| As a web host reseller, one of your most | | | | • From the reseller's cPanel control |
| important business decisions is your choice | | | | panel, a drop-down menu takes the reseller to |
| of web hosting control panel software. The | | | | the control panels for each of the sites on |
| web hosting software you use will save or | | | | the reseller account, including the |
| cost you time, money, and frustration. | | | | reseller's site. |
| | | | |
| What reseller control panel features will | | | | With the addition of an optional program, WHM |
| reduce your workload? What hosting software | | | | Autopilot, you can automate account creation |
| programs are integrated with the reseller | | | | and suspension, email notifications, and |
| control panel or work with it? What website | | | | other tasks. WHM Autopilot also integrates |
| control panel features will your clients | | | | with common payment gateways and has a |
| like? | | | | helpdesk, an invoice module, and other tools. |
| | | | |
| In this article, we've compared four quality | | | | H-Sphere |
| web hosting reseller software programs: | | | | |
| | | | H-Sphere is designed for both Linux and |
| • Alabanza | | | | Windows platforms. Moreover, resellers can |
| | | | set up plans for both Linux and Windows and |
| • cPanel | | | | administer sites on different servers from |
| | | | the same control panel. The control panel, |
| • H-Sphere | | | | actually a separate server, also provides |
| | | | administrative access to the integrated |
| • Plesk | | | | helpdesk. |
| | | | |
| All of these reseller control panels come | | | | The H-Sphere control panel server automates |
| with control panels for your clients. They | | | | account configuration, credit card |
| all have numerous features - advanced email | | | | processing, domain registration, and email |
| management, web statistics, pre-installed | | | | notifications. It also includes a built-in |
| scripts, multi-language support, and more. | | | | billing module and supports over 20 payment |
| They all work on Linux platforms, while | | | | gateways. |
| H-Sphere and Plesk also work with Windows. | | | | |
| According to the cPanel website, a Windows | | | | From the reseller's point of view, H-Sphere |
| version of cPanel is in development. | | | | has a higher learning curve than most other |
| | | | control panels because of its numerous |
| Other features that set these control panels | | | | features. For example, when setting up a new |
| apart are their degree of automation, the | | | | plan, the administrator has two pages of |
| number of features and ease of use for the | | | | features to choose from, including setup and |
| end user, and the features and ease of use | | | | monthly pricing for optional services. |
| for you, the reseller. | | | | |
| | | | Beginning webmasters may find H-Sphere too |
| Alabanzawhen you become an Alabanza reseller, | | | | complicated for their needs. More advanced |
| you don't just have a reseller account - you | | | | users, however, appreciate the features and |
| lease a dedicated server from Alabanza. | | | | control that H-Sphere offers the end user. A |
| Alabanza owns the control panel the server, | | | | key feature is the ability to have control |
| and you resell directly for Alabanza. If you | | | | over separate domains with multi-domain |
| lease a dedicated Alabanza server, you can | | | | hosting. |
| create your own reseller accounts. However, | | | | |
| only you can set up hosting plans; resellers | | | | H-Sphere comes with the website builder |
| below you will be limited to hosting plans | | | | SiteStudio, which guides users through a |
| that you create. | | | | variety of style choices and stores content |
| | | | separately from the layout. No HTML or FTP |
| Alabanza offers resellers a high degree of | | | | knowledge is required. |
| automation with its Domain System Manager | | | | |
| (DSM), which can significantly reduce | | | | Plesk |
| overhead and time spent on routine tasks: | | | | |
| | | | Plesk is known for its stability and |
| • Account creation | | | | security. Resellers and end users like its |
| | | | simple navigation, its clean interface, and |
| • Billing and invoice management | | | | its professional appearance. It comes in |
| | | | versions for both Linux and Windows |
| • Credit card processing | | | | platforms. |
| | | | |
| • Domain registration | | | | With Plesk, all users use the same control |
| | | | panel but with different levels of control: |
| • Email notifications | | | | |
| | | | • Server administrator |
| • Ordering fraud protection | | | | |
| | | | • Client / reseller |
| Even novices can sell hosting with this level | | | | |
| of automation. | | | | • Domain owner |
| | | | |
| DSM also integrates with for domain name | | | | • Mail user |
| registration. It does not easily integrate | | | | |
| with other domain registrars, though. | | | | Each level of the control panel gives the |
| | | | user control of that level and the level(s) |
| A key Alabanza feature that resellers can | | | | below it. Email users, for example, can log |
| offer their clients is the Xpress Product | | | | into their mail user control panel to change |
| Suite, which provides web development and | | | | their password, add autoresponder, and change |
| email management tools. The Xpress Product | | | | other personal settings without having access |
| Suite includes SiteXpress, a website-building | | | | to the domain owner control panel. |
| program that features over 300 templates and | | | | |
| requires no web design skills.cPanel | | | | Plesk handles Spam Assassin at the mailbox |
| | | | level rather than at the domain level. |
| For resellers and end users, cPanel is known | | | | |
| for its ease of use and range of features. | | | | This feature enables users to white list or |
| cPanel's collection of over 50 pre-installed | | | | blacklist email for each email address, |
| scripts and Fantastico auto installer help | | | | allowing each email user to have individual |
| clients set up their sites with little web | | | | settings. |
| development knowledge. | | | | |
| | | | SWsoft, the company behind Plesk, also offers |
| A basic cPanel reseller account comes with | | | | Site Builder, a five-step website builder |
| two separate programs for resellers to manage | | | | using pre-built templates. Site Builder has |
| their business: | | | | over 300 templates in different categories to |
| | | | choose from, and users can publish their |
| • WHM (Web Host Manager) is used to | | | | sites without any HTML or FTP knowledge. |
| create accounts and packages, add and suspend | | | | |
| sites, modify passwords, view bandwidth | | | | If your Plesk reseller account is with a web |
| usage, park domains, install SSL | | | | host that offers HSPcomplete, you will have |
| certificates, and perform other | | | | some automation available with your account, |
| administrative functions. | | | | such as credit card charges and email |
| | | | notification. |