We’re biased, so we’ve kept it fair.
We run all our hosting on Enhance, so we have a side. But cPanel has been the standard control panel for shared hosting for many years, and it’s still a good one. Everything below comes from Enhance’s and cPanel’s own websites and documentation.
Both panels do the everyday jobs well: websites, email, databases, DNS, SSL certificates and backups. The real differences are in how they’re licensed, and in how they keep websites apart and spread them over servers.
cPanel grew up running a complete hosting stack on each server. Enhance was built later, around containers and clusters, so one dashboard can run many servers and every site is kept separate.
Enhance vs cPanel, side by side.
The differences that matter when you choose a control panel.
| Feature | Enhance | cPanel & WHM |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Enhance Hosting Automation Ltd (UK) | WebPros |
| Licensing model | Per website, per month, with lower rates at higher volumes | Per server, per month, in tiers by number of accounts |
| Servers | Unlimited servers in one cluster, run from one dashboard | Each server has its own licence and its own WHM |
| Architecture | Application, database, email, backup and DNS roles can sit on separate servers | A complete hosting stack on each server |
| Keeping sites apart | Every website in its own container, with hard CPU, memory and I/O limits | Per-account isolation and limits usually added with CloudLinux, a separate product |
| Web servers | LiteSpeed, OpenLiteSpeed, Apache or NGINX, switchable | Apache, with NGINX through EasyApache 4 and LiteSpeed through its own WHM plugin |
| Backups | Incremental backups included; restore a site, files, a database or a mailbox | Scheduled backups built in |
| WordPress tools | WordPress toolkit included | WP Toolkit: staging, cloning, updates and more |
| Security | ModSecurity firewall with OWASP rules, brute-force protection, free SSL and 2FA | SSL management, IP blocking, multi-factor authentication and malware scanning |
| Moving in | Built-in cPanel importer, from a full cPanel account backup | Transfer Tool copies accounts from other cPanel servers |
| Familiarity | Newer, with a smaller set of add-ons and guides | Widely known, with a large ecosystem of plugins, add-ons and guides |
Checked November 2026 against enhance.com and cpanel.net. Features and prices change, so check each vendor’s site before you buy a licence.
Licensing, in plain English.
Pay per website
You pay a small monthly amount for each website, and the rate drops as you host more. Servers in your cluster are unlimited, and staging copies and extra domains on a site aren’t counted.
Pay per server
Each server needs its own licence, priced by how many accounts it hosts. The top tier covers 100 accounts and charges for each one after that, and reseller accounts count too.
Nothing to pay
The Enhance licence is included in every plan, so you only ever pay your plan’s price. Want to see it? Explore our Enhance hosting.
What comes across, and what doesn’t.
Enhance’s built-in cPanel importer works from a full cPanel account backup. It brings across almost everything a typical website needs.
Not imported: Catch-all addresses, autoresponders, calendars and contacts, PostgreSQL databases, wildcard subdomains, directory privacy, custom error pages and old statistics. DNS comes across only as MX and SPF records, so the rest of your zone is set up again.
- All files
- MySQL and MariaDB databases
- Email accounts, passwords and mail
- Email forwarders
- Cron jobs
- Existing SSL certificates
- Installed applications
- FTP accounts
- Add-on, sub and parked domains
Who should stay on cPanel, and who should switch.
Stay on cPanel if…
You rely on cPanel-only tools
Some plugins and workflows only exist for cPanel. Check for an Enhance equivalent before you move.
Your team or clients know it well
Familiarity is worth something, especially if you support customers who are used to cPanel.
Your set-up works and you’re happy
Moving panels takes planning. If nothing is holding you back, there’s no rush.
Switch to Enhance if…
You host lots of sites over several servers
One cluster and one dashboard, with no extra charge for adding servers.
You want every site kept apart
Containers per website come as standard, without a separate isolation product.
You want a modern, simple panel
A clean dashboard for you and your clients, with a choice of web servers and backups built in.
Enhance vs cPanel questions.
Is Enhance a good cPanel alternative?
For most websites, yes. It covers the everyday jobs (websites, email, databases, DNS, SSL and backups), keeps every site in its own container and runs many servers as one cluster. If you depend on a cPanel-only plugin, check it has an Enhance equivalent first.
Is Enhance cheaper than cPanel?
It depends on your set-up, because the two are priced differently. Enhance charges per website and doesn’t charge for extra servers, while cPanel charges per server in tiers by number of accounts. Check both pricing pages for today’s figures. (Checked November 2026.)
Do SharedGrid customers pay for an Enhance licence?
No. The control panel is included in the price of every SharedGrid plan. You only buy your own licence if you run your own Enhance servers, which our Enhance Server Management team can look after for you.
Can I move my sites from cPanel to Enhance?
Yes. Enhance has a built-in cPanel importer that works from a full cPanel account backup. If you’re moving to SharedGrid, we do the whole move for you, free. How our free website migration works.
What doesn’t come across from cPanel?
According to Enhance’s documentation: catch-all addresses, autoresponders, calendars and contacts, PostgreSQL databases, wildcard subdomains, directory privacy, custom error pages and old statistics. DNS comes across only as MX and SPF records, so the rest of your zone is set up again.
Does Enhance work with WordPress?
Yes. It includes one-click installs and a WordPress toolkit, plus staging copies so you can test changes first. If you’d like us to look after WordPress for you, see Managed WordPress.
Is Enhance a UK company?
Yes. Enhance is made by Enhance Hosting Automation Ltd, based in Maidenhead, England.
I want to stay on cPanel. Can you help?
Yes. Our Server Management covers cPanel / WHM servers, as well as Plesk, DirectAdmin and others.
Ready to try Enhance?
We’ll move your sites from cPanel for free, and test everything before we switch over.