Comparison
ShadowPanel: the self-hosted cPanel alternative
cPanel is the industry default — but its per-account licensing has become expensive as you grow, and its interface feels dated. ShadowPanel gives you a modern, self-hosted hosting control panel on your own VPS, with one flat license and no per-server fees. Here is how the two compare.
| ShadowPanel | cPanel / WHM | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | One flat license — unlimited servers | Per-account; cost grows as you scale |
| Hosting | Self-hosted on your own VPS | Self-hosted (license per server) |
| Interface | Modern React UI, dark & light | Legacy UI |
| Free tier | Yes — up to 3 sites, no card | No |
| Multi-PHP | 5.6 → 8.4, one click per site | Yes |
| Git deploy | Built in (signed webhooks) | Limited / via extensions |
| Docker | Built in | No |
| Staging environments | Built in (Pro) | Via extensions |
| White-label & reseller | Built in (Agency) | Add-on / WHM resellers |
| DNS · Email · Backups · SSL | All included | All included |
| Per-server fee | None | Yes |
Why teams switch from cPanel
- Predictable cost. A flat license instead of per-account billing that climbs with every new client.
- Own your data. Fully self-hosted — nothing about your sites is sent to a third party.
- Built for developers and agencies. Git deploy, Docker, staging, multi-PHP, plus white-label and reseller accounts.
- Modern, fast UI. Nginx + PHP-FPM with per-site isolation, behind a clean React interface.
When cPanel still makes sense
If you rely on a managed host that only supports cPanel, or need a feature from its mature extension ecosystem, cPanel remains a safe default. ShadowPanel is the better fit when you run your own VPS and want modern tooling without per-server fees.
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Manage up to 3 sites on your own server. No credit card.
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