Server control panels: ISPmanager, FASTPANEL, aaPanel

A panel turns a VPS into the kind of dashboard you know from shared hosting: sites, databases, mail and certificates are set up with a few clicks instead of editing config files. The three panels most often installed on Russian and budget international servers are ISPmanager, FASTPANEL and aaPanel. They differ in price, memory requirements and how much of the server they take over.

Updated 01.11.2026 · Find a VPS for your needs →

A control panel is a web interface on top of ordinary Linux. It installs a web server, several PHP versions, a database server, a mail server and FTP, and then writes their configuration itself whenever you add a site, a database or a mailbox. That is convenient if you are moving from shared hosting and would rather not learn nginx, or if one server hosts sites for several clients. The price of convenience is the memory the panel takes and the rule "configure only through the panel": it may overwrite manual edits to config files.

In short: how the three panels differ

	ISPmanager 6	FASTPANEL	aaPanel
Price	Lite €6.49, Pro €12.99, Host €22.99 a month; 14-day trial	Free, including for commercial use; extended licence €4.20 a month	Free edition; paid Pro with a 14-day trial
Number of sites	Lite — 10, Pro — 50, Host — unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Minimum memory	512 MB — 1 GB for a minimal install; 1.5 GB or more on AlmaLinux and Rocky	1 GB, 5 GB of disk	512 MB, 768 MB — 1 GB recommended
Needs a clean system	Preferably; the panel disables SELinux	Required	Required
Interface language	Russian, English	Russian, English	Mostly English
Hosts in the accsly catalog	188	39	18

ISPmanager prices are from the international site and apply since 1 February 2026; the Russian site lists the same editions at 512, 1,026 and 1,832 ₽ a month as of 1 November 2026. Hosts often sell the licence cheaper or include it in the plan, so compare the total price of the server with the panel. The host count comes from the accsly catalog as of 1 November 2026: how many companies offer the panel when you order a VPS.

ISPmanager: the Russian market standard

The most widespread panel in Russia: almost every large Russian host offers it, and if you have used shared hosting there, the interface is probably familiar. The editions differ in the number of sites: Lite is designed for 10 sites, Pro for 50 and adds Docker management and resource limits through CloudLinux, and Host removes the limit and is meant for those who resell hosting themselves.

What it does: different PHP versions for different sites, nginx in front of Apache or plain nginx, MySQL, MariaDB and PostgreSQL, mail with spam filtering, DNS, free certificates, scheduled backups, installing WordPress and other engines in a couple of clicks, importing sites from another server. For someone running several sites on 1C-Bitrix it is the most proven option: many Bitrix guides are written specifically for ISPmanager.

The downside is price: the licence is paid every month, and it became more expensive in 2026. If the host includes the panel in the plan, the downside goes away. Plans: VPS with ISPmanager.

FASTPANEL: free and simple

FASTPANEL is free for end users and hosts, including for commercial use, with no limit on the number of sites. The paid extended licence adds metrics export, white label and help with the server, but an ordinary site owner does not need it.

The panel installs nginx and Apache, several PHP versions, MySQL or MariaDB (you pick the version during setup), PostgreSQL, a mail server with webmail, FTP and phpMyAdmin, takes backups and issues certificates. The interface is simpler than ISPmanager's and is designed for a single owner with a dozen or two sites.

Installation is one command on a fresh Debian, Ubuntu, AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux system:

wget https://repo.fastpanel.direct/install_fastpanel.sh -O - | bash -

Afterwards the panel opens at https://server-IP:8888; the installer prints the login and password at the end. On first sign-in the panel asks for an email address, where the free licence is sent. Important: FASTPANEL will not install on a server that already runs nginx, Apache or MySQL. Plans: VPS with FASTPANEL.

aaPanel: lots of ready-made apps

aaPanel is the international version of BT Panel, a popular Chinese panel. The basic edition is free; the paid Pro adds extra modules. Its strong point is the app store: besides nginx or Apache with PHP and MySQL, you can install Redis, PostgreSQL, a Docker manager and other services in a couple of clicks.

The panel is lightweight: it needs about 60 MB of memory itself, so a 1 GB server still has room for sites. The interface, documentation and community are mostly in English. Like FASTPANEL, aaPanel requires a clean system with no web server, PHP or MySQL installed beforehand. Take the install command only from the official site aapanel.com: it changes with each panel version.

The installer prints the panel address with its port, the login and the password at the end. Save them and turn on HTTPS in the panel settings right away. Plans: VPS with aaPanel.

Which one to choose

One to three sites on WordPress or another CMS, minimal budget — FASTPANEL: free, no limits, interface available in Russian and English.
Client sites, Bitrix, Russian-language support and separate access rights needed — ISPmanager, preferably from a host that includes the licence in the plan.
A non-standard stack: Node.js, Redis, Docker alongside the sites — aaPanel, if an English interface suits you.
cPanel or Plesk required, for example because a client asks for it or the team is used to it — they cost more; plans are in VPS with cPanel and VPS with Plesk. A free alternative built on a similar idea is HestiaCP.

Count memory as the panel plus everything it runs. The panel itself is small, but the full set of services — web server, PHP-FPM, MySQL, mail with spam filtering — takes hundreds of megabytes before the first visitor arrives. A sensible minimum for a site with a panel is 2 GB of memory; for several sites with mail, 4 GB. More on memory and cores in How much memory and how many cores a website needs.

When you do not need a panel

A panel is unnecessary if the server runs a single application that you deploy from Git or in containers: a bot, an API, a Python or Node.js service. The panel will get in the way: it expects sites to be created through it and may overwrite your changes to the nginx configuration. For such a server it is easier to install the packages you need by hand or run everything in Docker; see Docker on a VPS: getting started.

Another case is when you already configure nginx and PHP-FPM confidently yourself. A couple of sites on plain nginx save memory and do not depend on panel updates.

Panel security

A panel is root-level access through a browser, and its port gets scanned just like SSH. The minimum worth doing right after installation:

change the administrator password issued by the installer or the host;
turn on two-factor sign-in if the panel supports it;
open the panel port in the firewall only for your own IP addresses and close it for everyone else;
enable HTTPS for the panel itself and automatic updates;
do not run two panels on one server at the same time, and do not install a panel on top of a server you have already configured by hand.

The remaining steps — updates, key-based sign-in, firewall — are collected in The first 10 steps after buying a VPS. Backups made by the panel are stored on the same server by default, so set up copying to external storage as described in VPS backups. If you are moving sites from shared hosting, the order of steps is in How to move a website from shared hosting to a VPS.

FAQ

Which VPS control panel is free?

FASTPANEL is free with no limit on the number of sites, including for commercial use. aaPanel has a free basic edition. ISPmanager is paid, but it works for 14 days after installation without payment, and many hosts include the licence in the plan.

How much does ISPmanager cost?

On the international site, since 1 February 2026: Lite for 10 sites is €6.49 a month, Pro for 50 sites €12.99, and Host with unlimited sites €22.99. Hosts often sell the licence cheaper or include it in the server price.

How much memory does a VPS with a control panel need?

The panels install on a server with 512 MB — 1 GB of memory, but together with the web server, PHP, MySQL and mail a sensible minimum for one site is 2 GB, and 4 GB for several sites with mail.

Can I install a panel on a server that already runs a site?

FASTPANEL and aaPanel require a clean system and will not install on a configured server. For any panel, the more reliable route is to get a new server and move the sites to it.

ISPmanager or FASTPANEL: which should I choose?

For a single owner with several sites, the free FASTPANEL is enough. ISPmanager is more convenient when the server hosts sites of different clients with separate access rights and resource limits, as well as for Bitrix and when you need Russian-language support.

Do I need a panel for a bot or an app in Docker?

Usually not. A panel is built for sites and mail and may overwrite manual nginx settings. A single application is easier to deploy by hand or in containers.

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