For decades, cPanel & WHM have been the industry standard for web hosting control panels. If you are starting a web hosting business or managing websites for multiple clients, understanding the relationship between these two tools is essential.
WHM: The Admin Interface
WHM (Web Host Manager) is the backend administrative interface. This is where you, the Reseller or Server Admin, live.
- Account Creation: You create separate cPanel accounts for each client. This ensures isolation—if one client gets hacked, the others are safe.
- Packages: Define hosting plans (e.g., "Bronze: 5GB Disk, 100GB Bandwidth").
- Server Configuration: Manage PHP versions, backups, and security settings globally.
cPanel: The Client Interface
cPanel is the frontend interface for the end-user. Each client gets their own cPanel login.
- File Management: Uploading files, editing code directly.
- Email Management: Creating @domain.com email addresses.
- Database Management: Creating MySQL databases and users.
- One-Click Installs: Installing WordPress/Joomla via Softaculous.
The Reseller Advantage
Using WHM allows you to be a simplified "mini-ISP." You buy a large chunk of server space and resell it in smaller pieces. The key benefit is Account Isolation. Hosting 50 sites on a single account is a security nightmare; hosting 50 sites on 50 separate cPanel accounts is a professional best practice. If one site uses too much CPU, CloudLinux (often paired with cPanel) throttles just that one account, protecting the rest of your clients.