DirectAdmin is a hosting control panel for Linux servers that lets you manage websites, email accounts, databases and domains from a visual interface. It is the most common alternative to cPanel.
DirectAdmin’s strength is how light it is: the panel uses very few server resources, so CPU and memory are left for your sites. Its licence also costs considerably less than cPanel’s.
What can you do with DirectAdmin?
- File management: upload and edit your site files with the File Manager or FTP.
- Email: create yourdomain.com mailboxes, forwarders and autoresponders, and read mail in your browser with webmail.
- Databases: create MySQL/MariaDB databases and manage them with phpMyAdmin.
- Domains and DNS: add domains and subdomains and edit DNS records.
- SSL: install a free Let’s Encrypt certificate in one click; it renews automatically.
- App installs: install WordPress and other apps in a few clicks with Softaculous or Installatron.
- PHP and cron: choose your PHP version and schedule tasks.
- Backups: back up your account and restore it when needed.
DirectAdmin’s three levels
DirectAdmin offers three permission levels in a single panel. Which one you see depends on the service you have:
| Level | Who uses it? | What does it do? |
|---|---|---|
| User | Site owners | Manages their own sites, mailboxes and databases |
| Reseller | Resellers and agencies selling hosting | Defines packages and creates user accounts for customers |
| Admin | Server owners | Manages all server settings, services and resellers |
cPanel splits this work across two panels, cPanel and WHM. In DirectAdmin you switch between levels in the same interface; a reseller, for example, can jump to their own user account in one click.
How do you log in to DirectAdmin?
- Type yourdomain.com:2222 or the panel address your hosting company gave you into your browser.
- Log in with the username and password from your account setup email.
- Plus Datacenter customers can open DirectAdmin directly, without a password, from the service page in the client area.
DirectAdmin vs cPanel
| DirectAdmin | cPanel | |
|---|---|---|
| Resource usage | Very low | Higher |
| Interface | Clean, three levels in one panel | Comprehensive; cPanel and WHM are separate |
| Licence cost | Low | High, rises with account count |
| Add-on ecosystem | Good, smaller | The widest |
| Best for | Those who value budget and speed | Those who want a familiar interface and many add-ons |
In daily use both panels do the same jobs: sites, email, databases, DNS and SSL. Anyone used to cPanel picks up DirectAdmin quickly. For more detail, see our What is cPanel? article.
DirectAdmin licence types
To install DirectAdmin on your own server you need a licence. Three licences are currently sold: Personal Plus and Lite limit the number of accounts and domains, while Standard has no limits. Every edition includes the same panel features. DirectAdmin licences cost much less than cPanel licences of similar capacity, and the gap grows on servers with many accounts (see our cPanel licence pricing article).
On DirectAdmin hosting and reseller plans the licence is included in the price, so you pay nothing extra.
Who is DirectAdmin hosting for?
- owners of personal sites, blogs and small businesses who care about budget,
- agencies that want to host many sites at low cost,
- resellers who want to sell hosting without passing cPanel’s licence costs on to their customers.
Plus Datacenter’s DirectAdmin hosting plans start from 0.79 $/mo on annual billing and DirectAdmin reseller plans from 2.19 $/mo. LiteSpeed, Imunify360, CloudLinux, daily backups and unlimited websites are standard on every plan. If you are moving from cPanel, we migrate your files, databases and email for free.
Frequently asked questions
Is DirectAdmin free?
No, DirectAdmin is licensed software, but its licence costs much less than cPanel’s. On hosting and reseller plans the licence fee is included in the price.
Is DirectAdmin available in other languages?
Yes. You can use the DirectAdmin interface in many languages, including Turkish and Spanish, and change the language in the panel settings.
Which is better, DirectAdmin or cPanel?
Both do the same core jobs. DirectAdmin is lighter and cheaper; cPanel is more widespread and has more add-ons. Choose DirectAdmin if budget and speed come first, and cPanel if you want a familiar interface and broad add-on support.
Can I install WordPress on DirectAdmin?
Yes. Install WordPress in a few clicks from Softaculous or Installatron inside the panel.
Can I move my cPanel site to DirectAdmin?
Yes. A cPanel backup can be imported into DirectAdmin with its files, databases, email and DNS records. Plus Datacenter does this migration for free.
Which operating systems does DirectAdmin run on?
DirectAdmin runs on Linux servers and can be installed on distributions such as AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, CloudLinux, Debian and Ubuntu. It cannot be used on Windows servers.
DirectAdmin hosting from 0.79 $/mo on annual billing
LiteSpeed, Imunify360, CloudLinux, daily backups, unlimited websites and free migration.