A control panel, in web hosting, is a web-based interface provided by the hosting company that allows customers to manage their various hosted services in a single place, including domains, email accounts, design templates, databases and much more. When choosing a web hosting service, you need to consider many factors, among which control panel is an essential one as it gives you full control of software and hardware features.
Features of Control Panel
Control panel is designed to develop and manage your website. A good control panel, like Plesk, integrates many easy-to-use management tools to provide users an intuitive interface. In addition, all applications and services are available to optimize your website. Many control panels include the following site management tools:
- Main Page
- Domain Menu
- Email Accounts
- Integrated File Manager
- Site Builders
- FTP Account Administration
- Virtual Directories
- Secure Folder Manager
- Domain and Sub-domain management
- Database Management
- Customer Error Pages
- FrontPage Extension
- Site Statistics
Control panels also provide resource usage and summary information of disk space and bandwidth usage, which help you use allocated resource within the limits. Among various control panels, bisend.com offers the customized Plesk for both Windows web hosting plan and linux web hosting, which has rich features, well-designed interface, and high usability.
Selection of Control Panel
Control panel has become an essential element of web hosting, so selecting a suitable control panel is a big deal for many webmasters. When choosing a control panel, you need to consider the following tips.
User Interface
User interface should be intuitive and easy to use so that you can simply handle the applications. And now GUI (Graphical User Interface) control panel is available so that you can optimize your website easily.
Supported Operating Systems
Operating system is important to a control panel. There are various types of control panels offered that are depending on different operating systems. For Windows web hosting, Plesk and WebSitePanel control panel are commonly used. For Linux web hosting, users are always provided with popular control panels like cPanel control panel.
Your Requirements
Control panel comes with various applications for web design, development and promotion. Most hosting control panels include enough features, so you need to consider which kind of features you require to host the website and then choose the most appropriate one.
Control Panels for Different Platforms
There are some control panels only suitable for Windows platform, some may be used for Linux, and some can be used for both of the two platforms. The control panels those are only suitable for one platform may lose hosting customers of the other platform.
Control Panels for Windows
Plesk: a unique rich-featured and easy-to-use control panel for Windows web hosting. Plesk can help you easily manage web sites, FTP accounts, databases and other resources from a single place with no licensing fees. Plesk is an ideal solution for:
- Developers managing their own or customer servers and web sites.
- Providers offering Windows hosting services.
- Individuals managing their dedicated or virtual Windows servers.
Helm: one of the Windows only control panels. It has many user-friendly features, and the most striking one is the billing information that most other control panels don’t provide. It’s easy to use and has a good standard interface.
Control Panels for Linux Only Platform
cPanel: because of its many features with easy operation and inexpensive aspects, Plesk becomes the most popular control panel in the industry.
Interworx: is Linux based dedicated server and VPS web control panel, which has a clear interface and rich features, so it’s ranked at the top of Linux only control panels.
Control Panels for both Windows and Linux
Plesk: is available for both Windows and Linux. Because of serving both platforms, it’s expensive. It has website builder tools and many other features. Bisend is a platinum partner of Plesk.
H-Sphere: though it may lack some features when compared with Plesk, it offers features from key functionality to complete automation and is widely used.
