Control panels come in all shapes and sizes in the web hosting world, and while their tools are often similar, each has its own following for different reasons.
In this article, we will compare two panels for managing WordPress installations offered by InMotion Hosting, cPanel and our latest product, InMotion Central.
cPanel vs. InMotion Central Quick Comparison Guide
Both products will be broken down in more detail below, but for users primarily interested in the differences between the tools, this chart provides an overview of cPanel vs. InMotion Central.
| cPanel | InMotion Central | |
| Domain registration and management |
Only management | Yes |
| Email management | Yes | yes* |
| File management | Yes | yes* |
| WordPress is optimized | Varies by plan | Yes |
| 1-Click on WordPress Installation |
is available via Softaculous |
Yes |
| WordPress Core Updates |
is available via Softaculous |
Yes |
| Theme and plugin managment |
No | Yes |
| Site health monitor | No | Yes |
| playgrounds | No | Yes |
| Snaps | No | Yes |
| Other CMS management | Yes | Currently WordPress only |
| PHP version management | No | Yes |
| Number of websites available to the host |
Varies by plan | 1 |
| backup options | yes* | yes* |
| Root Access | No | Yes |
| Multi-user access | No | Yes |
| Billing | No | Yes |
What are Control Panels in Web Hosting?
In simple terms, control panels are graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that help users manage their website and server configuration.
Aspects controlled by the control panel include:
- Domain management
- File management
- Database administration
- Email setup
- Security settings
- etc.
Web hosting companies provide customers with access to control panels to help those who may not be comfortable or have the technical knowledge to connect to a command terminal to manage all of these tools; However, many plans will allow users to still have SSH or Root access for users who prefer this approach.
What is cPanel?
Although only about holding 7% of control panel market share.cPanel is the second most used control panel in the world. cPanel It offers a wide range of tools and features and has a fairly intuitive user interface that helps people new to hosting.
Note: While VPS and Dedicated Server customers have access to WebHost Manager (WHM) to create and manage multiple cPanel accounts on the server, this article will specifically focus on cPanel functionality for managing WordPress websites.
With its extensive documentation and community support, cPanel has become a popular choice for web hosting providers and users alike, streamlining website management and enhancing the overall hosting experience.
cPanel Features
Because of its extensive documentation and interface, cPanel is a favorite among users. Some of its features include:
- One-click installation of WordPress: cPanel provides a one-click installation process for WordPress with Softaculous or WP ToolkitWhich makes it quick and easy to create a WordPress website without the technical complications.
- File and database management: cPanel’s File Manager allows users to easily manage WordPress files, including uploading, editing, and organizing. It also provides access to PHPMyAdmin for managing WordPress databases.
- Email administration: With cPanel, users can create and manage email accounts associated with their website. This includes setting up email forwarding, autoresponders and spam filters.
- Security settings: cPanel offers a variety of security features, including SSL/TLS management, password protection, IP blocking, and firewall configuration, providing powerful security measures for WordPress websites.
- Note: Some security settings may only be available through WHM.
- Backup management: cPanel allows users to manually back up their WordPress website files, databases, and configurations, ensuring data protection.
- Note: InMotion Hosting offers Backup Manager as a premium option to allow cPanel users to create backups Automatic Backups for their website files and databases. General Guide cPanel backups are still available for users.
- Site statistics: cPanel provides detailed website statistics and analytics through AWStats, such as visitor logs, bandwidth usage, and resource statistics, giving users insight into their WordPress website’s performance and traffic.
- CMS support: In addition to WordPress, cPanel supports the installation and management of other content management systems (CMS) such as Drupal or Joomla, allowing users to access multiple websites in a single account.
These features make cPanel a reliable and efficient tool for managing WordPress websites, offering convenience, security and performance optimization.
What are All-in-One Dashboards?
As explained above, control panels focus on the technical aspects of hosting and provide tools tailored specifically for managing servers and websites.
On the other hand, All-in-One Dashboard is a broader concept that includes not only hosting-related tasks but also other website management functions.
All-in-one dashboards typically include features like account management, SEO optimization, analytics, billing and support, and more. The goal of this type of dashboard is to provide a comprehensive solution for managing all aspects of a website in a single interface.
What is InMotion Central?
InMotion Central is the latest product from InMotion Hosting. It is a powerful comprehensive dashboard with multiple site and account management features to create the best user experience on a fully isolated VPS server.
Currently, InMotion Central is optimized and only manages WordPress websites. It aims to provide users with a highly optimized environment for their websites, ensuring fast performance.
Users with the InMotion Central plan can also invite other people to collaborate on projects through Teams for free, which means it’s a great choice for agencies managing a corporate website or designers looking to get their clients’ opinions on an ongoing project.
InMotion Central is easy to use, powerful and fast, making it a great choice for users looking for a premium managed WordPress hosting experience.
InMotion Central features
As an all-in-one dashboard focused on WordPress, some of the features of InMotion Central include:
- One-click installation of WordPress: InMotion Central starts you off with a pre-installed version of WordPress; However, you can easily create more WordPress installations with the click of a button in your projects area.
- File and database management: With InMotion Central, you can easily access your Cloud VPS file manager and WordPress database. You can also access them via SSH access.
- Note: A Premium key is required to access the GUI version of file and database management.
- WordPress Management: Activate, deactivate or update plugins and themes, check the health of your site and create backups without logging into your WordPress dashboard.
- Playgrounds (exclusive to InMotion Central): Playgrounds allow you to stage, test, and redesign your website without affecting your production environment, plug-ins, or manual cloning.
- Snaps (exclusive to InMotion Central): Snaps to facilitate the creation of your website, allowing users to create themes and plugin packages for their website. Easily create a playground with all your favorite tools ready to go.
- Email administration: InMotion Central
- Teams (exclusive to InMotion Central): Invite other users to view, manage, and collaborate with you on a project at no additional cost.
- Security settings: Each production server operates as a fully isolated container, eliminating any possibility of cross-infection from other users. In addition, InMotion Central plans come with protection against a wide range of attacks, including malware and DDoS.
- Backup management: InMotion Central allows you to easily create website or server backups in your Dashboard. Use the Backup section in Maintenance to create backup copies of websites and easily restore them; Or create a Server Snapshot to capture all your server settings at a specific point in time and revert to them when needed.
- Site statistics: Easily check your project statistics in the site statistics section. Get an overview of your visitors, site health and general WordPress settings of your website.
- CMS support: Currently InMotion Central only supports WordPress websites, but this may change in the future.
- Account and billing management: InMotion Central includes account and billing management
InMotion Central is the ideal solution for agencies, marketing teams and web designers looking for a fast and easy-to-manage website. It gives users the power of a fully isolated VPS, hyper-fast performance, a Playground environment and WordPress management tools from a single dashboard.
final thoughts
In conclusion, both cPanel and InMotion Central offer their own unique set of features and benefits.
cPanel offers a proven solution that has been widely used and trusted by the web hosting industry for years. It offers a comprehensive selection of tools and features, making it suitable for users who prefer a traditional and feature-rich control panel.
InMotion Central presents a simplified and consolidated approach that integrates multiple functions into a single dashboard. This option may appeal to users looking for simplicity and ease of use while enjoying its powerful infrastructure.
Ultimately, the decision between cPanel vs. InMotion Central should be based on your individual needs, preferences, and the specific requirements of your website.
