Hestia Control Panel is an open-source web hosting control panel designed to simplify server administration and turn a bare Linux server into a managed hosting environment. It’s a modern fork of the older VestaCP project, rebuilt and actively maintained for today’s web-hosting needs.
At its core, HestiaCP provides a web-based dashboard that lets administrators manage websites, domains, databases, mail services, DNS, backups, security, and more — all without touching the Linux command line for everyday tasks.
Unlike commercial panels such as cPanel or Plesk, HestiaCP is completely free and open-source, with no licensing fees — a major upside for VPS hosts, startups, and self-hosters.
📊 Key Features and Capabilities
HestiaCP includes a robust feature set that covers nearly every aspect of server and site management:
🌐 Website & Domain Management
- Host multiple domains per server with dedicated document roots.
- Supports either Apache + Nginx (hybrid) or Nginx + PHP-FPM stack setups.
- Provides per-domain TLS/Let’s Encrypt certificates.
- Built-in web templates and caching options such as FastCGI/Proxy Cache for performance tuning.
📩 Email & DNS Services
- Full mail server stack (Exim, Dovecot) with TLS, relay options, and a webmail interface.
- Integrated DNS server management and optional DNS clustering.
- Allows users to create custom nameservers and manage DNSSEC.
🗃 Databases & Backups
- Manages MySQL/MariaDB and PostgreSQL databases with phpMyAdmin/phpPgAdmin.
- Scheduled backups to local storage or external cloud providers.
- Restore tools let you recover sites, emails, or configs individually.
👥 User & Security Features
- Multi-user support with role-based access.
- SSH/SFTP chroot jails, SSH key support, and two-factor authentication.
- Firewall integration, automated Let’s Encrypt SSL, and optional Fail2Ban rules.
⚙ Server Administration Tools
- One-click app installers (e.g., WordPress, Drupal, Joomla).
- REST API and CLI tools for automation.
- Real-time monitoring of CPU, memory, and service status.
💡 What Makes HestiaCP Stand Out
✅ Lightweight & Efficient
Compared to heavier commercial panels (cPanel, Plesk), HestiaCP’s footprint is relatively small. It works well on modest VPS instances (512 MB–1 GB RAM) and doesn’t force unnecessary services.
Admins can choose to enable only the services they need — e.g., skip mail if another provider handles it — which keeps resource use low.
✅ No Licensing Costs
There are no monthly or per-domain fees — a huge advantage for small businesses, agencies, or developers hosting multiple projects on a budget.
✅ Open Source with Active Community
Being open-source means transparency, community contributions, and the ability to audit or customize code. Developers can extend functionality or integrate with CI/CD workflows.
✅ Balanced Functionality
HestiaCP delivers both basic and advanced tools: from simple one-click installs for beginners to CLI/REST automation for pros.
🧑💻 Final Thoughts
Hestia Control Panel is a versatile, fully featured, and cost-free web server control panel that brings the power of modern hosting management to sysadmins and developers without licensing costs. It cleverly bridges the gap between manual server administration and expensive commercial panels, making it a standout choice for VPS users, small agencies, and developers.