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To install a free control panel on your VPS, rebuild the server with a supported OS (for example Ubuntu 24.04 or Debian 13), connect as root over SSH and run the panel’s installer: HestiaCP with bash hst-install.sh, CloudPanel with its checksum-verified install.sh, or Virtualmin with its virtualmin-install script. Then open the panel’s port (8083, 8443 or 10000) and log in.

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Before you start

  • Use a fresh OS. HestiaCP, CloudPanel and Virtualmin all say to install on a clean system. Rebuild your VPS first if you already installed Nginx, Apache, MySQL or PHP by hand.
  • Back up anything you need. A rebuild erases the disk. See schedule and restore backups.
  • Set a hostname such as panel.example.com and point it to the server: change the hostname and point a domain.
  • Have the VNC console ready in case a firewall change locks you out.
A control panel is a web interface that creates websites, databases, email accounts, DNS zones and SSL certificates for you, so you don’t edit config files by hand. It installs and manages its own web server stack.

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Which free control panel should I use?

  • HestiaCP suits hosting several websites with email and DNS on one server.
  • CloudPanel suits fast PHP sites (such as WordPress) and Node.js or Python apps, without email.
  • Virtualmin is the most complete: websites, email, DNS and databases per domain. It is built on Webmin.
  • Webmin alone is a system admin panel (users, services, firewall, packages), not a website host.

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How to install HestiaCP

1

Download the installer

2

See the options (optional)

Options let you leave out parts, for example --clamav no and --spamassassin no on a small server, or --apache no for an Nginx-only setup.
3

Run it as root

Answer the questions (admin email, hostname). At the end, the installer shows how to log in.
4

Log in

Open https://panel.example.com:8083 and sign in with the admin details the installer gave you.

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How to install CloudPanel

1

Update the system

2

Run the verified installer

Copy the current command from the CloudPanel installation page. It looks like this, with MySQL 8.4 as the database:
The checksum changes with each CloudPanel release. If sha256sum -c fails, the script does not run; take the new command from CloudPanel’s page.
3

Create the admin user

Open https://203.0.113.10:8443 (your server IP) straight away and create the admin account. Your browser warns about a self-signed certificate at first; continue to the page.

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How to install Virtualmin or Webmin

Use --bundle LEMP for Nginx instead of Apache. When it finishes, open https://panel.example.com:10000.

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How to open and protect the panel port

Replace 198.51.100.25 with your own IP address and 8443 with your panel’s port (8083 for HestiaCP, 10000 for Webmin and Virtualmin). Some installers add their own firewall rules; check them after installing.
A control panel has full control of your server. Use a long unique password, turn on two-factor login where the panel offers it, limit the panel port to your IP where you can, and keep the panel updated.

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How to check it worked

  • The panel’s login page loads on its port.
  • After logging in, add a test website and open it in your browser.
  • Request a Let’s Encrypt certificate for the site from inside the panel. This proves ports 80 and 443 are reachable.

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Frequently asked questions

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Can I install a panel on a server that already hosts sites?

Not safely. The installers expect a clean OS and replace web, database and mail configs. Move your sites into the panel after installing it on a fresh server.

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Can I uninstall a panel later?

There is no clean undo. To go back to a plain server, back up your data and rebuild the VPS.

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Which panel is closest to cPanel?

Virtualmin and HestiaCP both manage websites, email, DNS and databases per account, which is the closest free match.

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Do I still need to update the OS?

Yes. Keep the OS and the panel updated. See update Linux packages and automatic security updates.

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Can I send email from a panel?

HestiaCP and Virtualmin include a mail server, but good delivery needs reverse DNS, SPF, DKIM and DMARC. See set up a mail server.

VPS and dedicated server guides

Every server guide in one place.

Rebuild your VPS

Start from a fresh OS.

Mail server on a VPS

What email needs to work.

Install WordPress

The manual route instead.

Linux security checklist

Harden the server.
Checked against the official HestiaCP getting started guide, CloudPanel installation and requirements, Virtualmin download page and Webmin download page on 4 November 2026. The panel installers were not run in testing because they need a fresh, dedicated OS. Commands can differ on other distributions or releases.

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Need Extra Help?

If you encounter any issues, our support team is ready to assist:

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Last Updated: November 2026