Pricing changes/updates as of July 1, 2019 (No, we aren't raising our prices)

[johannes]

Just want to say - the price was ridiculous low - and its still, even with the new schema. And - everywhere in the web what i see so far - the people are more than angry about the cPanel/WHM price increasement (200% - 800%), and most of them considering a change to DA right now. This will bring a lot of work and support requests for the DA stuff, so its more than fair with the new price schema (DA does technically all and more than cPanel, with lower footprint on server resources), which is still always a lot below the cPanel prices.

 

[Richard G]

I fully agree with you. And it's also better than Plesk too.

 

[Endre Ottem]

We currently have a little more than 30 cPanel servers. Moving away from cPanel would probably take a couple of years, but we are destined to do so no matter what cPanel’s next move will be. If anything, they’ve proved thay cannot be trusted and that their clients aren’t important to them. Also, chances are that there won’t be much left of cPanel if most of their clients move away.

We have been testing DA for a little more than a year, trying to figure out the API, as we want to build it into our own client area (our own WHMCS, if you will) that we’ve
developed ourselves (currently fully functional for cPanel).

Our biggest concern with DA (perhaps except the fact that the API is either lacking some functions, or the docs for the API is missing something) was the fact that DA selling lifetime licenses didn’t seem like a viable and future proof solution. As I was watching cPanel destroy their reputation over night, my first thought was that if all their clients moved to DA and bought lifetime licenses, DA would soon be overloaded with work, providing support and answering forum posts from clients that eventually wouldn’t bring any money into DA, except for the initial investment in one or more lifetime licenses.

My point is this, the new DA price model means that a sudden increase in the number of clients also means DA would earn more money, which hopefully will put them in a position were they can hire more staff and thereby be able to actually manage the increased work load and put more time into developing DA further. So this is a good thing, not only for DA, but for all of us wanting a solid cPanel alternative.

I would actually prefer it if DA made the $99 yearly update price mandatory. Or remove the owned license altogether. The most important thing (for me at least) is to know that my «panel provider» is making money, meaning they will be in it for the long haul.

On a final note, I truly believe the cPanel fiasco will turn out to be one of the best things that has happened in the hosting business (which I’ve been a part of since 1996). cPanel and Plesk has had a much too large piece of the market, and if nothing else, the last days events has shown that that’s a bad thing.

 

[Richard8]

Thank you for the transparency!

 

[ikkeben]

Wich kind off updates?


Also the normal version / fixes updates?

The only exception is our $299 lifetime license. It is still being offered with a "never expire" promise, support/updates for 1 year, and you can (optionally) add another year at any time for $99.

 

[gounder]

One think I would like to see DA implement is an instant IP change for a license. currently this is done
after manually after confirming at DA end. This is something cPanel offers and would be great.

Apart for this, I am extremely pleased with they way DA is shaping to be. Yes may be as appealing as
cPanel but it gets job done effectively and with less resource hog. Also looking forward for a cPanel
"X" Theme like skin for DA from Kris @ LET who plans to code soon.

 

[sparek]

Hello, I apologize for some of the confusion. I failed to consider, not everybody realizes there is a different between public/retail/external licenses, and the licenses that datacenters use. The pricing on our main page is the public, end-user licensing. For example, $29/month license. This is the type of license you buy if you want the license in your own name, to use on any server in the future, and get support directly from us. It is your license. You can take it with you, anywhere you go.

Now, there is also internal (datacenter) licenses. If you rent a server from OVH, they will offer DirectAdmin for a small fee. Much less than $29/month. But this isn't your license, it is theirs. You don't own it, you don't take it with you when you leave OVH, and OVH is the only who can offer you technical support on it. Because of these restrictions, and because they purchase in large quantities, they get way better pricing than $29/month you see on our page. And they pass the savings along to you, offering a license cheaper than we do.

Perhaps this has been mentioned some where and I missed it.

But am I correct in that the only way to get a license for DirectAdmin is either through you directly or via a partnered server provider - like OVH (since you used that as an example) - so called "internal" licenses?

I'm seeing where other licensing providers (who I will not name) are selling or seeming to sell DirectAdmin licenses. They don't directly sell dedicated servers or VPSs. So I'm guessing what they are doing is wrong?

You don't sell licenses to bulk resellers for external licenses, do you?

 

[caniac22]

I just bought my first license before this change and because of that I have zero available to buy. With the recent cPanel changed I have one maybe two clients who are going to jump ship. Is there any way I can get that changed to 2? Obviously buying two isn't abuse.

 

[licenseha]

API Update

Dear DirectAdmin support team

Hello

Would You Please update last modification about price or policy update ......... in the API ?

 

[Meiji]

My thoughts are this. I am a small business. I wouldn't even call me small medium..

I love the idea of a small limit license. The price has to be smail as well. I think allowing at least 6 accounts per licence would give you an advantage to selling more as both "Voldemort" and Plesk have 5. (had to use the Harry Potter reference, had to be first)

+1 for this.

Additionally, how about a license for 50 accounts for those low end/budget dedicated servers?

I must say, at first I was very skeptical of DirectAdmin. But for the past few days your transperency and involment with the community helped eased my concerns. Thank you for this and keep up the good work!

 

[MrTuNNe]

I am very excited about the Lite license
I hope it will be very helpful for users with VPS

 

[DirectAdmin Sales]

Everybody -- thank you for the kind words, and being willing to understand the reasoning behind lifetime license removal. Our long-term customer base has been amazing about this, even some of our largest datacenter partners. Lifetime license is a bad business practice -- impossible to sustain forever, and gives people the expectation it can last forever. I would not do it again.

@Endre Ottem -- thanks for a comment from the "other side" -- someone realizing our decision makes us stronger. A strategic decision, not a greedy one.

@gounder -- instant IP change by default, I don't see why not within limitations (it must be managed/throttled somehow). You don't want to wait to use a new IP.

@sparek -- Internal licenses are for datacenters to "resell" but only in the sense of bundling DA with one of their server products. Nobody with internal licenses should tel you that they can sell you a real license, in your own name, for use anywhere.

@caniac22 you'd have to open a support ticket, or throttler had a bug for a short while so we are willing to look at each account manually


Regarding the Lite license, it is not meant to compete with normal licenses or interfere with datacenter's desirable licenses. Lite is going to be a very personal license, meant for a single person. Personal/hobby user. Someone who wants a control panel for a few sites or projects, maybe hosting a site for a friend, etc. And as a result, it has to be cheap. We can keep it sustainable by offering community support only, and it is a recurring product.

Also, it will be so cheap that a monthly fee won't work. PayPal or credt card fees would eat most of it. So it will be a yearly price.

That is all I can share for now. If you are looking for a license with dozens of domains, lots of different login users, then this isn't Lite.

 

[lolfust1]

Everybody -- thank you for the kind words, and being willing to understand the reasoning behind lifetime license removal. Our long-term customer base has been amazing about this, even some of our largest datacenter partners. Lifetime license is a bad business practice -- impossible to sustain forever, and gives people the expectation it can last forever. I would not do it again.

@Endre Ottem -- thanks for a comment from the "other side" -- someone realizing our decision makes us stronger. A strategic decision, not a greedy one.

@gounder -- instant IP change by default, I don't see why not within limitations (it must be managed/throttled somehow). You don't want to wait to use a new IP.

@sparek -- Internal licenses are for datacenters to "resell" but only in the sense of bundling DA with one of their server products. Nobody with internal licenses should tel you that they can sell you a real license, in your own name, for use anywhere.

@caniac22 you'd have to open a support ticket, or throttler had a bug for a short while so we are willing to look at each account manually


Regarding the Lite license, it is not meant to compete with normal licenses or interfere with datacenter's desirable licenses. Lite is going to be a very personal license, meant for a single person. Personal/hobby user. Someone who wants a control panel for a few sites or projects, maybe hosting a site for a friend, etc. And as a result, it has to be cheap. We can keep it sustainable by offering community support only, and it is a recurring product.

Also, it will be so cheap that a monthly fee won't work. PayPal or credt card fees would eat most of it. So it will be a yearly price.

That is all I can share for now. If you are looking for a license with dozens of domains, lots of different login users, then this isn't Lite.

just dont remove the owned license!

 

[r3chn3r]

just dont remove the owned license!

I don’t think they would ever do that. A promise is a promise. Even cPanel has lifetime licenses out there still in the wild. I bought and sold one.

 

[Richard G]

I don’t think they would ever do that. A promise is a promise. Even cPanel has lifetime licenses out there still in the wild. I bought and sold one.

What's the use of bying one?

From 2005.....

One time licenses are currently priced at USD $1250.00 This includes one year of basic support, as well as free upgrades for two years, or to any newer version of cPanel (whichever is longer). Additional years updates costs $ 300,-.
So as far as I read it, these do not have lifetime free updates like the DA owned license.

 

[gounder]

What's the use of bying one?

From 2005.....

One time licenses are currently priced at USD $1250.00 This includes one year of basic support, as well as free upgrades for two years, or to any newer version of cPanel (whichever is longer). Additional years updates costs $ 300,-.
So as far as I read it, these do not have lifetime free updates like the DA owned license.

The onetime license when I purchased from cPanel around 2007 was at $1,199.99. They stopped free updates around 2010. There after the renewal update was at $160/yr and they raised it to $180/yr from 2013. Will see how long they allow us to retain these onetime license with option to renew update.

 

[ozgurerdogan]

What's the use of bying one?

From 2005.....


The onetime license when I purchased from cPanel around 2007 was at $1,199.99. They stopped free updates around 2010. There after the renewal update was at $160/yr and they raised it to $180/yr from 2013. Will see how long they allow us to retain these onetime license with option to renew update.

I think DA has far different client satisfaction priority than Cpanel. But you are right to point that. I hope they do not increase it in future. Or would they ?

 

[xaoseric]

Moving/pushing is stopped permanently for everybody as of right away. It's not just about preventing a legacy license black market. We had problems even before this announcement, mostly relating to fraud. Accounts were hacked (e.g. weak passwords) and the "seller" made money. The buyer then discovered he was hacked and demanded his licenses back. The buyer wondered where his new licenses went, it seems they vanished. Buyer demands we compensate him, even though the thief got the money.. etc etc.

The other scam was buying a legitimate license, selling it legit, and then doing a credit card charge-back. All we did was help a thief get free money, and the new innocent buyer wonders why his license suddenly shows as suspended from billing error.

The last single-license used sale cost me 3 hours of support time, just for nothing. Sorry for complaining to everybody but it shows how such a procedure seems good in theory (allowing customers to move licenses) but it causes too many problems.

I would like to see email based login instead of having to remember the customer ID, and I would like to see 2FA implemented.

 

[laracroftonline]

I would like to see email based login instead of having to remember the customer ID, and I would like to see 2FA implemented.

Good suggestions, i would like to see a plugin/themes directory and a api documentation so apps could be developed quicker.

 

[JFOC]

do you think to have a quick survey or polling for Lite license ?
Example:
lite license comes with 50 sites, unlimited subdomain, unlimited email account, etc ...
lite license comes with 30 sites, unlimited subdomain, unlimited email account, etc ...

Everybody -- thank you for the kind words, and being willing to understand the reasoning behind lifetime license removal. Our long-term customer base has been amazing about this, even some of our largest datacenter partners. Lifetime license is a bad business practice -- impossible to sustain forever, and gives people the expectation it can last forever. I would not do it again.

@Endre Ottem -- thanks for a comment from the "other side" -- someone realizing our decision makes us stronger. A strategic decision, not a greedy one.

@gounder -- instant IP change by default, I don't see why not within limitations (it must be managed/throttled somehow). You don't want to wait to use a new IP.

@sparek -- Internal licenses are for datacenters to "resell" but only in the sense of bundling DA with one of their server products. Nobody with internal licenses should tel you that they can sell you a real license, in your own name, for use anywhere.

@caniac22 you'd have to open a support ticket, or throttler had a bug for a short while so we are willing to look at each account manually


Regarding the Lite license, it is not meant to compete with normal licenses or interfere with datacenter's desirable licenses. Lite is going to be a very personal license, meant for a single person. Personal/hobby user. Someone who wants a control panel for a few sites or projects, maybe hosting a site for a friend, etc. And as a result, it has to be cheap. We can keep it sustainable by offering community support only, and it is a recurring product.

Also, it will be so cheap that a monthly fee won't work. PayPal or credt card fees would eat most of it. So it will be a yearly price.

That is all I can share for now. If you are looking for a license with dozens of domains, lots of different login users, then this isn't Lite.