Panelica vs Virtualmin
A side-by-side comparison using each project's official 2026 pricing. Virtualmin is the long-standing Webmin-based panel with a huge install base. Panelica is the 2026 rewrite — Go + React 19, kernel isolation, AI co-pilot.
What you actually pay each month
Vendor pricing as published on each project's official 2026 page.
Where Panelica wins, where Virtualmin 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 | Virtualmin |
|---|---|---|
| Modern 2026 stack | ✓ Go 1.24 + React 19 | Perl + Webmin UI (2000-era) |
| 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 | FPM + chroot via Pro Pack |
| Live SSE / WebSocket UI | ✓ No reloads | Full page reloads |
| Docker manager with templates | ✓ 160+ templates | External / manual |
| Reseller mode | ✓ Free in all tiers | Professional only |
| Script installers | ✓ WordPress Toolkit + 1-click stacks | Professional only |
| Spam & virus filtering | ✓ Built-in (SpamAssassin + ClamAV) | Professional only |
| Modern HTML editor in UI | ✓ React-native | Professional only |
| REST API | 246 documented endpoints | Remote Webmin API (XML-RPC) |
| Multi-language UI | 31 languages | ✓ ~20 languages |
| 2026 pricing trend | Stable | Stable |
When each one is the right choice
Virtualmin is the Webmin-era veteran: huge install base, Perl backend, multi-OS, conservative. Panelica is a 2026 rewrite with kernel isolation, AI and mobile apps.
Choose Panelica when…
- You want a modern 2026 UI (React 19, live SSE/WebSocket) instead of a 2000-era Webmin interface.
- You need true cgroups v2 + namespaces multi-tenant isolation, not just FPM open_basedir.
- You want reseller, script installers and spam filtering in the free tier (Virtualmin gates these to Professional).
- You want native iOS & Android apps and an AI co-pilot for ops.
- You want a REST API with 246 endpoints, not XML-RPC over Webmin.
Stay with Virtualmin when…
- You explicitly want Perl + Webmin architecture and have decades of automation built on it.
- You need Virtualmin on niche distributions that Panelica does not target yet.
- You are happy with the Webmin admin paradigm and do not need a reactive UI.
- Your team is deeply familiar with Webmin modules and existing custom plug-ins.
Move from Virtualmin in one click
The Panelica importer connects to your Virtualmin server, discovers every virtual host, then copies files, MySQL/MariaDB databases, mailboxes, DNS zones and SSL certificates while preserving every password hash byte-for-byte. End users never reset a password.
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 Virtualmin
Is Virtualmin really free?
The GPL edition is fully free for unlimited domains. Virtualmin Professional ($7.50–$75/month depending on domain count) adds script installers, resellers, mobile access, HTML editor, spam & virus filtering and several mail features. Panelica includes those features in all tiers including the free Starter.
What does Virtualmin do better than Panelica?
Decades of OS coverage, including some niche distributions Panelica does not yet target, and a very large existing user base familiar with the Webmin paradigm. If you have years of Webmin automation, that ecosystem is hard to leave.
Can I migrate from Virtualmin to Panelica?
Yes. Panelica's importer connects to your Virtualmin server, copies files, MySQL/MariaDB databases, mailboxes, DNS zones and SSL certificates while preserving SHA512-CRYPT email and MySQL password hashes byte-for-byte. End users never reset a password.
Is the Webmin UI really that dated?
Webmin's strength is depth and stability — it has been refined for 25+ years. Its weakness is the UI paradigm: page reloads on every action, sparse modern interactions, no reactive feedback. Panelica is React 19 + live SSE / WebSocket throughout, and ships native iOS & Android apps.
Does Panelica match Virtualmin Pro feature-for-feature?
Yes, with notable additions. Script installers, resellers, spam & virus filtering, mobile access — all of which Virtualmin gates to Professional — are included in every Panelica tier. Panelica additionally includes AI co-pilot, Docker manager, native mobile apps and 5-layer kernel isolation, which Virtualmin does not have in any tier.