DirectAdmin vs Virtualmin

DirectAdmin7.0Visit Virtualmin9.0Visit

DirectAdmin #3 in Web Hosting Control Panels 7.0/10 From $5/mo ✓ 4 of 5 features Visit DirectAdmin

vs

Higher score Virtualmin #7 in Web Hosting Control Panels 9.0/10 Free plan · paid from $7.50/mo Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Virtualmin

• DirectAdmin fits best

  Low-cost traditional hosting management

• Virtualmin fits best

  Open-source hosts needing email and backups

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Side by side

Feature	DirectAdmin 7.0/10 Visit ↗	Virtualmin 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.0	9.0
Ranking	#3 in Web Hosting Control Panels	#7 in Web Hosting Control Panels
Best for	Low-cost traditional hosting management	Open-source hosts needing email and backups
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$5/mo (best)	$7.5/mo
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Cloud	Self-hosted, Cloud
Platforms	Web	Linux, Web
Support	Email, Tickets, Community, Docs	Tickets, Community
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features DirectAdmin 4/5 · Virtualmin 5/5
Email management	✓	✓
DNS management	✓	✓
Database management	✓	✓
Backup tools	✓	✓
App installer	Not published	✓ (best)
Specs
OS support	Linux	Linux
Account limit	2 accounts	10 accounts (best)
Our review
Pros	Starts at $5 per month with core hosting administration features Separate Administrator, Reseller, and User access levels Email, DNS, databases, backups, PHP, SSL, and monitoring included	Free GPL edition covers mail, databases, backups, and five installable scripts Professional adds 60+ scripts, reseller accounts, and WordPress tools Connects with major DNS, storage, email, firewall, and security services
Cons	Personal PLUS supports only 2 accounts Runs on supported Linux distributions Application installation depends on third-party plugins	Linux-only deployment limits its fit for teams managing other server platforms The lowest listed Professional variant manages 10 domains Priority private ticket support is limited to Professional subscriptions
Our verdict	DirectAdmin is a browser-based web hosting control panel for hosting providers, resellers, server administrators, and website users. It provides separate Administrator, Reseller, and User access levels for managing hosting accounts,… Read the review →	Virtualmin is a Linux web hosting control panel for developers, IT teams, agencies, and hosting providers managing websites and domain accounts. It combines browser administration with command-line and authenticated remote HTTP API access.… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• DirectAdmin — where it wins

  • Starts at $5 per month with core hosting administration features
  • Separate Administrator, Reseller, and User access levels
  • Email, DNS, databases, backups, PHP, SSL, and monitoring included

  Where it doesn't

  • Personal PLUS supports only 2 accounts
  • Runs on supported Linux distributions
  • Application installation depends on third-party plugins

• Virtualmin — where it wins

  • Free GPL edition covers mail, databases, backups, and five installable scripts
  • Professional adds 60+ scripts, reseller accounts, and WordPress tools
  • Connects with major DNS, storage, email, firewall, and security services

  Where it doesn't

  • Linux-only deployment limits its fit for teams managing other server platforms
  • The lowest listed Professional variant manages 10 domains
  • Priority private ticket support is limited to Professional subscriptions

• DirectAdmin7.0/10 · From $5/mo

  A low-cost Linux control panel with broad hosting administration features.

  Visit DirectAdminFull verdict →
• Virtualmin9.0/10 · Free plan · paid from $7.50/mo

  A capable open-source Linux panel with strong email, backup, and infrastructure coverage.

  Visit VirtualminFull verdict →