Overview

Virtualmin is an open-source cloud server virtual hosting control panel built on Webmin, created by Webmin founder Jamie Cameron in 2005 and released under the GPLv2 license. It sits deep in the Webmin ecosystem, adding hosting-focused management for web virtual hosts on top of system administration; official figures show 1M+ managed domains and 200K+ active users.

Virtualmin provides Apache and Nginx dual web engines, multiple PHP versions, MySQL/PostgreSQL, DNS, mail, FTP and a complete backup system, with Let's Encrypt auto-renewal. It ships as the free Virtualmin GPL and the paid Virtualmin Professional, plus Cloudmin for large-scale automation by hosting providers.

Key Strengths

  • Open source and actively maintained: Built on Webmin (GPLv2) and maintained by the same team for 20+ years, with 1M+ managed domains and 200K+ active users per official figures, see open source software market analysis.
  • Fully featured free edition: The GPL edition covers Apache/Nginx, multiple PHP versions, MySQL/PostgreSQL, mail, DNS, 2FA and Let's Encrypt, enough for individual webmasters.
  • Dual engines and multiple PHP versions: Supports Apache or Nginx (HTTP/2) with per-site PHP versions, balancing compatibility and performance, see Nginx optimization guide.
  • Cloud service integration: Deep integration with Route 53, Cloudflare and Google DNS, plus Amazon S3, Backblaze and Dropbox cloud backups, see cloud server backup strategy.
  • Strong automation: Built-in CLI and remote HTTP API support bulk site creation and modification plus provider-scale automation, see Terraform for beginners.

Product Ecosystem

Virtualmin GPL

The free open-source edition is fully featured, including Apache/Nginx, multiple PHP versions, MySQL/PostgreSQL, mail, DNS, backups, two-factor authentication and 5 one-click scripts, suiting individual webmasters and SMBs.

Virtualmin Professional

The paid edition costs $7.50/month (10 domains) and adds priority private ticket support (usually answered within 24 hours), 60+ one-click scripts, reseller accounts, the WP Workbench plugin, multi-provider SSL auto-renewal and resource limits.

Cloudmin

An automation and configuration tool for hosting providers, from $7.50/month (10 virtual machines), supporting Xen and KVM virtualization plus GCE and EC2 account/instance management for large server clusters.

Virtualmin API and Installer

A complete HTTP/JSON API supports automation scripts and third-party integration; the one-click installer configures a full Webmin + Virtualmin environment on Debian/Ubuntu, AlmaLinux/Rocky Linux and RHEL.

Limitations

  • Limited free scripts: The GPL edition includes only 5 one-click scripts; reseller accounts, WP Workbench and multi-provider SSL require the paid Professional edition ($7.50/month).
  • Plainer interface: Features rely heavily on Linux system packages, lacking the graphical app marketplaces and modern interfaces of cPanel/Plesk.
  • No official SLA: Professional support is ticket-based (usually answered within 24 hours), so enterprise assurance must be assessed separately. Compare cPanel and Plesk.

Use Cases

  • Individual webmasters / developers (★★★★★): The free GPL edition is fully featured for low-cost management of personal multi-site setups, see server selection guide.
  • Small hosters / resellers (★★★★): The Professional edition's reseller accounts and bulk management suit running a virtual hosting business on VPS.
  • Enterprise IT internal management (★★★★): Centrally manage websites, DNS, mail and user permissions to cut operations cost, see server operations tips.
  • Businesses needing commercial-grade support (★★★): The Professional edition offers priority tickets but no SLA; critical workloads may evaluate cPanel/Plesk.

Pricing

Edition Price Description
Virtualmin GPL Free Full virtual hosting features + 5 one-click scripts, community support
Virtualmin Professional $7.50/month 10 domains, 60+ scripts, priority tickets, reseller, WP Workbench
Cloudmin Professional $7.50/month 10 virtual machines, provider-scale automation

Note: official public reference prices; the Professional edition is billed monthly or annually, subject to the official website.

FAQ

  • How are Virtualmin and Webmin related? Virtualmin is built on Webmin, deeply sharing its users, modules and interface, adding hosting-focused management on top of system administration. See Webmin.

  • Is the Virtualmin free edition enough? The free GPL edition is fully featured, covering websites, databases, DNS, mail, SSL and backups, which is enough for individual webmasters; advanced automation and scripts need Professional; see website hosting type decision when choosing.

  • How do Virtualmin and cPanel compare? Virtualmin is free and open source with a leaner, system-package-based stack; cPanel offers a richer plugin ecosystem and commercial support at a licensing cost. Compare cPanel and Plesk.

  • Does Virtualmin support multiple PHP versions? Yes, with multiple PHP versions and Apache/Nginx dual engines so each site can use its own PHP version; see LNMP stack setup guide for environment configuration.

  • How do Virtualmin backups work? Backups support local storage and cloud storage such as Amazon S3, Backblaze and Dropbox, with GPG-encrypted backups in Professional. See cloud server backup strategy.