With all of the advancements made in the hosting industry, it is hard to believe there was actually a time when developers and server administrators were forced to utilize shell commands and complex configuration files to accomplish simple tasks like setting up an email account.

Thankfully, in today’s industry, all these tasks can be achieved with ease thanks to control panel software. Even though most of these applications strive for the same goals, no two control panels are alike. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular options you have for your dedicated server.

cPanel: Popular for Good Reason

cPanel is the most popular control panel on the market, beloved for its simple interface and powerful features. The capabilities of the software range from mundane tasks, such as adding a new user account, to more complicated processes like backing up an entire domain. Although it is primarily designed for Linux-based servers, cPanel’s developers are currently working on versions that will be compatible with the Microsoft IIS server and Windows platform.

Plesk: Competitively Capable for both Linux and Windows

The Plesk control panel supports both Linux and Windows servers, giving it a competitive edge over cPanel. What many users like about the software is that it offers a default interface quite similar to Windows XP, making it easier to use for those familiar with this OS environment. Plesk is very capable, offering the ability to manage web servers like Apache and IIS, as well as database servers such as MySQL and SQL Server. Though friendly to the end-user, Plesk has a reputation of being more complex for server administrators.

These are just a few of the popular control panel options you have for your dedicated server. Whether you prefer the software mentioned here or another, be sure to check with the hosting provider regarding the administrative panel offered before you sign up.