A cPanel licence is the software licence you need to install and run the cPanel and WHM control panel on your own server, whether that is a VPS, a VDS or a physical server. The licence is tied to the server’s IP address and renews every month.
cPanel is not free software. The licence fee depends on the number of cPanel accounts you will create on the server, so choosing the right licence is how you avoid paying more than you need.
When do you need a cPanel licence?
Whether you need a licence depends on who runs the server:
- Your own server needs a licence. If you install cPanel on your VPS, VDS or physical server, you rent the licence yourself.
- Hosting and reseller plans do not. On cPanel hosting and cPanel reseller plans the licence is included in the price, and the hosting company maintains the server.
If you will host a few sites and do not want to manage a server, a reseller plan is usually cheaper. If you need full access to the server, want to install your own software or plan to create many accounts, your own server with a cPanel licence makes more sense.
cPanel licence tiers
cPanel splits its licences into tiers by the number of accounts on the server. An “account” here is each cPanel account created in WHM, which usually means one customer or one website.
| Licence | cPanel accounts | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Solo | 1 | Hosting a single site on your own server |
| Admin | Up to 5 | Individuals and companies with a few sites |
| Pro | Up to 30 | Agencies with a growing number of client sites |
| Premier | 100 and more | Hosting companies and resellers; every account above 100 is billed separately |
All tiers include the same cPanel and WHM features; the only difference is how many accounts you can create. If you go over the limit, you move up to the next tier.
Cloud vs Metal licences
The licence type depends on whether your server is virtual or physical:
- Cloud licence: for servers running on virtualisation, such as VPS, VDS and cloud servers.
- Metal licence: for physical (bare-metal) servers without virtualisation.
If you buy the wrong type, the licence will not activate. If you are not sure which type your server is, ask your provider before ordering.
cPanel licence prices (2026)
In cPanel’s own store, the monthly prices in effect since December 2025 are: Admin Cloud 35.99 $, Pro Cloud 53.99 $ and Premier Cloud 69.99 $ (plus 0.49 $ for every account above 100). cPanel has raised its prices every year recently, so renting through an authorised distributor is often cheaper.
At Plus Datacenter, genuine cPanel licences are available at these monthly prices:
| Licence | cPanel accounts | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|
| Admin Cloud | 5 | 22.99 $ |
| Pro Cloud | 30 | 32.99 $ |
| Plus Cloud | 50 | 45.99 $ |
| Premier Cloud 100 | 100 | 56.99 $ |
| Premier Cloud 200 / 300 / 400 | 200 – 400 | 75.99 $ – 115.99 $ |
| Premier Metal | 100 (physical server) | 56.99 $ |
Licences are activated automatically within seconds of payment. When you change servers you can update the licence IP yourself from the client area, with no limit and no fee. See current prices on our licence rental page.
How to choose the right cPanel licence
- Count your accounts today. Work out how many cPanel accounts the server will hold; email accounts and subdomains do not count as separate accounts.
- Leave room to grow. With 28 accounts Pro Cloud fits, but you will hit the limit soon; consider the next tier.
- Check the server type. Choose Cloud for a VPS or VDS and Metal for a physical server.
- Include add-ons. CloudLinux, LiteSpeed, Imunify360 and Softaculous are licensed separately; work out the total cost with them.
- Compare with reseller hosting. If you do not want to manage a server, a reseller plan with the licence, add-ons and maintenance included can work out cheaper.
Are there alternatives to a cPanel licence?
cPanel is the most widely used panel, but not the only one. DirectAdmin does the same everyday jobs with a lighter interface and a much lower licence cost, and Windows servers use Plesk. The comparison table in our What is cPanel? article helps you decide.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cPanel licence free?
No. cPanel is licensed software and you pay a monthly licence fee to use it on your own server. On hosting and reseller plans the licence fee is included in the price.
Which servers does a cPanel licence work on?
cPanel only runs on Linux servers and is installed on supported distributions such as AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, CloudLinux and Ubuntu. It cannot be used on Windows servers.
Does my server need to be with Plus Datacenter?
No. We can issue a licence to your server’s IP address whichever provider it is with, in Türkiye or abroad.
What happens if I go over the account limit?
You cannot create accounts beyond the limit. Upgrade your licence to the next tier to keep adding accounts.
Can I move my licence to a new server?
Yes. Change the licence IP to your new server’s IP address from the client area; there is no fee for this.
Is the licence billed monthly or yearly?
cPanel licences renew monthly. As long as payment is made, the licence keeps working without interruption.
Genuine cPanel licences from 22.99 $/mo
Licences from 5 to 400 accounts, activation in seconds and unlimited free IP changes.