DirectAdmin vs CentOS Web Panel (CWS) > Leaving cPanel

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I installed centos web panel but I discovered that the login pages and the admin pages are encrypted. This is NOT acceptable even if the panel is free. I was wondering if DirectAdmin also has encrypted pages or if it's possible for me to modify everything on my own server which I own to my own liking. I would pay for the ability to do that, I wouldn't even take a totally free panel with encrypted pages.

I extremely want to leave cPanel, I already hated their stupid crap and want them all to be fired and the company to be disbanded. And now they have raised the prices dramatically. F cpanel they can all go die for all I care, I am leaving them for good. Is DirectAdmin a good alternative?

Requirements:
NGINX + Apache
High security
High stability
Minimal or no bugs
Good support if there are bugs
Supports CSF
Supports everything cpanel supports
Supports cgroups and/or CloudLinux
>>> Can be modified to look exactly like cpanel (without cpanel logos which I swap for my own branding) >>> the X3 theme (NOT that horrific paper lantern theme)

By the way the default directadmin themes are atrocious, not the worst but it's horribly bad. But, I've seen in the forums cpanel-like themes and most importantly if it has the capability to create my own theme then I can make one to emulate the cpanel x3 theme.

Let me know. I am planning this switch immediately and I have a separate dedicated server just for this testing.
 
CWP is a mess.

https://www.rack911labs.com/research/security-analysis-of-alternative-control-panels/

On CWP:
"We looked at this panel years ago and sent off a handful of flaws back then. Little has been done to improve security and we ended up finding another 22 flaws. The developer has been terrible at communicating and we have no ETA on patches yet."

Also on the page:

"RACK911 Labs has done official security auditing of DirectAdmin and InterWorx. However, we have also heavily audited Plesk via their bug bounty program and would consider the three panels referenced above to have excellent security. (For what it’s worth, we also consider cPanel to have excellent security mostly in part to their bug bounty program and large development team.)"

It's an easy choice. :)
 
Requirements:
NGINX + Apache . Yes
High security . Yes
High stability Yes
Minimal or no bugs . Everything has bugs. In general Yes
Good support if there are bugs. For sure
Supports CSF . Yes and CXS
Supports everything cpanel supports . No its not cpanel. be more specific
Supports cgroups and/or CloudLinux . Yes CloudLinux
 
By the way the default directadmin themes are atrocious, not the worst but it's horribly bad. But, I've seen in the forums cpanel-like themes and most importantly if it has the capability to create my own theme then I can make one to emulate the cpanel x3 theme.
Evolution is the New modern theme
Yes you can make your own.
 
Basically you have 2 real choices DirectAdmin or Interworxs.

DA is a source system with some binary.
IW is all binary
 
CENTOS don't like them. ;)

The use of the name "CentOS" in their application is not authorized by the CentOS Project.

The code they ship has never been vetted by or even read by any member of the CentOS Project.

Use of this product is entirely at your own risk and any posts regarding it on this forum will be closed. Please refer all questions about CWP to their support forums instead. We do not recommend its use.
 
this might help you as well.
 
The Evolution theme is pretty atrocious, but if you can point out to me any really good theme to emulate cpanel's x3 theme (now called classic) that would be great. Something even close like one I found previously but lost the link to it would be great as a starting point rather than having to build the theme from scratch.
 
The Evolution theme is pretty atrocious, but if you can point out to me any really good theme to emulate cpanel's x3 theme (now called classic) that would be great. Something even close like one I found previously but lost the link to it would be great as a starting point rather than having to build the theme from scratch.
Well maybe you would prefer the older enhanced. Otherwise I don’t think any user has made a x3 look alike. So you might be the one. There is a 3rd party theme section you could look through.
 
Well maybe you would prefer the older enhanced. Otherwise I don’t think any user has made a x3 look alike. So you might be the one. There is a 3rd party theme section you could look through.

How do I get that older theme and what do you mean by enhanced, do you mean I enhance it
 
Basically you have 2 real choices DirectAdmin or Interworxs.

DA is a source system with some binary.
IW is all binary

What do you mean with "a source system and some binary"?

Does DirectAdmin use ioncube encryption? If so that's a deal-breaker. Let me know, thanks.
 
What do you mean with "a source system and some binary"?
Cpanel is a binary system none of the components are compiled from source on the target server. You run a Yum command to install their Code.
Directadmin isn't fully binary it compiles from sources on the target server as well some of the applications in use are open source and installed through binary means.

The system is proprietary just like cpanel, interworx, plesk and others. The da code is a compiled c binary. The system is not totally FOSS. The frontend and all the needed part for configuration is not encrypted if that is what you mean.

How do I get that older theme and what do you mean by enhanced, do you mean I enhance it
No it comes with the system the theme is the older one before Evolution. The themes name is "Enhanced"
The demo is only in Evolution but here is a YouTube video with some of the look of Enhanced

I think you should just sign up for a trial for 30 days. It might help you learn what you need to know.
 
"Enhanced" is even more atrocious like 1990-era style.

"Evolution is like 2005-style design, better than "Enhanced" but still ancient poor design.

The only thing cpanel has going for it is proper UI design. But, with a proper theme DirectAdmin seems to be a viable competitor, but it isn't cheap, in fact DirectAdmin is still EXTREMELY expensive, same price as cpanel previously, but now cpanel costs even more than extremely expensive, which is beyond absurd.

For a SOFTWARE people should NEVER have to pay a subscription price. Any software should NEVER be in the hundreds, and DEFINITELY not the thousands of dollars over a few years. DirectAdmin should revisit its pricing, I wanted to leave cpanel before ,when its prices were 30 dollars per month which i paid until september 2019, only because i hadn't found an alternative yet. Now it jumped for 45, and while 30 per month was WAY too much, 45 per month is basically "F** YOU CPANEL USER WE'RE STEALING MORE MONEY".

Basically I'd have to forfeit the benefit of cpanel just to continue paying the same HIGH price of 30 per month instead of 45 per month. Not sure if it's worth saving only 15 dollars a month. Plus, just like cpanel, unfortunately i have to pay AGAIN for the SAME software on another server, which I will NEVER do.

Think I'm going to keep looking as directadmin is not viable competition regarding its extremely ultra high price of $1,000 over 3 years indefinitely.
 
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"Enhanced" is even more atrocious like 1990-era style.

"Evolution is like 2005-style design, better than "Enhanced" but still ancient poor design.

The only thing cpanel has going for it is proper UI design. But, with a proper theme DirectAdmin seems to be a viable competitor, but it isn't cheap, in fact DirectAdmin is still EXTREMELY expensive, same price as cpanel previously, but now cpanel costs even more than extremely expensive, which is beyond absurd.

For a SOFTWARE people should NEVER have to pay a subscription price. Any software should NEVER be in the hundreds, and DEFINITELY not the thousands of dollars over a few years. DirectAdmin should revisit its pricing, I wanted to leave cpanel before ,when its prices were 30 dollars per month which i paid until september 2019, only because i hadn't found an alternative yet. Now it jumped for 45, and while 30 per month was WAY too much, 45 per month is basically "F** YOU CPANEL USER WE'RE STEALING MORE MONEY".

Basically I'd have to forfeit the benefit of cpanel just to continue paying the same HIGH price of 30 per month instead of 45 per month. Not sure if it's worth saving only 15 dollars a month. Plus, just like cpanel, unfortunately i have to pay AGAIN for the SAME software on another server, which I will NEVER do.

Think I'm going to keep looking as directadmin is not viable competition regarding its extremely ultra high price of $1,000 over 3 years indefinitely.
Good luck!

Maybe visit some free panels?

tbo, I don't think you'll be happy with anything but your x3 cPanel ui.
 
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