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A free, open-source alternative to aaPanel

ArcPanel is a free, open-source control panel for Linux web servers. It runs web domains, mail, DNS, databases, SSL and backups from one dashboard and one command line, with resellers, Node.js apps and Docker apps, all in the same free GPL release.

ArcPanel and aaPanel at a glance

Topic ArcPanel aaPanel
License and price Free, GPL-3.0-or-later; no paid edition Free edition; Pro $28.80 a month, $198 a year or $699 lifetime, per server 1
Source code Public on GitHub under the GPL; changes may be published and shared Public on GitHub under aaPanel's own license, which does not allow publishing modified code 2
Multiple users Admin, reseller and user roles in the free release Sub-users with the Pro license 3
Mail Exim, Dovecot and webmail in the free release Mail server in the free edition, advanced features in Pro 4
Docker Curated Docker catalog; containers run as the hosting user, with rollback on a failed update Docker management in the free edition 5
Supported systems Debian 12/13, Ubuntu 22.04/24.04/26.04 LTS, amd64 Ubuntu 22.04/24.04, Debian 11/12, CentOS 9, Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux 8/9 6

When aaPanel is the better choice

  • Your servers run Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux or CentOS; ArcPanel installs on Debian and Ubuntu only.
  • You want aaPanel's app store and its range of one-click plugins.

When ArcPanel fits

  • You give customers or resellers their own accounts without buying a Pro license. See how
  • You want every feature in one free release, with no upsells inside the panel. See how
  • You want Docker apps to run as the hosting user, not as root. See how
  • You want a panel whose web interface never runs as root. See how

Moving from aaPanel

ArcPanel installs on a fresh Debian or Ubuntu server and has no importer for aaPanel. Create the accounts and sites on the new server, copy files and databases, then switch DNS.

We do not offer a migration from aaPanel yet.

Questions

Is there a Pro edition of ArcPanel?

No. Every user runs the same GPL release. Support plans buy time with the developers, never features.

Can I publish my own changes to ArcPanel?

Yes. The GPL lets you change ArcPanel and share your changes, as long as you share them under the same license.

Can ArcPanel import an aaPanel server?

Not yet. Install ArcPanel on a fresh server and move sites, databases and mail yourself.

Sources

  1. License and price: https://www.aapanel.com/new/pricing.html
  2. Source code: https://github.com/aaPanel/aaPanel/blob/master/license.txt
  3. Multiple users: https://www.aapanel.com/new/feature/account.html
  4. Mail: https://www.aapanel.com/new/feature/mail.html
  5. Docker: https://www.aapanel.com/new/pricing.html
  6. Supported systems: https://github.com/aaPanel/aaPanel

Facts about aaPanel were checked in October 2026 from the vendor's own pages. Prices exclude tax. If something is wrong or out of date, write to support@arcpanel.org.