Here’s what I think of ScalaHosting’s SPanel

Operating system support: CentOS, Linux and Windows

Portability to different platforms

Whilst SPanel is a purpose-built admin panel by ScalaHosting, it is actually available as a standalone tool. It claims to support any virtual or private server and can even be managed by ScalaHosting on Digital Ocean, AWS, and, of course, ScalaHosting itself. The panel is cPanel compatible, which means migration to the platform should be easy, and if you need to migrate by hand, Scala also offers “unlimited migration.” Since it’s a fairly niche admin panel, not many other admin panels have automated importers, so in the rare case that you want to switch to another one, you may have a bit of extra work on your plate.

SPanel offers a no-nonsense pricing structure, which we really appreciate. Instead of holding back features for more expensive plans, it offers the kitchen sink, including unlimited websites, on all plans and instead charges per user. This makes it great if you’re looking for a budget-friendly control panel and have lots of websites to host, but primarily for your own use. Even for reselling, it works out slightly cheaper than the alternatives. However, reselling often demands a more flexible control panel to match customers’ varied demands, so we’d still recommend resellers splash slightly more money on a more mature control panel such as Plesk or cPanel. All plans also include 24/7 server management and support, which can be worth the monthly fee alone for those who need a little extra hand-holding.

Ease of use

When software is designed for both technical and non-technical users, there’s always a risk that an overly simplified user interface can limit the control you have over the underlying software. Thankfully, SPanel does a great job explaining the technical parts without removing any control. SPanel’s creators, ScalaHosting, have a wealth of experience dealing directly with hosting customers, and that really shines in their user interface. Whilst the user interface does work on mobile, it would be nice to have it optimized so there’s less zooming involved.

Support

Web server support

Supports the usual Apache but has a single-click setup for faster drop-in replacements like Lightspeed. It also supports nginx as a reverse proxy, meaning you can have the best of both worlds – using nginx’s lightning-fast performance for static files such as images and CSS files whilst retaining Apache’s flexibility. SPanel really stands out here. There are a lot of easy to setup options and a clear focus on PHP performance.

Database support

Currently, it only supports MySQL/MariaDB, which is enough to host a lot of the most popular apps (WordPress, Magento, Joomla, and Drupal, to name a few), but it would be great to see support for alternative databases such as Postgres, which is gaining in popularity due to the more powerful features they offer. Again, it’s clear that SPanel is laser-focused on traditional PHP & MySQL setups, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if that’s your preferred tech stack.

Language support

Supports PHP and nodejs/Javascript, which is pretty essential. Languages such as Python require manual setup.

Email support

Includes Spam Assasin which is a pretty standard anti-spam tool.

Backups

Every account gets automatic offsite backup.

Extensions and apps

Being an admin panel that is focused on being optimized, SPanel understandably doesn’t boast a huge range of extensions. Like most other panels, there’s support for Softaculous so you have a whole host of apps you can install, but if you’re looking for extensibility in the admin panel itself, then it might be worth looking into cPanel or Plesk.

Security

Automatically set up SPF, DKIM & DMARC for emails, which are special anti-spam records to help prevent your emails from ending up in other people’s spam boxes. It includes 2-factor authentication, which is essential for a high-value target like a server. Regular automatic updates are a welcome addition, even if it does increase the risk of another CrowdStrike debacle. Built-in Let’s Encrypt support means free and easy SSL certificates. It includes a built-in web firewall called SShiel, which uses “AI” to determine malicious visitors. This means potentially more malicious visitors blocked but opens up more scope for false positives.

Final verdict

SPanel is a welcome new player to the market. It clearly has a narrower focus than some of the more traditional admin panels like Plesk and cPanel, but that narrow focus allows it to offer a considerably more optimized experience. Performance has been greatly enhanced with SPanel, which provides very easy options to speed up your website, which is vital for potentially computing-hungry applications such as WooCommerce. It also comes with a fantastic support offering, borrowing expertise from SPanel’s hosting company, ScalaHosting. While you will sacrifice a bit of flexibility with a simpler admin panel like SPanel, if you want to host a standard PHP and MySQL/MariaDB application and you want it to be fast, then your best bet is SPanel. I’d recommend this to people who are hosting their own PHP & MySQL/MariaDB apps and care about performance. It could also be a good option for seasoned hosters who want something easy but aren’t afraid to install system packages directly when they need something not supported out of the box.