ISPConfig is the only free panel here that manages several servers as one system. It runs single hosts, multi-server setups and mirrored clusters, where web, mail, DNS and database roles live on separate machines administered from one interface. HestiaCP does not attempt that — it manages one server, and does it with a considerably better interface. If you have one box, Hestia is the nicer product. If you have four and want them treated as a unit, ISPConfig is close to the only free option.
Release rhythm tells you most of what you need to know
ISPConfig 3.3 arrived in April 2025 and brought PostgreSQL as an option for websites, system load graphs and ECC certificates from Let's Encrypt. Version 3.3.1 followed on 22 January 2026 with Debian 13 support including Dovecot 2.4 compatibility, RHEL 10 based distributions and PHP 8.5. A patch release, 3.3.1p1, landed on 9 March 2026 to fix Debian 13 PHP socket issues and Rspamd compatibility.
HestiaCP shipped 1.9.7 and then 1.9.8 within two weeks of each other at the end of July 2026, both dominated by security advisories.
Those two paragraphs describe two different engineering cultures rather than two different quality levels. ISPConfig releases infrequently, supports new distributions deliberately, and its last notable security release before 2026 was an XSS fix in October 2025. Hestia iterates quickly, ships features faster, and consequently discloses more.
Which is better depends entirely on who maintains the server. If updates happen when someone remembers, a slow-moving codebase with fewer disclosures is safer in practice. If you patch within days, a fast-moving project with active security review is fine and you get the improvements sooner.
The multi-server difference in concrete terms
ISPConfig's architecture separates the interface from the nodes. One panel installation can drive several servers, each running whichever roles you assign — a web node, a dedicated mail node, two DNS servers configured as mirrors of each other. Customers and domains are created once and provisioned to the right machines.
That capability matters in three situations and is close to irrelevant otherwise:
- You have outgrown one box and want mail off the web server rather than a bigger web server.
- You need DNS on two machines in different locations, kept in sync, because your registrar requires two nameservers that are genuinely independent.
- You are building redundancy where a mirrored node can take over.
If none of those describe you, ISPConfig's multi-server support is a complexity you will pay for and never use. Its interface, permission model and installer all carry the weight of that flexibility, and the flexibility is the thing you notice first when you just want to add a domain.
Interface, and why it is not a superficial point
HestiaCP's interface is fast, modern and short on clicks. ISPConfig's is functional, dense and unmistakably descended from an earlier era of web software — tabbed forms, many fields, little visual hierarchy.
That sounds like a matter of taste until you hand it to somebody else. If your customers or colleagues log in, the interface is the product, and the number of support questions you receive is directly proportional to how much explaining it needs. If you are the only user and you live in the command line anyway, it is close to irrelevant — and ISPConfig's density is arguably an advantage once you know where everything is.
Feature comparison
| ISPConfig | HestiaCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Current version | 3.3.1p1 (9 March 2026) | 1.9.8 (30 July 2026) |
| Multi-server and clusters | Yes — the defining feature | No |
| Operating systems | Debian, Ubuntu, and RHEL 10 based distributions | Debian and Ubuntu only |
| Web server | Apache or Nginx | Nginx, Apache, or Nginx proxying Apache |
| Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd — very complete | Exim, Dovecot, DKIM, webmail — very complete | |
| Database options | MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL for websites | MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL |
| Interface | Dense, dated, comprehensive | Modern, fast, streamlined |
| Release cadence | Slow and deliberate | Fast |
| Licence | Open source (BSD), paid manual and support available | Open source throughout |
Note the mail row: this is the rare comparison where both sides are strong. ISPConfig pairs Postfix and Dovecot with Rspamd for filtering; Hestia ships Exim and Dovecot with DKIM and webmail wired up. Either will get you working mailboxes without assembling a mail stack yourself, which is more than most panels on the market can say.
Where each one frustrates people
ISPConfig: the installer is an interactive script rather than a one-liner, and a multi-server install requires you to understand the architecture before you begin. Documentation is thorough but much of the depth sits in a paid manual. And the interface will be a recurring complaint from anyone you give an account to.
HestiaCP: one server, full stop — outgrow the box and your only move is a bigger box or a migration. No RHEL-family support. And the July 2026 advisory list, which included an unauthenticated remote code execution in the web terminal, is a reminder that a fast-moving panel needs an operator who updates promptly.
Choosing between them
Take ISPConfig if you run more than one server and want them managed as one system, if you need mirrored DNS, or if you are on RHEL 10 and want a free panel with a real mail stack. Accept the interface.
Take HestiaCP if you run one server, want the better day-to-day experience, and are on Debian or Ubuntu. Commit to updating promptly, because the project moves quickly in both directions.
Both stop short in the same place, and it is worth naming rather than glossing: neither isolates hosted accounts with anything stronger than Unix permissions and per-user PHP pools. A site compromise is contained by file ownership, which is a real boundary but a thin one when the workload is other people's code. That is where paid panels justify themselves — Panelica, for instance, adds cgroup v2 resource ceilings and namespace isolation per account across both distribution families — but if you are hosting your own projects, that gap may cost you nothing, and both of these are solid, genuinely free software.
Frequently asked questions
Can HestiaCP manage multiple servers?
No. HestiaCP administers the single server it is installed on. ISPConfig supports single-server, multi-server and mirrored cluster configurations from one interface, which is its principal advantage.
Is ISPConfig still actively developed?
Yes, on a deliberately slow cadence. Version 3.3.1 was released on 22 January 2026 with Debian 13, RHEL 10 and PHP 8.5 support, followed by the 3.3.1p1 patch release on 9 March 2026.
Which has better email support?
Both are strong, which is unusual. ISPConfig uses Postfix, Dovecot and Rspamd; HestiaCP uses Exim and Dovecot with DKIM and webmail. The choice between them should turn on other factors.
Does ISPConfig run on AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux?
Yes. Version 3.3.1 added support for RHEL 10 based distributions alongside Debian and Ubuntu. HestiaCP remains Debian and Ubuntu only.
Is HestiaCP easier to use than ISPConfig?
For most people, clearly yes. HestiaCP's interface is modern and requires fewer steps for common tasks. ISPConfig's is dense and dated, though its density reflects genuinely greater configurability, particularly across multiple servers.