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 | ✓ 99 templates | External / manual |
| Reseller mode | ✓ Business and Enterprise plans | 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 | 1,263 API 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 a script installer in the free tier, spam filtering from $4.99/mo and reseller mode from $9.99/mo (Virtualmin gates all three to Professional).
- You want native iOS & Android apps and an AI co-pilot for ops.
- You want an API with 1,263 endpoints across the internal, external, and CLI surfaces, 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.
Keep three domains 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.
See Panelica pricingAbout 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 the script installer and virus scanning in every tier, including the free Starter; mail and spam filtering come with Professional ($4.99/month) and reseller mode with Business ($9.99/month).
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 includes native iOS & Android apps.
Does Panelica match Virtualmin Pro feature-for-feature?
Yes, with notable additions. Script installers (WordPress Toolkit) and virus scanning (ClamAV) are included in every Panelica tier, including the free Starter. Spam filtering comes with Professional ($4.99/mo) and reseller mode with Business ($9.99/mo). Panelica additionally includes AI co-pilot, Docker manager, native mobile apps and 5-layer kernel isolation, which Virtualmin does not have in any tier.