How cPanel counts what you pay for
cPanel and WHM licenses for cloud and VPS servers are sold in tiers defined by the number of cPanel accounts on the server. Each cPanel account is a separate hosting account with its own login. Server size, CPU and RAM do not change the license price; the account count does.
This matters to course creators because the natural way to separate a course site, a sales site and a client's site is to give each its own account. That isolation is useful, since one compromised account does not expose the others, but every extra account can push the license into the next tier.
Account counts also drive some add-ons. KnownHost's managed VPS page prices Imunify360 by users and defines a user as a single account in cPanel or DirectAdmin: $11 a month for 1 user, $23 for 30, $32 for 250 and $41 for unlimited.
cPanel's published tiers
Prices from cPanel's pricing page, excluding VAT. Solo, Admin and Pro are cloud or VPS licenses and save 8.4 percent with annual billing; Premier is billed monthly and is also available for dedicated servers.
| Tier | Accounts included | Monthly price | Annual-billing price per month | Cost per account at full use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | 1 | $29.99 | $27.46 | $29.99 |
| Admin | Up to 5 | $35.99 | $32.96 | $7.20 |
| Pro | Up to 30 | $53.99 | $49.46 | $1.80 |
| Premier | Up to 100, then $0.49 per extra account | $69.99 | Monthly billing only | $0.70 |
| WP Squared (separate WordPress product) | 10 WordPress sites, then $0.40 per extra site | $84.99 | Monthly billing only | $8.50 |
Worked cost: one account versus ten
One account: the Solo license is $29.99 a month, or $27.46 a month billed annually. If you later add a second account, Solo no longer fits and Admin at $35.99 is the next step.
Ten accounts: Admin stops at 5, so ten accounts need Pro at $53.99 a month ($49.46 billed annually). That is $5.40 per account per month, and the same license would cover up to 30 accounts.
Now add the server. On DigitalOcean, cPanel's documentation lists 2 GB of RAM as the minimum and 4 GB as recommended for AlmaLinux. A 4 GiB, 2 vCPU Basic Droplet is $24 a month, and daily backups add 30 percent ($7.20), so the server is $31.20. With Solo the monthly total is $61.19; with Pro for ten accounts it is $85.19. These figures exclude your time to install, secure and update the server.
Compare KnownHost: its Basic managed VPS is listed from $43.25 a month with 4 cores, 6 GB of guaranteed RAM and 100 GB NVMe, and the page says cPanel, DirectAdmin and Plesk come preinstalled and fully licensed. If the included license covers your account count, that removes the $29.99 to $53.99 license line from the DIY comparison. The page does not say which cPanel tier is included.
| Setup | 1 account | 10 accounts | What is not included |
|---|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean 4 GiB Droplet + daily backups + cPanel license | $31.20 + $29.99 = $61.19/mo | $31.20 + $53.99 = $85.19/mo | Server administration, security updates, support for cPanel itself |
| KnownHost Basic managed VPS | From $43.25/mo | From $43.25/mo if the included tier covers 10 accounts | Which cPanel tier is included is not stated; confirm before ordering |
| Liquid Web 4 GB managed VPS | $72/mo plus any license charge | $72/mo plus any license charge | Page lists cPanel as an option but does not say whether the license is included |
What the managed hosts say about the license
KnownHost's managed VPS page says all three panels come preinstalled and fully licensed. Its cPanel installation guide lists the tiers it works with: Admin up to 5 accounts and Pro up to 30 on VPS and cloud, Premier up to 100 on VPS, cloud and dedicated, with cPanel charging per account beyond 100. The same guide says unmanaged customers can add a cPanel license as an add-on and that custom limits can be arranged with its team.
Liquid Web's managed VPS page lists InterWorx, cPanel and Plesk as control panel options on its 4, 8, 16 and 24 GB plans ($72 to $178 a month), but does not state whether the cPanel license is included or how many accounts it covers. Liquid Web's own VPS cost article notes that control panels may require an additional license. Ask for the tier and the price in writing.
DigitalOcean's Droplet price list includes no control panel license, so with cPanel you buy one separately at cPanel's prices or through a reseller.
Ways to keep the license line small
- Count accounts, not sites: decide which sites genuinely need separate accounts for isolation or for handing to a client.
- Stay at or below a tier boundary: 1, 5, 30 or 100 accounts. Account number 6 moves you from $35.99 to $53.99.
- If you need a panel for one account only, compare Solo at $29.99 a month with a managed VPS where the license is bundled.
- Check add-ons priced per account, such as Imunify360, before adding accounts.
- On annual billing Solo, Admin and Pro are 8.4 percent cheaper; weigh that against committing to one tier for a year if your account count may change.
Questions to ask a managed VPS provider
- Which cPanel tier is included in the plan price, and what does the next tier cost per month?
- Is the license price passed through at cPanel's list price or marked up?
- Do suspended or parked accounts count toward the tier?
- If cPanel raises prices, how much notice do you give before the plan price changes?
- Can I switch to DirectAdmin or another panel later without a migration fee?
Questions before you decide
Does a bigger VPS make cPanel more expensive?
No. cPanel's cloud and VPS licenses are priced by the number of cPanel accounts: up to 1, 5, 30 or 100, with $0.49 per account beyond 100 on Premier. CPU and RAM do not change the license price.
What does cPanel cost for ten hosted accounts?
At cPanel's published prices, ten accounts need the Pro tier at $53.99 a month, or $49.46 a month billed annually. That covers up to 30 accounts, so accounts 11 to 30 cost nothing extra.
Is the cPanel license included with a managed VPS?
It depends on the provider. KnownHost's managed VPS page says panels come preinstalled and fully licensed but does not name the tier; Liquid Web lists cPanel as an option without stating license cost; DigitalOcean Droplets include no panel license.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- cPanel: pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- cPanel: system requirements for AlmaLinux Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- KnownHost: managed VPS Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- KnownHost: how to install cPanel Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Liquid Web: managed VPS hosting Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Liquid Web: VPS cost Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- DigitalOcean: Droplet pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.