Yes — and in most shared hosting, cloud VPS panels, or cPanel/WHM environments in 2025, you can (and should) do it directly from the control panel, without manually editing configuration files.By default, MySQL and MariaDB only accept connections from localhost for security.
We offer a graphical option to enable remote access safely through their control panel.
How to Enable Remote Access via Control Panel
In DirectAdmin control panel:
Go to "MySQL Management" → “Remote MySQL”
Same idea: enter the client IP or %
In cPanel / WHM control panel:
Go to "MySQL Databases" → “Remote MySQL”
Add the IP or % (any host). Wildcard % is allowed but not recommended.
Security Tips (Even When Using the Panel)
Just log in to your hosting control panel (cPanel or DirectAdmin) and activate “Remote MySQL” by adding your IP — no need to touch configuration files or restart services.
- Never leave % (any IP) enabled forever — only temporarily if you have a dynamic IP
- Prefer adding only your current IP (you can find it at https://whatismyipaddress.com)
- Use very strong passwords for database users
- If possible, force SSL connections (many panels now have a “Require SSL” checkbox)
- For maximum security, use an SSH tunnel or a VPN instead of direct remote access
Conclusion
Yes, remote access to MySQL/MariaDB is not only possible but extremely easy.
Just log in to your hosting control panel (cPanel or DirectAdmin) and activate “Remote MySQL” by adding your IP — no need to touch configuration files or restart services.
In less than 2 minutes you’ll be able to connect from your home computer, another server, DBeaver, TablePlus, HeidiSQL, or any application using the server’s public IP on port 3306. Safe and straightforward! 
