openpanel.com

"Open control panel" usually refers to an open, self-hostable server or hosting control panel rather than one specific product. OpenPanel is one example: a multi-user web hosting panel built around lightweight containers, where each user gets a fully isolated environment with a separate MySQL server, PHP version, Redis instance, and full root access. It positions itself as "the sweet spot between shared hosting and VPS," so it fits hosting providers or admins who want per-user isolation without handing every customer a full VPS.

What "open control panel" means in practice

The phrase is descriptive, not a brand. It typically points to a panel you can install on your own server, inspect, and extend, as opposed to a closed SaaS dashboard. OpenPanel fits this description and ships in a free Community Edition, installed with:

bash <(curl -sSL https://openpanel.org)

The current version referenced on the site is 2.0.8. Treat the install command as the documented entry point rather than a guarantee about licensing or support terms for every edition.

How OpenPanel's container-based architecture works

Instead of one shared stack for all users, OpenPanel gives each user an isolated container. That isolation is the core mechanism, and it changes what you can offer per account:

• Databases per user — each user runs a separate MySQL server.
• Multiple PHP versions — PHP version is configurable per user.
• Object caching — Redis instances are per user; Memcached can be enabled per user.
• Webserver per user — choose Nginx, OpenLitespeed, Apache, OpenResty, or Varnish for each user.
• Additional components — Varnish, Redis, Elasticsearch, MongoDB, and a WAF (CorazaWAF) are available.
• Container Manager — manage the containers backing each environment.

Because each user can define PHP/MySQL limits and run their own services, the model sits between shared hosting (cheap but shared) and VPS (isolated but heavier to run). The trade-off: you get better isolation and flexibility, but you manage more moving parts per user.

OpenAdmin vs. the OpenPanel user panel

OpenPanel splits administration into two surfaces:

So "OpenAdmin" is the admin side, and "OpenPanel" is the user-facing side. Both are part of the same product, and demos exist for the admin panel.

Common tasks via OpenCLI

OpenCLI is the command-line layer for administration and automation. Documented examples include:

• opencli report — generate a system report
• opencli user-add — add a new user
• opencli user-password — reset a user password
• opencli domains-all / opencli domains-user — list domains
• opencli domains-suspend — suspend a domain
• opencli websites-all — list all websites
• opencli plan-list — list plans
• opencli php-default — check the default PHP version
• opencli waf — manage CorazaWAF
• opencli docker-collect_stats — collect container stats
• opencli user-memcached enable — enable Memcached for a user
• opencli update --check — check for updates
• opencli api-list — list API endpoints

The pattern is consistent: a verb plus a target (user-add, domains-suspend, plan-list). For each command, the input is the command and its arguments, the action runs against the server or a specific user/domain, and the expected result is a report, a changed state, or a list. If a command fails, opencli error ID_HERE displays error information for that ID.

What to check before choosing an open control panel

When comparing options like OpenPanel, evaluate these dimensions:

• Isolation model — does each user get a separate environment (containers, per-user databases, per-user caching), or do users share one stack?
• Per-user flexibility — can you set PHP versions, MySQL limits, and webserver choice per user?
• Admin vs. user separation — is there a distinct admin panel (OpenAdmin) and user panel (OpenPanel)?
• Automation — is there a CLI and API for scripting (opencli, opencli api-list)?
• Component coverage — which webservers, databases, caching, and WAF options are supported?
• Pricing and editions — the site references a free Community Edition and a Pricing page; check those directly for current terms rather than assuming what's included.

If your goal is per-user isolation with configurable services and a CLI-driven workflow, OpenPanel's container model is the relevant feature to test. Start with the Community Edition, run opencli report to confirm the install, then try opencli user-add and opencli plan-list to see how user and plan management behave before committing to a hosting setup.

OpenAdmin is the admin-side panel of OpenPanel, the container-based web hosting control panel. It is where a server owner or hosting provider manages the whole machine — users, domains, plans, and services — while the OpenPanel user panel is the per-user interface each hosted customer logs into. Both are part of the same OpenPanel stack, not separate products, and both sit on top of the same container model described on openpanel.com: every user gets an isolated environment with its own MySQL server, PHP version, Redis instance, and root access.

The two panels at a glance

The site lists both explicitly as "OpenAdmin Admin panel" and "OpenPanel User panel," and offers a demo for the admin panel. That separation is the core distinction: OpenAdmin is the control room, the user panel is the tenant's own apartment.

What OpenAdmin handles

OpenAdmin covers server-level administration across all accounts. Based on the documented OpenCLI surface, the kinds of operations that belong to the admin side include:

• User management — adding users (opencli user-add), renaming them (opencli user-rename), resetting passwords (opencli user-password), disabling 2FA (opencli user-2fa disable), and reviewing login history (opencli user-loginlog).
• Domain control — listing all domains (opencli domains-all), suspending a domain (opencli domains-suspend), and checking DNS (opencli domains-dns check).
• Plans — listing available plans (opencli plan-list), which is how hosting providers package resources for users.
• Service management — managing the OpenAdmin service itself (opencli admin), checking server configuration (opencli sentinel), and collecting container stats (opencli docker-collect_stats).
• Server-wide settings — changing ports (opencli port set), enabling dev mode (opencli config update dev_mode on), managing the WAF (opencli waf), and generating system reports (opencli report).

These are all tasks that affect the machine as a whole or multiple accounts, which is exactly why they live on the admin side rather than in a single user's panel.

How OpenAdmin relates to OpenCLI

OpenAdmin and OpenCLI are two interfaces to the same underlying system. OpenCLI is the terminal command set; OpenAdmin is the graphical admin panel. The commands above — opencli admin, opencli user-add, opencli plan-list, and the rest — are the operations OpenAdmin exposes, and they can also be run directly from the command line. So a provider can click through OpenAdmin for routine work or script the same actions via OpenCLI for automation. The site presents OpenCLI as "Terminal Commands" alongside the two panels, confirming all three are layers of one product.

When to use which

Use OpenAdmin when you are the server owner or hosting provider and need to:

• Onboard or offboard customers
• Assign or change plans
• Suspend a domain or account
• Inspect server health, container stats, or configuration
• Manage server-wide services like the WAF, mail queue, or ports

Use the OpenPanel user panel when you are a hosted user managing only your own isolated environment — your websites, databases, PHP versions, and caching services within your container.

If you are evaluating OpenPanel for a hosting business, the practical test is whether your tasks span multiple accounts or the whole server. If they do, you want OpenAdmin. If they stay inside one user's container, the user panel is the right surface.

An open hosting panel is a web hosting control panel whose code and configuration you can inspect, run, and extend on your own infrastructure, rather than a closed product tied to one vendor. OpenPanel fits that description: it is a multi-user web hosting panel built around lightweight containers, where each user gets a fully isolated environment with its own MySQL server, PHP version, Redis instance, and full root access. It is designed to sit "in the sweet spot between shared hosting and VPS" — you get the convenience of a panel with the isolation of separate environments.

How OpenPanel's container-per-user model works

Traditional shared hosting puts many accounts on one system stack, so one user's resource spikes or misconfiguration can affect others. OpenPanel instead gives every user their own container. Inside that container the user can run services, define PHP and MySQL limits, and configure components such as Varnish, Redis, and Elasticsearch.

That isolation has practical consequences:

• Databases per user — each account runs its own MySQL server rather than sharing one.
• Webserver per user — you can choose Nginx, OpenLitespeed, Apache, OpenResty, or Varnish for each user.
• Multiple PHP versions — different users can run different PHP versions without conflict.
• Object caching — Redis and Memcached can be enabled per user.
• WAF — CorazaWAF is available for filtering.
• Full root access — the user's container is theirs to manage, which is closer to a VPS experience than typical shared hosting.

OpenPanel vs. shared hosting vs. VPS

The trade-off is that OpenPanel assumes you are running it on a server you control, so it is not a drop-in replacement for a shared hosting account you buy from a provider. It is aimed at hosting providers and self-hosters who want panel convenience without giving up isolation.

The three interfaces: OpenAdmin, the user panel, and OpenCLI

OpenPanel splits administration across three surfaces:

• OpenAdmin — the admin panel, used by the server operator to manage users, plans, and services.
• OpenPanel user panel — the end-user interface where a hosting customer manages their own websites, domains, and settings.
• OpenCLI — a terminal command set for scripting and automation.

OpenCLI is where much of the day-to-day control lives. Documented commands include:

opencli report              # generate a system report
opencli domains-all         # list all domains
opencli user-add            # add a new user
opencli user-password       # reset a user password
opencli domains-suspend     # suspend a domain
opencli plan-list           # list plans
opencli websites-all        # list all websites
opencli php-default         # check the default PHP version
opencli waf                 # manage CorazaWAF
opencli update --check      # check for updates
opencli user-2fa disable    # disable 2FA for a user
opencli config update dev_mode on   # enable DEV_MODE

There are also commands for collecting container stats, enabling Memcached, listing API endpoints, installing locales, checking DNS for a domain, collecting Google PageSpeed data for a website, flushing the mail queue, and changing the panel port from 2083.

Getting started

OpenPanel offers a free Community Edition. The documented install command is:

bash <(curl -sSL https://openpanel.org)

The current version referenced on the site is 2.0.8, with a changelog available. Before running the installer, confirm you have a server you are willing to dedicate to the panel and that you understand the container runtime it depends on, since the isolation model is what makes the rest of the feature set possible.

If you want to evaluate it without committing, the site provides a live demo of the admin panel, which is the fastest way to see how OpenAdmin and the user panel divide responsibilities before you install anything.

OpenPanel is a multi-user web hosting control panel built around lightweight containers. Instead of placing many accounts on one shared system stack, it gives each user a fully isolated environment with a separate MySQL server, PHP version, Redis instance, and full root access. That combination is what the project describes as "the sweet spot between shared hosting and VPS" — the convenience of a panel with the isolation and control of a virtual server. It suits hosting providers and technically comfortable users who want per-user isolation without managing a full VPS by hand.

How OpenPanel differs from shared hosting and VPS

The practical difference: on shared hosting you inherit whatever stack the provider runs, and on a VPS you build everything yourself. OpenPanel sits between them by letting each user run services, define PHP/MySQL limits, and configure components such as Varnish, Redis, and Elasticsearch inside their own isolated space.

Main components

OpenPanel splits into three surfaces:

• OpenAdmin — the admin panel, used for server-level and provider-side management.
• OpenPanel — the user panel, where each account manages its own environment.
• OpenCLI — terminal commands for administration and automation.

Per-user flexibility extends to the web server itself. For each user you can choose Nginx, OpenLitespeed, Apache, OpenResty, or Varnish, alongside per-user databases, object caching, multiple PHP versions, and a WAF.

Getting started

The free Community Edition is installed with a single command:

bash <(curl -sSL https://openpanel.org)

Before running it, confirm the target server meets your own requirements and that you are comfortable executing a remote install script with root privileges. The expected result is a working OpenPanel installation you can then reach through the admin and user panels.

To evaluate it first, the site offers a live demo for both the admin and user panels, plus a features page and a pricing page for paid options. The current version listed is 2.0.8, with a changelog available.

Common OpenCLI tasks

OpenCLI is where much of the day-to-day administration happens. Representative commands from the project's own list:

opencli report                 # Generate a system report
opencli domains-all            # List all domains
opencli domains-user           # List a specific user's domains
opencli user-add               # Add a new user
opencli user-password          # Reset a user password
opencli user-rename            # Rename a user
opencli plan-list              # List plans
opencli websites-all           # List all websites
opencli sentinel               # Check server configuration
opencli update --check         # Check for updates

Other documented commands cover suspending a domain, managing the OpenAdmin service, disabling 2FA, enabling DEV_MODE, managing CorazaWAF, collecting container stats, enabling Memcached, listing API endpoints, installing locales, checking DNS for a domain, collecting Google PageSpeed data for a website, and flushing the mail queue. Each command takes its own arguments, so check the relevant command's help before running it on a live server.

Who it is for

OpenPanel fits hosting providers that want per-user isolation without handing every customer a full VPS, and users who want root-level control inside their own environment while still working through a panel. If you only need a simple shared account with no isolation or root access, a traditional shared host is simpler. If you want full control over the entire machine and are willing to manage it yourself, a plain VPS may be more direct. OpenPanel's value is specifically in the middle: container-based isolation, per-user services, and panel-driven setup.