As a web host reseller, one of your most important business decisions is your choice of web hosting control panel software. The web hosting software you use will save or cost you time, money, and frustration. What reseller control panel features will reduce your workload? What hosting software programs are integrated with the reseller control panel or work with it? What website control panel features will your clients like? In this article, we've compared four quality web hosting reseller software programs:
Alabanza
cPanel
H-Sphere
Plesk
All of these reseller control panels come with control panels for your clients. They all have numerous features - advanced email management, web statistics, pre-installed scripts, multi-language support, and more. They all work on Linux platforms, while H-Sphere and Plesk also work with Windows. According to the cPanel website, a Windows version of cPanel is in development.
Other features that set these control panels apart are their degree of automation, the number of features and ease of use for the end user, and the features and ease of use for you, the reseller.
Alabanza When you become an Alabanza reseller, you don't just have a reseller account - you lease a dedicated server from Alabanza. Alabanza owns the control panel and the server, and you resell directly for Alabanza. If you lease a dedicated Alabanza server, you can create your own reseller accounts. However, only you can set up hosting plans; resellers below you will be limited to hosting plans that you create.
Alabanza offers resellers a high degree of automation with its Domain System Manager (DSM), which can significantly reduce overhead and time spent on routine tasks:
- Account creation
- Billing and invoice management
- Credit card processing
- Domain registration
- Email notifications
- Ordering fraud protection
Even novices can sell hosting with this level of automation.
DSM also integrates with bulkregister.com for domain name registration. It does not easily integrate with other domain registrars, though.
A key Alabanza feature that resellers can offer their clients is the Xpress Product Suite, which provides web development and email management tools. The Xpress Product Suite includes SiteXpress, a website-building program that features over 300 templates and requires no web design skills.
cPanel For resellers and end users, cPanel is known for its ease of use and range of features. cPanel's collection of over 50 pre-installed scripts and Fantastico auto installer help clients set up their sites with little web development knowledge.
A basic cPanel reseller account comes with two separate programs for resellers to manage their business:
WHM (Web Host Manager) is used to create accounts and packages, add and suspend sites, modify passwords, view bandwidth usage, park domains, install SSL certificates, and perform other administrative functions.
From the reseller's cPanel control panel, a drop-down menu takes the reseller to the control panels for each of the sites on the reseller account, including the reseller's site.
With the addition of an optional program, WHM AutoPilot, you can automate account creation and suspension, email notifications, and other tasks. WHM AutoPilot also integrates with common payment gateways and has a helpdesk, an invoice module, and other tools.
H-Sphere H-Sphere is designed for both Linux and Windows platforms. Moreover, resellers can set up plans for both Linux and Windows and administer sites on different servers from the same control panel. The control panel, actually a separate server, also provides administrative access to the integrated helpdesk.
The H-Sphere control panel server automates account configuration, credit card processing, domain registration, and email notifications. It also includes a built-in billing module and supports over 20 payment gateways.
From the reseller's point of view, H-Sphere has a higher learning curve than most other control panels because of its numerous features. For example, when setting up a new plan, the administrator has two pages of features to choose from, including setup and monthly pricing for optional services.
Beginning webmasters may find H-Sphere too complicated for their needs. More advanced users, however, appreciate the features and control that H-Sphere offers the end user. A key feature is the ability to have control over separate domains with multi-domain hosting.
H-Sphere comes with the website builder Site Studio, which guides users through a variety of style choices and stores content separately from the layout. No HTML or FTP knowledge is required.
Plesk Plesk is known for its stability and security. Resellers and end users like its simple navigation, its clean interface, and its professional appearance. It comes in versions for both Linux and Windows platforms.
With Plesk, all users use the same control panel but with different levels of control:
- Server administrator
- Client / reseller
- Domain owner
- Mail user
Each level of the control panel gives the user control of that level and the level(s) below it. Email users, for example, can log into their mail user control panel to change their password, add autoresponders, and change other personal settings without having access to the domain owner control panel.
Plesk handles SpamAssassin at the mailbox level rather than at the domain level.
This feature enables users to whitelist or blacklist email for each email address, allowing each email user to have individual settings.
SWsoft, the company behind Plesk, also offers Site Builder, a five-step website builder using pre-built templates. SiteBuilder has over 300 templates in different categories to choose from, and users can publish their sites without any HTML or FTP knowledge.
If your Plesk reseller account is with a web host that offers HSPcomplete, you will have some automation available with your account, such as credit card charges and email notification.
About the author: Technical Executive Writer for Website Source, Inc. whose writing skills coupled with experience in the website hosting industry have provided internet professionals with marketing, product and service ideas for many years. Lois continues to do extensive research in the e-commerce industry. For more information, contact website hosting
no-contract cleaning service Des Plaines ..What sort of web hosting options should you go for... Read More
Many free web hosting accounts are free to use, however... Read More
For those of you with Web sites, you probably know... Read More
1. The reputation of the web hosting company.Most web hosting... Read More
When you first start out trying to get a site... Read More
If you're shopping around for an affordable web hosting plan,... Read More
If you're creating a community web site or a business... Read More
There are two main types of host providers. They are... Read More
There are many things to consider when setting up your... Read More
There is no concept of free lunch in the world,... Read More
Choosing the right web server will be one of the... Read More
Managed Hosting Services are used primarily by companies that either... Read More
Whenever you have a technical question that needs answering, you... Read More
Managed hosting is a dedicated server that is accompanied by... Read More
This article describes the technology behind multiple server hosting and... Read More
The Internet represents the most powerful communication revolution since the... Read More
Just finished your first website? So it's the time to... Read More
1. The reliability of the service and their offers.A brand... Read More
What is a Dedicated / Virtual Dedicated server and why... Read More
Web Hosting is a service. Auto mechanics also provide a... Read More
Some folks classify low cost web hosting on the same... Read More
Every individual when it starts surfing the net for choosing... Read More
There are various reasons why an online business owner like... Read More
Many business owners find themselves in a quandary over the... Read More
There are few things as critical to your e-business success... Read More
bathroom cleaning service Lake Forest ..There are so many hosting companies offering to host your... Read More
Choosing a host or switching hosts can be an agonizing... Read More
One of the most common concerns people have when deciding... Read More
Are you looking for web hosting? If you want to... Read More
Most web site hosting services like the one you're probably... Read More
Moving a web site to a new host is not... Read More
Yesterday I received a nice email in my inbox, I... Read More
When it comes to budget web hosting, there are a... Read More
There are various reasons why an online business owner like... Read More
The market is good for new Web hosting companies. According... Read More
If you're reading this article, you might be interested in... Read More
What is a Dedicated / Virtual Dedicated server and why... Read More
When building your first site the main things that you... Read More
It's tempting. There are so many companies offering cut-rate hosting... Read More
Web Hosting AdviceChoosing a web hosting company to host your... Read More
Anybody who decides to get a web hosting service or... Read More
You're not alone! Many people are bound to the old... Read More
The internet is one of the world's top sources of... Read More
Let's face it, the Internet is here for good. Today's... Read More
It's time to choose! Should you spend some money to... Read More
The first questions you have to ask yourself are: how... Read More
Hosting Support ? An IntroductionImagine yourself as a person running... Read More
So you've decided about your website design and now you... Read More
There is story of David and Goliath where Goliath would... Read More
Many free web hosting accounts are free to use, however... Read More
Web Hosting |