About Plesk
Plesk is a web hosting control panel. It puts in one interface what you would normally configure by hand on a Linux server: web server, domains and DNS, mail, databases, certificates, backups and updates. Agencies, freelance developers and small businesses use it to host several sites without administering each service from the command line.
On Infrawire, you order a Linux VPS (Debian or Ubuntu) in Paris or Frankfurt, tick Plesk in the "Applications" tab of the order form, and the server is delivered with Plesk installed by a cloud-init recipe. You don't need to run the installer yourself or prepare the system beforehand.
Plesk remains a commercial product published by Plesk (WebPros). The features available depend on the edition and licence active on your server, which you can check in the interface after your first login.
What you can do with Plesk
Centralised domain management
Add domains and subdomains, edit the DNS zone and tie each site to its own hosting space, all from a single interface.
HTTPS with Let's Encrypt
The Let's Encrypt extension issues and renews a domain's certificates in a few clicks, with no need to work with certbot.
Databases and PHP
Create MariaDB or MySQL databases, open phpMyAdmin and pick the PHP version per site, which helps when two projects have different requirements.
Built-in mail
Create mailboxes, aliases and forwarders per domain, with a webmail for users who don't have a dedicated mail client.
Backup and restore
Schedule backups of the whole server or a single subscription, then restore one site without touching the others.
Extensions and deployment tools
WordPress Toolkit, Git integration, a scheduled task manager and security extensions round out the panel as you need them.
Get started with Plesk
From order to production in a few minutes.
- 1
Order the VPS with Plesk
Choose a Linux VPS in Paris or Frankfurt, select Debian or Ubuntu, then tick Plesk in the "Applications" tab before you confirm the order.
- 2
Connect to the server
Once the VPS is delivered, open an SSH session with the credentials you received. If the Plesk installation has finished, the plesk login command prints a one-time login link for the panel.
Bashssh root@SERVER_IP plesk login - 3
Complete the initial setup
Open the link in your browser, fill in the administrator profile and choose a strong password. Then add your first domain and create the subscription that will host the site.
- 4
Secure it before going live
Point the DNS A record of YOUR_DOMAIN to SERVER_IP, then install the Let's Encrypt extension to enable HTTPS. Also check the firewall and schedule backups in the panel.
Bashplesk bin extension --install letsencrypt
Plesk use cases
Host several client sites
An agency groups its clients' sites on a single VPS, with a separate subscription, database and FTP or SSH access for each one.
Manage WordPress sites
With WordPress Toolkit, you install, update and back up multiple WordPress installations without using the command line.
Replace shared hosting
A project that has outgrown shared hosting gets dedicated resources while keeping a familiar management interface. For managed hosting with no server to run, see also [cPanel hosting](/cpanel-hosting).
Staging and test environments
A developer quickly sets up a server that mirrors production, with a choice of PHP version and deployment from Git.
Plesk FAQ
Plesk is offered on Debian and Ubuntu Linux VPS, your choice at order time. It is not available in this offer on Windows VPS.
More about Plesk
Prepare DNS before adding your first domain
Plesk can only issue a Let's Encrypt certificate if the domain already resolves to the server. Create the A record at your registrar (or through our domain names) before requesting the certificate, and allow time for propagation.
Size the server
Plesk uses memory on its own, before you host a single site. The vendor's documentation lists 1 GB of RAM as the minimum and recommends more for real workloads. With several WordPress sites, mail and an antivirus running, plan for 4 GB or more. The available configurations are listed on the Linux VPS page.
Backups and updates
Set up a scheduled backup on day one and store it off the server (remote FTP or compatible storage in the backup extension). A copy that stays on the same disk won't help if that disk fails. Apply Plesk and system updates regularly from the panel, after taking a backup.
Limit your exposure
An admin panel is a frequent target. Use a long password, enable two-factor authentication in Plesk, and where possible restrict access to the interface by IP address with the firewall. If you need stronger network-level protection, see our anti-DDoS VPS.
