A cheap VPS with cPanel costs two things: the server and the cPanel license. On shared hosting the panel is included; on a VPS it’s a separate monthly fee — and the cheapest VPS plans often can’t run cPanel at all, because cPanel needs more disk and memory than they offer.
This guide shows the real total, the minimum server cPanel needs, how the license is priced, and when a cheaper control panel makes more sense.
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How much does it cost a cheap VPS hosting with cPanel?
Copahost offers a variety of cheap VPS hosting plans from 3,99€ , and instant activation. We can help you performing the initial configurations of your server if you prefer. If you are unsure about what’s the best VPS hosting plan for you, you can contact Copahost and explain your needs. We will give you the best advice possible.
| Plan | RAM | vCPU | SSD | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSD Cloud 0 | 1 GB | 1 core | 10 GB | €3,99/month |
| SSD Cloud I | 2 GB | 2 cores | 50 GB | €14,99/month |
| SSD Cloud II | 4 GB | 4 cores | 100 GB | €24,99/month |
| SSD Cloud III | 8 GB | 8 cores | 150 GB | €38,99/month |
⚠️ Not every plan can run cPanel. cPanel requires at least 20 GB of disk and recommends 2 GB of RAM, so the smallest plan above is suited to lighter panels or command-line use. The smallest plan that runs cPanel comfortably is SSD Cloud I — which puts a realistic cPanel VPS at €26,99 per month, license included.
| Plan | Server | cPanel license | Total per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSD Cloud I | €14,99 | €12 | €26,99 |
| SSD Cloud II | €24,99 | €12 | €36,99 |
| SSD Cloud III | €38,99 | €12 | €50,99 |
All plans include one IP address, full root access, KVM virtualization, 100% SSD RAID-10 storage, free backups and OS reinstalls, DDoS protection, and a basic server management package. Unlimited domains can be hosted on any plan. The cPanel license is an add-on — the next section explains how cPanel licensing works. If none of these fit, you can build a custom configuration choosing RAM, disk, vCPUs and IPs.
Is the cPanel license included in a VPS?
No — and this catches people out, because on shared hosting cPanel comes free. On a VPS the licence is a separate cost, and since mid-2019 cPanel charges per cPanel account on the server, not per server.
The tiers work by account count: one account, up to 5, up to 30, up to 50, up to 100, and a per-account fee beyond that. Three things worth knowing before you budget:
- Suspended accounts still count toward your total.
- Prices rise every January. cPanel has increased them each year since the 2019 restructure.
- A cloud licence can move between servers, which matters if you migrate or run a failover box.
At Copahost the cPanel license is €12 per month, added to your VPS plan. You can also run the server without cPanel — DirectAdmin and other panels are available, and the license cost is a real part of the total worth comparing.
cPanel and WHM: what you get on a VPS
A cPanel VPS comes with two panels. WHM (Web Host Manager) is the server-level panel: you use it to create accounts, set resource limits, update the server and restart services. cPanel is the account-level panel each website owner sees: files, email, databases, domains. On shared hosting you only ever see cPanel; on a VPS you’re the administrator, so you get both.
Managed or unmanaged?
Unmanaged means you get the server and root access, and everything else — updates, security, troubleshooting — is on you. Managed means the provider handles that layer. Copahost VPS plans include a basic management package: optimizations, module installs and security updates are handled for you, while your websites and their content remain yours to run. If you’ve never administered a Linux server, that difference matters more than any spec in the table.
Why choose a VPS with cPanel instead of shared hosting?
- Dedicated resources. Your RAM and CPU aren’t shared with other customers’ sites.
- Root access. Install software and change settings that shared hosting doesn’t allow.
- Isolation. A problem on someone else’s site can’t slow yours down.
- Multiple accounts. WHM lets you create separate cPanel accounts — for clients or for your own projects.
- Room to grow. Upgrade RAM, CPU and disk without migrating.
Can I upgrade or downgrade the server later?
In a VPS Server you are able to upgrade or downgrade resources anytime, without losing data. No long terms necessary: the VPS Hosting service is based in a month-to-month contract. Such hosting service allows you to increase or decrease your resources as per your company needs.
If you are engaged in a marketing campaign, and you predicting to receive tons of visitors, just ask the support and you can have your server upgraded. The campaign ended, and you will no longer need the allocated resources? Just give a few clicks and your server will be brought back to its smaller resources.
Do I need Linux knowledge to manage a cPanel VPS?
The cPanel VPS license allows you to perform every administrative task. Having a VPS With cPanel allows you to have the full control of your server.
cPanel offers many server management possibilities. You can track CPU usage, Server load, memory usage, disk space, etc. It’s possible to identify customers or processes that are causing performance issues in your server.
Each server process can be traced and mitigated, without any Linux command line knowledge. If you have your server with a slowdown, don’t worry. Just open the WHM control panel, perform a few clicks, and you will be able to find out what’s causing the issue quickly. MySQL usage and Apache can be mitigated quickly as well. Found a process causing problems? Just kill it. Found a customer generating overloads in your MySQL database? You can notify or suspend the customer immediately.
Service restarts are also made within a few clicks. You can restart any service you wish in the section Restart Services. To reach WHM and cPanel on your own server you’ll use their dedicated ports — our guide on cPanel ports lists all of them.
Can I resell hosting from a cPanel VPS?
Yes — WHM lets you create and manage separate client accounts, each with its own cPanel. That’s a different use case with its own considerations, covered in our guide on cheap reseller hosting.
What can I install on a cPanel VPS?
Another important advantage of having a cheap VPS hosting with cPanel is being able to customize your server as your needs. Installing Tomcat, Ruby, Django is perfectly possible. Many applications aren’t allowed in most of the cheap web hosting plans out there. Having a VPS Server allows you to customize your server configuration just like you need.
cPanel has an automated interface to install custom Perl modules as well. cPanel also includes EasyApache, which is a graphic-guided apache compiler. In EasyApache you are able to choose the Apache web server and PHP versions, and install modules like LibGD, ImageMagick, PDO, and many others. All without technical experience.
How do backups work on a cPanel VPS?
cPanel has improved a lot of its backup system. Now it’s possible to perform multiple backups in more than one location. You are able to have automated backups from the entire server, or from specific hosting accounts only. The backup will run in the background, nearly not affecting your server performance, and will let you know if any failure occurs. Even in a Cheap VPS Hosting with cPanel server, you are able to handle backups perfectly.
Customers can perform backups of their content anytime, through their control panel as well. They can back up the entire site, or only email accounts, databases, etc.
KVM virtualization, SSD RAID-10 storage, full root access and DDoS protection — with a basic server management package, so optimizations, module installs and security updates are handled for you. Add the cPanel license for €12 a month, host as many domains as your server’s resources allow, and scale up or down month to month. Instant activation.
See VPS plans →Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a cPanel VPS cost?
At Copahost, the smallest VPS that runs cPanel comfortably is SSD Cloud I — 2 GB of RAM, 2 vCPUs and 50 GB of SSD — at €14,99 per month. The cPanel license adds €12, so a realistic cPanel VPS costs €26,99 per month, license included. Larger plans go up to 8 GB of RAM and 150 GB of SSD.
What’s the minimum VPS to run cPanel?
cPanel requires at least 20 GB of disk and 1 GB of RAM, and recommends 40 GB and 2 GB for real use. In practice, a VPS with 2 GB of RAM and 50 GB of disk is the comfortable starting point — smaller plans are better suited to lighter panels or command-line use.
Is the cPanel license included in a VPS?
No. On shared hosting cPanel is included in the plan, but on a VPS the license is a separate cost because the server is yours. At Copahost it costs €12 per month on top of the VPS plan. cPanel itself prices licenses by the number of cPanel accounts on the server rather than per server, a model it introduced in 2019.
Can I get a VPS with free cPanel?
Not with cPanel itself — on a VPS it’s always a paid license, because the server is yours. If the license cost matters, lighter panels such as DirectAdmin cost less, and free open-source panels exist, though with fewer features and less support. Our comparison of free cPanel alternatives covers the options.
What’s the difference between cPanel and WHM?
WHM is the server-level panel you use as the VPS administrator — creating accounts, setting limits, restarting services. cPanel is the panel inside each account, used to manage one site’s files, email and databases. A cPanel VPS includes both.
Is a cPanel VPS managed or unmanaged?
It depends on the provider. Unmanaged means everything beyond the hardware is on you; managed means the provider handles updates and security. Copahost VPS plans include a basic management package — optimizations, module installs and security updates are handled for you — while your websites and their content remain yours to run.
How many websites can I host on a cPanel VPS?
There’s no limit on domains — you can host as many websites as the server’s resources support. The practical limit is RAM, CPU and disk, not a policy. Note that if you create separate cPanel accounts for clients, the number of accounts affects which cPanel license tier you need.
Do I need Linux knowledge to manage a cPanel VPS?
Not for everyday tasks. WHM and cPanel handle account creation, email, databases, PHP versions and service restarts through a graphical interface. You get full root access if you want it, and Copahost’s basic management package covers optimizations, module installs and security updates.
Can I upgrade or downgrade my VPS later?
Yes, at any time and without data loss. VPS hosting is billed month to month, so you can scale up before a traffic peak and back down afterwards. Adding RAM, CPU or disk doesn’t require rebuilding the server or migrating your sites.
When should I move from shared hosting to a VPS?
The usual triggers are hitting resource limits on shared hosting, needing software the shared environment doesn’t allow, wanting root access for custom configurations, or hosting enough sites that isolation and dedicated resources matter. If your current site works fine and you don’t need custom software, shared hosting is still the cheaper choice.
Can I use a different control panel instead of cPanel?
Yes. cPanel is one option among several, and the license cost is a real part of the total. DirectAdmin is a common alternative with lower licensing costs and the same core features — our comparison of cPanel vs DirectAdmin covers the differences.
Conclusion
A cheap VPS with cPanel is a real option — as long as you count both costs. The server is the smaller part; the cPanel license adds €12 a month, and the smallest VPS plans don’t meet cPanel’s minimum specs. At Copahost, that puts a realistic cPanel VPS at €26,99 per month, license included, on a plan with 2 GB of RAM and 50 GB of SSD.
What that buys you over shared hosting is control: dedicated resources, root access, WHM to create and manage separate accounts, and the freedom to install what shared plans don’t allow. Keep in mind that cPanel is licensed per account, so if you plan to host clients, the number of accounts matters as much as the server specs.
And be honest about whether you need it. If one or two sites run fine on shared hosting, a VPS is extra cost and extra responsibility. If you want a VPS but the license is what hurts, DirectAdmin does most of the same work for less. The right choice is the one where you pay for what you’ll actually use.
