About CloudPanel
CloudPanel is a free control panel for Linux servers, built to host PHP sites (WordPress, Laravel, Symfony and others), Node.js and Python applications, or static sites. It replaces hand-written Nginx configuration, PHP-FPM pools and database setup with a single web interface.
It is aimed at developers and small teams who run their own sites and don't want to maintain configuration files by hand or pay for a commercial panel licence.
When your VPS is delivered, the official CloudPanel installer has already run on a blank server. It sets up Nginx, PHP, MariaDB and CloudPanel itself. All that is left is to open https://SERVER_IP:8443 in your browser and create the administrator account.
What you can do with CloudPanel
One web interface
Create sites, databases and users from the browser, without editing Nginx or PHP-FPM configuration files by hand.
Nginx, PHP and MariaDB included
The official installer sets up the server stack on delivery. You don't need to add anything to publish your first PHP site.
Several application types
CloudPanel manages PHP, Node.js, Python and static sites, as well as reverse proxies, all from the same panel.
Let's Encrypt certificates
Once your domain points to the server, you can issue a free HTTPS certificate straight from the interface.
Database management
Create MariaDB databases and users from the panel, without touching the command line.
SSH access and backups
Each site can have its own dedicated user, and the panel includes backup tools and cron job scheduling.
Get started with CloudPanel
From order to production in a few minutes.
- 1
Order the VPS with CloudPanel
Choose a Linux VPS in Paris or Frankfurt, then tick CloudPanel in the "Applications" tab of the order form. Pick one of the available operating systems, preferably Ubuntu 24.04, Ubuntu 22.04 or Debian 12.
- 2
Wait for delivery and open the panel
The installation runs on first boot and can take a few minutes. Then open the panel address in your browser and accept the self-signed certificate warning.
Bashhttps://SERVER_IP:8443 - 3
Create your administrator account
On first access, CloudPanel asks you to create the admin account. Do it right away: until it exists, anyone who can reach port 8443 could create it instead of you. Then add your first site from the dashboard.
- 4
Secure it for production
Point your domain to the server IP with an A record, check that it resolves, then issue the Let's Encrypt certificate from the site page. Restrict access to port 8443 to your own IP addresses in the panel's firewall rules, and set up backups.
Bashdig +short YOUR_DOMAIN
CloudPanel use cases
Host several client sites
An agency or freelancer groups client sites on a single VPS, with one user and one database per site.
Deploy a WordPress or Laravel site
Create the site from the panel, upload your code over SFTP or SSH, then enable HTTPS. There is no Nginx configuration to write.
Replace shared hosting
You keep the simplicity of a control panel, but with dedicated resources and full root access to the server.
Publish a Node.js application
Run a Node.js application behind Nginx with an HTTPS certificate, without writing the reverse proxy configuration yourself.
CloudPanel FAQ
Open https://SERVER_IP:8443 in your browser. The certificate is self-signed, so you will need to accept the warning. You then create the administrator account directly on that page.
More about CloudPanel
Start from a blank server
CloudPanel has to be installed on an empty server. Don't install Nginx, Apache, MySQL or MariaDB yourself on this VPS: the installer takes care of that, and any existing service would conflict with it. If you need a different stack, order a separate VPS.
Protect port 8443
The panel is served over HTTPS on port 8443, with a self-signed certificate at first. In production, restrict this port to your own IP addresses from CloudPanel's firewall rules, and use a long, unique password for the admin account.
Database engine
The delivery script runs the official installer with no special options. If you want a specific engine on another blank server, the installer accepts the DB_ENGINE variable, for example DB_ENGINE=MARIADB_11.4 bash install.sh. On this VPS the panel is already installed: reinstalling would mean starting again from a blank server.
Backups
Before any major update, back up your sites and databases. A full snapshot of the VPS is also a good idea. For more on administering a Linux server, see our tutorials.
