The first thing you’ll notice is the simple graphical user interface. Most of its pages are hidden under the drop-down menus which can make it complicated to navigate for new users. Users can choose one of the four styles of DirectAdmin themes they prefer. In general, cPanel’s GUI looks more modern but if you prefer simplicity, DirectAdmin may suit your needs.
DirectAdmin requires less resources than most other hosting panels. It offers cheaper options, however, its unlimited plan, named Standard, is as expensive as Plesk. Although it provides all the essential tools a web admin can need, it lacks some of the features cPanel has. These works can only be done in the root shell if you are using DirectAdmin. DirectAdmin offers three different licenses, Personal, Lite, and Standard, to suit the needs of various users. The company also offers special offers with CloudLinux and JetBackup.
Personal: It is the ideal plan for personal or small business usage. A single account can manage up to 10 domains. However, it lacks professional technical support and can only be billed annually.
Lite: Lite version is ideal for small companies. It allows users to create up to 10 accounts to manage 50 domains.
Standard: DirectAdmin’s Standard version is the only plan that includes unlimited accounts and unlimited domains. It is the only suitable option for shared hosting and reseller hosting companies.
When it comes to security, DirectAdmin also lacks some features. DirectAdmin doesn’t support IPTables, thus, it can’t block brute force attacks. During a brute force attack, DirectAdmin can only send a warning message to the admin. DirectAdmin also offers fewer addons than cPanel or Plesk and they can increase the total expenses.
There are no big differences between DirectAdmin and cPanel when it comes to compatibility. DirectAdmin supports CloudLinux, AlmaLinux, RHEL, CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu, and FreeBSD. However, it lacks Windows Server support.
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