and prices.

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I don't know why some people making fun of my questions I just want to make right decision. I don't want to change and reinstall everything several times.

Nobody's is making fun of you, or your questions. Please don't interpret things... instead, please ask the user directly, if you are unsure about a meaning of his/her posts(s). It's rather rude to imply what others might have thought, instead of the written text. Please consider to ask yourself, why any forum - user should make fun of you, or of any of your questions. I suppose that they hardly know you, so there can't be any reason, as far that I know.

 

[IgorG]

BTW, fresh comparison of popular panels - http://www.hostingadvice.com/blog/cpanel-vs-plesk-vs-webpanel/

 

[scsa20]

I've used cPanel in the past and I'm currently using Plesk and I'm sticking with Plesk. The primary reason why is because I simply do not like the way how cPanel handles user accounts and lack of control of DNS priorities when it comes to MX and SRV records unless you're logged in with the actual WHS and even then I don't like the interface.

But scsa20, what do you mean?
In normal cPanel fashion, the usernames are always in a form of an email which can cause issues with some FTP softwares not designed to accept usernames with the @ symbol in it. With plesk you don't have that, can create a plain normal username or create one in a form of an email, you just have more control it.
Also, when setting up a SRV or MX records, you set the priorities for each server of the record, highest priority is, of course, 0 with the lowest being 50. You cannot set the same priority using cPanel unless you log into WHS and set it form there. With Plesk you can set same priorities right out of the gate, doesn't matter if you're signed in as the server admin, as the reseller, or just the normal user, can set the DNS your way.
Which brings up another point, there's 2 completely different interface with 2 completely different ways to enter cPanel and WHS so need to remember which port to use to connect to cPanel and which one to enter WHS while with Plesk there's a port for entering the panel without encryption and a port for entering it with encryption and the interface changes based off of which log you use. Log in as the server admin? See all the tools and options that's available as the server admin. Logged in as a reseller? See all the tools and options available for the reseller. You just have more control (in my opinion) then what cPanel has to offer.
Also, as most others had said so far, it's available for much wider range of Operating systems. I've ran Plesk on a Linux server (CentOS 5) and currently running it on a Windows Server (so you'll see more lurking more in the Plesk for Windows side more then anything).

What about stability? Bugs? How often Plesk releases new features ?

Plesk can be configured in 1 of 3 ways for the updates. Early Adopters, General (stable) Releases (this is the one that's set by default), and Late Adopters Releases. If you must have the latest releases and don't care about minor (or even major bugs) then you can change over to early adopters (not advisable for a live server, for a test server sure), otherwise stay with the general for the best of both worlds, you'll get all the latest features in a timely matter with very min. bugs (if any) popping up. If you are more concern about being bug free then you can choose to go with late adopters but the new features will come out many months later.

Honest, I'm running the early adopters builds on my live server (but I am only hosting myself and a few of my friend's sites) and it's been rock solid. Only ran into 1 issue which I fixed by remoting in my server and adding a new environment variable and that resolved my issue. Like what @UFHH01 said, the knowledge base is massive, even though the knowledge base I found was related to a different issue, it was still related and still resolved my issue. Plus can always ask here and there's plenty of people that's will to provide support without you having to spend a dime and if it turns out to be a bug that isn't listed, you have @IgorG that will report it directly to the development team.

I haven't had a chance to use their actual direct support but even then I find it very reasonable cause it's based off of the license. If your license is through your host provider then chances are you'll have to pay for the support if you want support directly from plesk but even then if it turns out that the issue is related to a bug they credit you back so they don't just nickle and dime you (and in all honestly, about 97% of the time it is an issue on the server side or user error and not the issue with the control panel itself just by looking through forum posts).

Anyways, hope that answers some of your questions of why I choose Plesk over cPanel.

 

[TheExcitedOne]

Hi, everyone!

Today I've found this thread on WHT with the similar theme: http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1514560
There are a lot of controversial opinions about both panels, but some of them aren't understandable for me at all. For example:

Personally never liked the Plesk, as it's very slow control panel and complicated for users as it's nit user friendly as cPanel.

Could someone explain to me what are these words about? What could he mean then he said that cPanel is user friendly? I don't find any friendliness then I have to jump up'n'down through UI just to operate with one particular object such as customer account. I think that cPanel has terrible UI and it's morally obsolete ages ago!

 

[UFHH01]

Hi TheExcitedOne,

Could someone explain to me what are these words about? What could he mean then he said that cPanel is user friendly?

hm... it's really hard to guess, what's "user friendly" for someone, if you don't know his/her likes and dislikes. You can't even tell, if the definition "user friendly" isn't based on his/her longterm usage, so that every difference will be defined as "not user friendly", even if it would follow a more logical navigation structure and might result in reaching a goal faster. Someone also could think that it would be more productive because they are busy reaching a goal, instead of being able to face the next one.

 

[IgorG]

User Friendly? They have horizontal scrollbars in WHM interface! Sorry, but this is awful!

 

[webman]

According to this forum, people are flocking to Cpanel.....

https://forums.knownhost.com/threads/plesk-gone.3518/

This hoster used to carry Plesk but have dropped it from their list of panels.

 

[StéphanS]

Just read this:

http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=1514560&p=9539715#post9539715

RACK911 is a leading authority when it comes to Hosting Security.
Also, I fail to see arguments on why cPanel would be better or Plesk is worse.

The entire thread has no value and is riddled with comments like: "No, cpanel is more stabile then plesk i think."

"I think"


To the people in that thread; post comments based on experience / research, not on assumptions.



I really need to give cPanel a whirl so that I can formulate an educated opinion, but to be honest,
Plesk 12.5 has not given me any reason yet to even consider switching.