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ISPConfig is an open-source hosting control panel for Linux that allows the easy management of servers, webspace, resellers, and single virtual hosts. See how to choose the best ISPConfig host.
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The Best ISPConfig Hosting of 2023
ISPConfig is a free open-source control panel application that allows website owners to administer their sites, similar to cPanel and Plesk easily. It also lets resellers manage multiple accounts on many physical or virtual servers. But ISPConfig is not available from all hosts.
ISPConfig only runs on Linux servers. It is normally used with accounts that allow you to host multiple websites, such as reseller hosting. The following are our picks for 2023’s best hosting options for ISPConfig projects.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall ISPConfig Hosting
Best Host For Preinstalled ISPConfig
Best ISPConfig Hosting For 24/7 Support
Digital.com dives deep into every topic it covers to offer trusted and reliable recommendations for the best business tools. See how we review ISPConfig hosting.
The Best ISPConfig Hosting of 2023
Features
- Easy-to-use, customized cPanel
- Free domain-specific email addresses
- Site tools and add-ons
#1 Top Pick for 2023
Why it’s best: Excellent overall user ratings, competitive pricing, great features, and an overall focus on quality make Bluehost the best overall choice for ISPConfig hosting
Price
$2.95 per month
Management Level
Unmanaged
24-7 Support
Yes
Free Domain
Yes
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Reasons to choose Bluehost
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Digital security features
- Lots of hosting options
Reasons to avoid
- Long wait times for tech support
- No monthly billing on shared hosting
Bluehost provides Linux hosting exclusively and favors open-source technology. Customers on dedicated and virtual private server (VPS) hosting can get Secure Shell (SSH) access with a root account, allowing them to install ISPConfig and any other required software.
There’s only one data center and no uptime guarantee. On the bright side, phone, email, and chat support are always available. Phone support is toll-free in the U.S.
Bluehost is a reputable provider offering shared and VPS hosting. Its services are easy to use, affordable, and have decent uptime. Bluehost gears its services toward entrepreneurs and small online startups. Billing might be confusing, but they have solid customer service for any issues.
Features
- Free Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate
- cPanel control panel
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
Price
$2.99 per month
Management Level
Managed or Unmanaged
24-7 Support
Yes
Free Domain
No
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Reasons to choose A2 Hosting
- 24/7/year-round support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Hosting plan flexibility
Reasons to avoid
- Long-term contracts
- No free domain name
A2 Hosting is one of the few host providers that offer ISPConfig pre-installed. Its VPS plans let the customer choose ISPConfig on the SwiftServer platform.
Root access and solid-state drive (SSD) storage are standard, and the prices are reasonable. You can get more speed with the Turbo Boost VPS. Phone support (including Skype), email, and chat are available 24/7.
A2 is a reliable, affordable hosting company that has fast speeds. The customer service is generally responsive but could use more updated tutorials and documentation.
Features
- Multiple choices for control panels
- Domain name registration and hosting
- Hundreds of web hosting tools through Softaculous
Price
$25 per month
Management Level
Managed
24-7 Support
Yes
Free Domain
Yes
Read More
Reasons to choose Liquid Web
- Incredible support
- Softaculous installer
- Control panel choices
Reasons to avoid
- Confusing pricing descriptions
- Managed hosting is a separate company
Liquid Web offers a choice of Linux distributions on its VPS and dedicated web hosting servers. This gives you everything necessary to install and use ISPConfig.
It operates data centers in the U.S. and Europe and guarantees 100% uptime. Support by phone, chat, and email is available 24 hours a day and has a guaranteed initial response time.
Liquid Web is a reputable provider offering dedicated and VPS hosting. The company — geared toward entrepreneurs and small online startups — is easy to use, affordable, and has a great uptime. Billing might be confusing, but it has solid customer service for any issues.
What Is ISPConfig?
ISPConfig is a free, open-source, and highly reliable control panel tool suite for Linux hosting. Web hosting control panels are online interfaces that simplify the management of server activity.
Hosts often include a control panel within a hosting plan or offer one for a small additional cost. Control panels are designed to let the server and site owners control their hosted services without needing to be tech-savvy.
While just a few control panels are the most widely used among hosts, many others, such as ISPConfig, are available for download and easy use.
Users can use the web-based interface to manage:
- Servers
- Websites
- Domain Name System (DNS) records
What Are the Main Features of ISPConfig?
You can manage just one server with ISPConfig, or use it to maintain multiple servers.
These servers may be physical or virtual and used for a personal site or at the enterprise level. Depending on your needs and authorization, you will log in at the email, client, reseller, or administrator level.
In addition, you can use ISPConfig in one of 20 translated languages. At a high level, ISPConfig is a Linux-based server control platform with many tools.
Here’s a high-level list of all available ISPConfig features:
- Server management – Contains features and functionality for both single- and multi-server management
- Tiered access levels – Control access levels for administrations, resellers, and clients
- Web server support – Supports Apache and NGINX for site routing and content hosting
- Email support – SMTP Postfix, POP/IMAP – Email hosting servers – for all hosted domains
- FTP support – PureFTPd – allows file transfer protocol for each hosted site
- DNS support – Bind and MyDNS – this server can run a domain name service
- Databases – MySQL – using the Oracle MySQL database – for each user
- Virtualization – OpenVZ – allows virtual machines for client sites
Compare ISPConfig Hosting Services
Bluehost is our top choice for its excellent ratings, competitive pricing, great features, and overall focus on quality.
ISPConfig Hosting Service
Best Features
Pricing
Best Overall ISPConfig Hosting
- Easy-to-use, customized cPanel
- Free domain-specific email addresses
- Site tools and add-ons
$2.95 per month
Best For Preinstalled ISPConfig
- Free Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate
- cPanel control panel
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
$2.99 per month
Best ISPConfig Hosting 24/7 Support
- Multiple choices for control panels
- Domain name registration and hosting
- Hundreds of web hosting tools through Softaculous
$25 per month
What You Need to Know
What is ISPConfig?
ISPConfig is a control panel that allows you to administer your hosting accounts on Linux servers easily.
Who is ISPConfig best for?
Anyone interested in setting up their own web hosting service should consider using ISPConfig. Setting up a server with ISPConfig will allow for more direct control of a website platform, which puts all service outages into the hands of the ISPConfig administrators and the physical servers in use.
Is ISPConfig free?
Yes, ISPConfig is free and open-source. You can get the software, install it on as many machines as you like, and use it for any purpose (including commercial purposes) without paying for it.
Is there an auto installer compatible with ISPConfig?
Yes, the commercial script library and auto installer Softaculous is compatible with ISPConfig.
What web servers can I use with ISPConfig?
ISPConfig is compatible with Apache and NGINX.
What alternatives to ISPConfig exist?
The biggest direct competitor is CPanel — at least for PHP/MySQL platforms. Hundreds of options are available across various languages and geared toward multiple operating systems. Selection should be based on the activity level of developers and their technical objectives with regard to various programming languages.
How We Review ISPConfig Hosting
We’ve examined over 1,500 hosting plans and selected the ones which meet all the technical requirements for running an ISPConfig site. We then picked the hosts which offer ISPConfig as an alternative to other control panels, plus great technical support in case you run into trouble.
When choosing an ISPConfig host, consider the following factors:
Learn more about our review methodology.