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Vexlyx vs cPanel
cPanel is the default most people picture when they think "hosting panel": decades of use, broad WordPress/PHP/mail support, a large ecosystem. It's also commercial, starting at $29.99/mo for a single account (Solo tier), and we couldn't find Git-based Docker app deployment described anywhere in cPanel's own product pages; its model centers on traditional PHP/web hosting, not modern app deploys.
Vexlyx covers the traditional side (WordPress, PHP, mail with DKIM/SPF/DMARC, DNS) and adds what cPanel doesn't: Git-based deploys for Next.js, Node, Python, React and static apps, with automatic SSL via Traefik. Free, self-hosted, MIT licensed.
Pick Vexlyx if
you want cPanel's traditional hosting coverage without the per-account license cost, and you also need to deploy modern apps.
cPanel may fit better if
you depend on a specific cPanel-ecosystem plugin or workflow Vexlyx doesn't replicate yet.
Full feature comparison
| Feature | Vexlyx | Coolify | Dokploy | CapRover | Plesk | cPanel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licence | MIT | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 + proprietary directory | Apache 2.0 | Commercial | Commercial |
| Entry price to self-host | Free | Free | Free | Free | From €6.60/mo | From $29.99/mo |
| Deploy Docker apps from Git | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not found |
| WordPress | Yes | Yes | Not found | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in mail server | Yes | Not found | Not found | Not found | Yes | Yes |
| Authoritative DNS hosting | Yes, opt-in | Not found | Not found | Not found | Yes | Yes |
| Multiple users and resellers | Yes | Not found | Yes | Not found | Yes | Yes |
Not found means we did not find the feature in the vendor's own pages. It does not mean the product lacks it. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.
Plesk price is the Web Admin edition (10 domains) on a VPS, billed yearly. cPanel price is the Solo tier (1 account), billed monthly.
Dokploy licenses most of its code under Apache 2.0 and reserves a proprietary directory for future paid features.
Coolify and Dokploy also sell optional managed cloud plans. Self-hosting is free.
Questions
Is Vexlyx a drop-in replacement for cPanel?
For WordPress, PHP, mail and DNS hosting, the feature set overlaps closely. Vexlyx doesn't replicate cPanel's plugin ecosystem, so a workflow built around a specific cPanel plugin may not transfer directly.
Why is cPanel so much more expensive?
cPanel is a long-established commercial product with per-account licensing, starting at $29.99/mo for its Solo tier. Vexlyx is free and open source (MIT), with no per-account fee.