Panelica vs CloudPanel
A side-by-side comparison using each project's official 2026 documentation. CloudPanel is a PHP-cloud control panel for AWS/DO/Hetzner; Panelica is a full multi-tenant hosting platform with mail, DNS, reseller and AI.
What you actually pay each month
Both are free at their base. The question is whether you need a single-site PHP appliance or a full hosting platform.
Where Panelica wins, where CloudPanel wins
Feature presence on each platform without third-party add-ons. Partial means the feature exists but is limited or requires a paid extension.
| Feature | Panelica | CloudPanel |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-tenant / reseller mode | ✓ Built-in reseller with quotas | , |
| Built-in mail server | ✓ Postfix + Dovecot + DKIM + spam | , |
| Built-in DNS server | ✓ BIND with full zone management | External provider only |
| REST API | 246 documented endpoints | No public API |
| Built-in AI co-pilot | OpsAI · 15 experts | , |
| Native iOS & Android apps | ✓ in App Store / Google Play | , |
| 5-layer kernel isolation | ✓ cgroups + ns + chroot + FPM + perms | Site isolation + perms |
| One-click migration in | ✓ 7-step pipeline | Not offered |
| WordPress Toolkit | ✓ Install + harden + Benchmark + Redis Boost | WordPress preset only |
| Docker manager | ✓ 160+ templates | , |
| Multi-language UI | 31 languages | ~10 languages |
| Cloudflare 8-tab integration | ✓ DNS, Zones, Analytics, WAF, R2… | Basic DNS via Cloudflare |
| 2026 pricing trend | Stable | Free, stable |
When each one is the right choice
CloudPanel is a beautifully sharp PHP-cloud appliance. Panelica is a full multi-tenant hosting platform with mail, DNS, reseller and AI built in.
Choose Panelica when…
- You need built-in mail (Postfix + Dovecot + DKIM + spam) without setting up a separate stack.
- You need built-in DNS (BIND zones, GLUE, DNSSEC) controlled from the same panel.
- You need reseller / multi-tenant mode — CloudPanel is designed for a single operator's sites, not customer accounts.
- You want a documented REST API (CloudPanel has no public API).
- You want AI assistance, mobile apps and full 31-language coverage.
Stay with CloudPanel when…
- You only host your own PHP/Node sites on a single VPS and want the lightest possible panel.
- You already use external mail (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365) and external DNS (Cloudflare).
- You like the Nginx + PHP-FPM + MariaDB + Redis preset and want nothing else.
- You are happy living without a panel-level REST API and reseller mode.
Move from CloudPanel in one click
The Panelica importer connects to your CloudPanel server, discovers every site, then copies files, MariaDB databases and SSL certificates. Add mail and DNS in the Panelica panel and you keep one place instead of three.
Free forever. Really.
Use the full feature set for 14 days. After that, you keep one domain forever, free, with no credit card, no expiry, no degraded functionality. Move up to Professional ($4.99/mo) only when you outgrow it.
Real prices, verifiable on our pricing page. No hidden upgrades, no add-on fees, no account-based tiering.
About switching from CloudPanel
Is CloudPanel really free?
Yes. CloudPanel is BSD-style open source, fully free, with no paid tier. MGT-Commerce (the company behind CloudPanel) sells managed AWS/Magento services on top, but CloudPanel itself is free.
What is CloudPanel best at?
Running PHP/Node sites on a single cloud VPS with a beautifully minimal UI and a small footprint. If you operate one server with your own sites and use external mail + external DNS, CloudPanel is among the cleanest experiences available.
Why pick Panelica over CloudPanel?
Panelica is a full multi-tenant hosting platform: it includes mail (Postfix + Dovecot + DKIM), DNS (BIND), reseller mode, REST API, AI co-pilot and mobile apps — things CloudPanel deliberately doesn't ship. If you sell hosting or have multiple customers, you'll outgrow CloudPanel quickly.
Does CloudPanel have a REST API?
No. CloudPanel does not expose a public API. All actions are done through the web UI or CLI. Panelica exposes 246 documented REST endpoints plus an External API for partner integrations.
Can I migrate from CloudPanel to Panelica?
Yes. Panelica's importer connects to your CloudPanel server, copies files, MariaDB databases and SSL certificates. Mail and DNS, if you weren't using them in CloudPanel, can be added in Panelica's panel with built-in modules.