Plesk vs DirectAdmin

Plesk9.4Visit DirectAdmin9.0Visit

Higher score Plesk #1 in Web Hosting Control Panels 9.4/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Plesk

vs

DirectAdmin #3 in Web Hosting Control Panels 9.0/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 5 features Visit DirectAdmin

• Plesk fits best

  Mature all-in-one hosting operations

• DirectAdmin fits best

  Low-cost traditional hosting management

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Side by side

Feature	Plesk 9.4/10 Visit ↗	DirectAdmin 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.0
Ranking	#1 in Web Hosting Control Panels	#3 in Web Hosting Control Panels
Best for	Mature all-in-one hosting operations	Low-cost traditional hosting management
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	€12.04/mo	$5/mo
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	14 days	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Mobile	Self-hosted, Cloud
Platforms	Web, Linux, Windows, iOS, Android	Web
Support	Docs, Community · 24/7	Email, Tickets, Community, Docs
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Plesk 5/5 · DirectAdmin 4/5
Email management	✓	✓
DNS management	✓	✓
Database management	✓	✓
Backup tools	✓	✓
App installer	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
OS support	Both	Linux
Account limit	10 accounts (best)	2 accounts
Our review
Pros	Manages websites, domains, DNS, email, databases, backups, and security Supports Linux and Windows servers with web, API, and self-hosted access Connects with AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Docker, Git, and NGINX	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
Cons	No permanent free plan Listed prices require annual billing Entry plan supports up to 10 domains	Personal PLUS supports only 2 accounts Runs on supported Linux distributions Application installation depends on third-party plugins
Our verdict	Plesk is a web hosting control panel for hosting providers, developers, IT administrators, agencies, and web professionals. Its centralized dashboard brings together website, domain, DNS, email, database, application, user, subscription,… Read the review →	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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Plesk — where it wins

  • Manages websites, domains, DNS, email, databases, backups, and security
  • Supports Linux and Windows servers with web, API, and self-hosted access
  • Connects with AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Docker, Git, and NGINX

  Where it doesn't

  • No permanent free plan
  • Listed prices require annual billing
  • Entry plan supports up to 10 domains

• 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

• Plesk9.4/10 · 14-day trial

  A mature control panel covering hosting operations from websites and DNS to backups and security.

  Visit PleskFull verdict →
• DirectAdmin9.0/10 · Paid

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

  Visit DirectAdminFull verdict →