HestiaCP Guide 2026: Install the Free Open-Source Control Panel on Your VPS

By CloudPicked Review Team · Updated September 2026

If you manage a VPS and want a full-featured hosting control panel without the cPanel price tag, HestiaCP is one of the best free options available in 2026. This guide covers everything: system requirements, installation commands, post-install configuration, and a detailed comparison against cPanel, DirectAdmin, and Plesk — so you can decide whether HestiaCP is the right fit for your workload.

What Is HestiaCP?

HestiaCP is a free, open-source web hosting control panel forked from VestaCP in 2019 when the original project stalled. Licensed under GPL v3, HestiaCP costs nothing — there are no license fees, no per-domain charges, and no artificial usage caps.

Its defining strength is a clean, intuitive web UI that lets non-Linux-experts manage domains, databases, email accounts, SSL certificates, DNS zones, and firewall rules without touching the command line after the initial install. For developers and small hosting operators who want the power of a self-managed VPS without spending $240+ a year on cPanel, HestiaCP fills the gap neatly.

HestiaCP is a strong fit for:

• Developers self-hosting projects on a VPS
• Small agencies managing multiple client domains from one server
• Reseller hosting operators on a budget
• DevOps teams needing a managed panel on staging servers

Key Features of HestiaCP

Web Server Stack

• Apache 2.4 — full .htaccess support, mod_rewrite, virtual hosts
• Nginx — acts as a reverse proxy in front of Apache for performance
• PHP-FPM with Multi-PHP — run PHP 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 simultaneously; assign different versions per domain

Database

• MariaDB (installed by default) — MySQL-compatible, lower RAM footprint
• MySQL 8 — optional via --mysql8 yes flag
• PostgreSQL — optional via --postgresql yes flag
• phpMyAdmin accessible from within the panel UI

Mail Server

• Exim — Mail Transfer Agent for outbound mail
• Dovecot — IMAP/POP3 server for inbound mail
• SpamAssassin — spam filtering (requires extra RAM)
• ClamAV — antivirus scanning on mail (requires extra RAM)
• Automatic DKIM, DMARC, and SPF record generation

DNS Server

• BIND9 — manage DNS zones directly from the web UI

FTP Server

• VSFTPD (default) — Passive FTP with TLS support
• ProFTPD — alternative available

Security

• iptables — kernel-level firewall managed from the UI
• Fail2Ban — automatic IP banning on brute-force attempts
• Let's Encrypt SSL — free certificates issued automatically per domain

Management Interface

• Web UI on port 8083 (HTTPS)
• Full REST API for scripting and automation
• Multi-user support with admin and user-level roles
• Optional Web Terminal and File Manager

System Requirements

The following requirements are sourced from the official HestiaCP documentation as of September 2026:

Supported Operating Systems (September 2026)

• Debian 12 (Bookworm)
• Debian 13 (Trixie)
• Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)
• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat)
• Ubuntu 26.04 LTS

HestiaCP does not support Ubuntu non-LTS releases, CentOS, AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux, i386, or ARM7.

Installing HestiaCP on a VPS

Installation takes two commands. Run them as root on a freshly deployed server:

Step 1: Download the Installer

Step 2: Run the Installer

The interactive installer prompts for admin email, hostname, and backend port, then installs and configures the entire software stack automatically. Expect 10–20 minutes depending on server bandwidth.

Custom / Unattended Installation

To choose exactly which components get installed, pass flags to the script:

Key flags to know:

• --multiphp yes — enables running multiple PHP versions simultaneously
• --clamav no — skip ClamAV to save ~300 MB RAM (ideal for 1–2 GB VPS)
• --spamassassin no — skip SpamAssassin for lower RAM usage
• --postgresql yes — add PostgreSQL support
• --mysql8 yes — use MySQL 8 instead of MariaDB
• --webterminal yes — enable an in-browser terminal
• --port 2083 — change the backend port from the default 8083

Accessing the Dashboard

After installation completes, the terminal prints login details:

Bookmark the URL and change the generated password on first login.

Post-Install Configuration Checklist

1. Add a Domain and Enable SSL

Go to Web > Add Domain, enter your domain name, and tick "Enable SSL". HestiaCP will automatically request a Let's Encrypt certificate — no manual Certbot commands required.

2. Create Email Accounts

Go to Mail > Add Mail Domain > Add Mail Account. HestiaCP auto-generates DKIM keys and configures SPF/DMARC records in BIND.

3. Create a Database

Go to DB > Add Database. Specify a database name and user. Access phpMyAdmin from the panel link for visual management.

4. Configure the Firewall

Go to Firewall and restrict access to only the ports you need: 80, 443, 22, 25, 587, 993, and 8083. Block everything else to minimise attack surface.

5. Set Up Automated Backups

Go to Backup > Configure Backup. Schedule nightly backups and optionally push them to FTP or an S3-compatible bucket for off-site redundancy.

Comparison: HestiaCP vs cPanel vs DirectAdmin vs Plesk

Data as of September 2026 — verify current pricing at each vendor's website.

The key takeaway: HestiaCP gives you ~80% of what cPanel offers at 0% of the cost. For personal projects, small agencies, and resellers who don't need Softaculous or enterprise-grade reseller management, it's a compelling choice.

Pros and Cons

Recommended VPS Providers for HestiaCP

For a comfortable HestiaCP experience with the full stack (including SpamAssassin and ClamAV), aim for a VPS with at least 2 vCPU and 4 GB RAM on a 40 GB SSD. Providers worth considering:

• AsiaGB Cloud VPS — Thailand-based servers, Thai-language 24/7 support, full root access for HestiaCP install. Editor's Choice for Thai users.
• DigitalOcean Droplets — Singapore region Droplets start from $18/month (2 vCPU / 2 GB), reliable infrastructure, excellent documentation.
• Ruk-Com Cloud VPS — Budget Thai VPS, Debian/Ubuntu images available, low latency for Thai visitors.

When provisioning, choose Debian 12 or Ubuntu 24.04 LTS as the base image for the smoothest HestiaCP installation experience.

Frequently Asked Questions