Honest comparison · 2026

BeAdmin vs CloudPanel

CloudPanel is a lean, fast developer panel — a modern React UI, Node.js and Python runtimes, and ARM64 support. By design it ships no mail server and no DNS. BeAdmin is a full hosting panel with mail, DNS and a built‑in VPN, and fits 512 MB. Where the two really differ — below.

See docs

Free core · 512 MB RAM · Mail, DNS & VPN included

Entry price

Both free
BeAdmin
Free core
CloudPanel
Free CE

Minimum RAM

−75%
BeAdmin
512 MB
CloudPanel
2 GB

Mail & DNS

Only BeAdmin
BeAdmin
Built‑in
CloudPanel
None

Built‑in VPN

Only BeAdmin
BeAdmin
5 protocols
CloudPanel
None
01 — differences

Key differences

Mail and DNS, built in

CloudPanel ships no mail server and no DNS — that is a deliberate dev‑panel choice. BeAdmin includes a mail server, webmail and DNS zones out of the box.

Five VPN protocols, zero plugins

Xray, WireGuard, OpenVPN, Outline and Amnezia are modules in the same UI. CloudPanel ships no VPN at all.

Built for hosting, not just deploys

CloudPanel targets developers deploying apps. BeAdmin is an all‑in‑one hosting panel — mail, DNS, file manager and Docker for running sites and services.

Runs on a quarter of the RAM

BeAdmin starts at 512 MB. CloudPanel asks for 2 GB minimum, so the same tiny VPS that fits BeAdmin is too small for it.

02 — features

Feature comparison

Values pulled from each panel’s public docs. CloudPanel is a lean dev panel with runtimes and ARM64; BeAdmin is a full hosting panel with mail, DNS and VPN — we mark each row plainly.

Foundations
7
  • Supported OS
    BeAdmin Debian, Ubuntu
    CloudPanel Debian 11/12/13, Ubuntu 22/24
  • Min RAM
    BeAdmin 512 MB
    CloudPanel 2 GB
  • Min disk
    BeAdmin 10 GB
    CloudPanel 10 GB
  • Architecture
    BeAdmin x86_64
    CloudPanel x86_64 + ARM64
  • Pick‑and‑mix modules
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel No
  • Multi‑server from one UI
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel No
  • Site limit
    BeAdmin Unlimited
    CloudPanel Unlimited
Web & runtimes
7
  • Nginx
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel Yes
  • Apache + Nginx hybrid
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel No
  • Multiple PHP versions per site
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel Yes
  • Node.js / Python runtimes
    BeAdmin No
    CloudPanel Yes
  • OpenLiteSpeed / LiteSpeed
    BeAdmin No
    CloudPanel No
  • WordPress one‑click toolkit
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel Yes
  • Docker (managed module)
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel No
Data & mail
6
  • MariaDB / MySQL
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel Yes
  • PostgreSQL
    BeAdmin Soon
    CloudPanel No
  • phpMyAdmin built‑in
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel Yes
  • Self‑managed mail server
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel No
  • Webmail (Roundcube)
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel No
  • DKIM / SPF / DMARC autoconfig
    BeAdmin Partial
    CloudPanel No
Security
6
  • Let’s Encrypt automation
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel Yes
  • Brute‑force / bot protection
    BeAdmin No
    CloudPanel Partial
  • WAF (ModSecurity)
    BeAdmin No
    CloudPanel No
  • Built‑in VPN modules (5 protocols)
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel No
  • Granular per‑task permissions
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel Yes
  • DNS zone management
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel No
Operations
6
  • CLI & API access
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel Yes
  • Backups to S3 / cloud storage
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel Yes
  • WHMCS billing out of the box
    BeAdmin No
    CloudPanel No
  • First‑class dark mode
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel Yes
  • Forever‑free tier
    BeAdmin Yes
    CloudPanel Yes
  • Free trial
    BeAdmin Not needed
    CloudPanel Not needed
03 — why beadmin

Why pick BeAdmin over CloudPanel

MAIL & DNS INCLUDED

Host mail and DNS, not just code

CloudPanel deliberately leaves out mail and DNS — it expects you to run those elsewhere. BeAdmin includes a mail server, webmail and DNS zones in the same panel, so a single box can host the whole site, inbox and records.

VPN INCLUDED

Privacy stack out of the box

Xray, WireGuard, OpenVPN, Outline, Amnezia — turn any of them on with a single click. CloudPanel has no VPN at all; you would build and maintain that part yourself outside the panel.

ALL‑IN‑ONE HOSTING

A hosting panel, not a deploy tool

CloudPanel is tuned for deploying apps on cloud VPS. BeAdmin covers the classic hosting job end to end — sites, mail, DNS, a file manager and a managed Docker module, plus Apache alongside Nginx.

LIGHTER FOOTPRINT

Fits a small VPS

BeAdmin runs on 512 MB. CloudPanel asks for 2 GB minimum, so the smallest box that comfortably hosts BeAdmin is well under what CloudPanel needs. Smaller server, smaller monthly cost.

04 — pros & cons

What each panel does well — and where each gives ground

CloudPanel is a lean, fast dev panel with runtimes and ARM64; BeAdmin is a full hosting panel with mail, DNS and a VPN, on lighter hardware. Synthesised from public docs and our own usage — your mileage may vary.

BeAdmin

Strengths

  • Free core plus modules from $1/mo
  • Runs comfortably on 512 MB RAM
  • Mail server, webmail and DNS out of the box
  • Apache and Nginx; managed Docker module
  • Five built‑in VPN protocols (Xray, WireGuard, OpenVPN, Outline, Amnezia)
  • Multi‑server from one UI; modern dark mode

Trade‑offs

  • No Node.js or Python runtimes
  • No ARM64 builds today (x86_64 only)
  • PostgreSQL not yet a managed module
  • Fewer cloud backup targets than CloudPanel
  • Not tuned specifically for cloud‑VPS deploys

CloudPanel

Strengths

  • Free Community Edition — no contract, no hidden costs
  • Lean, fast stack (Nginx + PHP‑FPM + Redis)
  • Node.js and Python in isolated environments
  • ARM64 support — cheaper cloud instances
  • Modern React UI with site isolation
  • Rich cloud backups (S3, Wasabi, Dropbox, Hetzner)

Trade‑offs

  • No mail server (by design)
  • No DNS (by design)
  • No VPN of any kind
  • Nginx only — no Apache, no managed Docker
  • Single‑server; needs 2 GB minimum
05 — pricing

Two free panels, two different jobs

Both panels are free. CloudPanel’s Community Edition has no paid tier at all; BeAdmin keeps the core free and charges only for the modules you switch on.

BeAdmin — free core + modules

Free core

0 € forever, no account required
  • Nginx, MariaDB, PHP, CRON
  • Mail server and DNS
  • File manager, users, roles
  • Backups, scheduler, monitoring

Add modules à la carte

From 1 €/mo. Enable only what you need, disable any time — no per‑account fee. The VPN family lives here.

CloudPanel — free Community Edition
  • Community Edition

    $0

    free, open‑source

    • Full panel
    • ·
    • Unlimited sites
  • Runtimes

    Included

    no extra cost

    • Node.js
    • ·
    • Python
  • Mail / DNS

    None

    by design

    • No mail server
    • ·
    • No DNS
  • Cloud focus

    Free

    AWS, Hetzner, DO

    • ARM64 support
    • ·
    • Cloud backups

CloudPanel is fully free with no paid tier — no contract, no hidden costs. The trade‑off is scope: it ships no mail server and no DNS by design.

CloudPanel details from cloudpanel.io (2026). BeAdmin module pricing from beadmin.com.

06 — requirements

System requirements

The smallest VPS each panel will comfortably run on. Numbers are vendor‑stated minimums and recommendations.

  • Minimum RAM
    BeAdmin 512 MB
    CloudPanel 2 GB
  • Recommended RAM
    BeAdmin 1 GB
    CloudPanel 2 GB+
  • Minimum disk
    BeAdmin 10 GB
    CloudPanel 10 GB
  • CPU
    BeAdmin 1 core
    CloudPanel 1 core
  • Architecture
    BeAdmin x86_64
    CloudPanel x86_64 + ARM64
  • Supported OS
    BeAdmin Debian, Ubuntu
    CloudPanel Debian 11/12/13, Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 LTS

Source: CloudPanel install docs (cloudpanel.io). BeAdmin requirements from internal documentation.

07 — migration

Migrating from CloudPanel

CloudPanel already runs on Debian or Ubuntu, so usually no OS change is needed. The old panel stays up until you decide to retire it.

01

Install BeAdmin on a fresh Debian or Ubuntu server

CloudPanel runs on Debian and Ubuntu, so you can install BeAdmin on the same OS family. One apt command brings up the free BeAdmin core — run it alongside CloudPanel and switch over only when ready.

02

Move sites and databases

Transfer Nginx vhost configs and databases (mysqldump) manually or with your own scripts. BeAdmin does not import CloudPanel backups directly — that is an honest gap. Note: BeAdmin has no Node.js or Python runtimes, so apps on those move over only as static or PHP workloads. Migration notes live in our docs.

03

Add mail, DNS and switch over

CloudPanel had no mail or DNS, so set those up fresh in BeAdmin — a gain, not a loss. Flip DNS when you are comfortable; if anything looks off, revert it to the old server in one record change.

08 — questions

Frequently asked questions

CloudPanel is an excellent lean dev panel — a fast Nginx stack, Node.js and Python runtimes, ARM64 and a modern UI. BeAdmin covers a different need: mail, DNS and a built‑in VPN that CloudPanel deliberately leaves out, plus a 512 MB footprint. If you deploy apps to cloud VPS, CloudPanel is a fair choice; if you need full hosting with mail, DNS and VPN, BeAdmin fits.

No — and that is on purpose. CloudPanel is built for developers deploying apps, so it ships no mail server and no DNS by design; you run those elsewhere. BeAdmin includes a mail server, webmail and DNS zones in the panel, so a single box can host the whole site, inbox and records.

Not today. Node.js and Python runtimes are a genuine CloudPanel strength — it runs them in isolated environments out of the box. BeAdmin focuses on PHP web hosting and does not offer managed Node or Python runtimes. If your app needs those, CloudPanel is the better fit, and we would rather say that plainly.

Not yet. CloudPanel supports ARM64, which can cut cloud‑instance costs, and BeAdmin is x86_64 only today. That is another honest point in CloudPanel’s favour if cheaper ARM instances matter to you.

Not directly. BeAdmin has no native importer for CloudPanel backups, so sites and databases move over manually or with your own scripts. Node.js and Python apps have nowhere to land on BeAdmin, since it has no managed runtimes for them. We would rather say that plainly than promise compatibility we do not have.

Start managing infrastructure the way you actually want to

The panel core is free. Pay only for the modules you connect.

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