What is cPanel and why do I need it?

Posted by james smith on September 7th, 2021

Is cPanel a hosting site?

No, cPanel isn’t a hosting site. Many people who aren’t aware of it, think that it’s a hosting site but it’s a Linux-based control panel software used for web hosting. It’s quite popular and well-known among the web developer’s community because of its intuitive features which help to ease all the hosting tasks for a website. It’s very convenient to use because you can manage things like creating subdomains, new email addresses, FTP users, installing software, or even monitoring resources all at one place in cPanel. You can easily find a cheap cPanel license for yourself on the Internet these days.

Pros and cons of cPanel

Any type of software comes with its pros and cons. Although cPanel works in a very efficient way here are a few pros and cons for it:

Pros of cPanel

Built-in tutorials
Easy to use
Easy to learn
Includes auto-installers for software
Saves your money and time
Tried and tested
Well-known in the developer’s community

Cons of cPanel

Can cost a bit more and free hosting is rarely offered
The number of features can be overwhelming sometimes
It’s easier to accidentally change important settings
Sometimes the host runs outdated software

How to use cPanel?

cPanel installations include many features but you can sort them out and get to know about them while browsing around in the different sections inside it. When you log in for the first time, you might notice some metrics that have a log of your resource usage (this may include storage space, memory usage, or CPU usage). These help in providing an overall view of the website’s complete performance. Once you understand how your website is performing, you should take a look at the different modules like:

File Modules

Modules like this help you to directly upload or manage files from cPanel without the need for an FTP client. You could make backups, specify privacy levels, or more. Common modules include the below:

Backup Wizard
Disk Usage
Directory Privacy
File Manager
FTP Connections
FTP Accounts
Git Version Control
Inode Counter
Web Disk

Preferences

The layout of your cPanel installation can be customized according to your needs over here in this section. Common modules include:

Contact Information
Change Language
Change Style
User Manager

Databases

If you run your website using a content management system (CMS), then it will use a database to help store information, post, or settings. This section in cPanel is all about managing the databases for your website. Common modules include:

MySQL Databases
MySQL Database Wizard
phpMyAdmin
Remote MySQL

Web Applications

This is where cPanel installation allows installing any type of software. It may include anything from blogs and portals to CMSs and forums. Common modules include:

Drupal
Joomla
phpBB
WordPress

Domains

It’s not very common among many webmasters to use only one hosting account to manage multiple websites or setting up subdomains. This is the section where you can manage it. Common modules include:

Aliases
Addon Domains
DNS Manager
Redirects
Preview Website
Subdomains

Metrics

To see how your website is running, you need to keep an eye on its performance. This is where the metrics module comes in. It gives you a powerful insight to make decisions regarding your website’s performance. Common modules include:

Awstats
CPU and Concurrent Connection Usage
Bandwidth
Errors
Raw Access
Visitors

Security

The big concern for all webmasters is security if they are storing sensitive information like financial details, usernames, or even passwords. The module helps to see the security settings for the hosting account. Common modules include:

Hotlink Protection
IP Blocker
Leech Protection
SSH Access
SSL/TLS
Leech Protection
Lets Encrypt
ModSecurity
Manage API Tokens
Two-Factor Authentication

Software

This module includes that you don’t need PHP and Perl unless you are an advanced user. Common modules include:

Applications Manager
Cloudflare
Free Shopping Cart
PHP PEAR Packages
Optimize Website
PHP Version Selector
RVsitebuilder
Softaculpis Apps Installer
Setup Ruby App
WordPress Themes

So, all these different modules written above are found in the sections of the cPanel which help to customize your website easily and according to your needs. Cheap software licenses with all these modules is available for monthly or yearly subscriptions by the hosting providers.

Conclusion- Should you have a cPanel license or not?

Many people think that cPanel is not reliable but that is their wrong thinking. cPanel remains to be one of the most prominent control panels in the market for so many years now. It is user-friendly even for a new user, has remote accessibility and server maintenance from anywhere in the world, hosting tasks like creating email accounts, managing domains, or organizing files can be easily done using cPanel and that’s why almost all of the web developers prefer to use it. Go get a cheap cPanel license for your website today and your hosting life will be at ease.