AdminBolt vs HestiaCP
AdminBolt vs HestiaCP: a free panel for one server vs a panel for hosting businesses, with billing modules and AI built in.
HestiaCP is a free, open-source panel under the GPLv3 licence. It is based on VestaCP and maintained by volunteers. Each install manages one server, on Debian or Ubuntu, with nginx and Apache. That suits a single VPS well. Hosting businesses usually need more: several servers in one view, billing modules, reseller accounts and LiteSpeed. AdminBolt covers those for a flat price per server and adds an AI assistant that operates the panel.
AdminBolt vs HestiaCP, line by line
Pricing, features, and architecture side by side - so you can see exactly where the two panels differ.
| AdminBoltflat per-server | HestiaCP | |
|---|---|---|
| pricing | ||
| Licence per server | $20/mo VPS, $45 bare metal | Free (GPLv3) |
| Accounts per server | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Per-account fees | None | None |
| Multi-server management | Included | DNS cluster only |
| features | ||
| AI assistant that operates the panel | Yes | No |
| Native MCP server for AI agents | Yes | No |
| WhatsApp AI operations | Yes | No |
| Multi-server dashboard | Yes | No |
| WHMCS module | Yes | Third-party only |
| Blesta and Upmind modules | Blesta module; Upmind provider not yet listed in Upmind | No |
| Reseller accounts | Yes | Not documented |
| LiteSpeed and OpenLiteSpeed | Both, switched from the panel | No |
| Operating system | AlmaLinux 9, Rocky Linux 9 | Debian 12 and 13, Ubuntu 22.04 to 26.04 |
| REST API | Yes | Yes |
| Import from cPanel | bolt-migrate, with a dry run | Script for cPanel backups |
| Import from DirectAdmin | bolt-migrate, with a dry run | Script marked version 0.1 |
| Let's Encrypt SSL | Yes | Yes |
| architecture | ||
| Architecture | Hub with a full panel on each server | One server per install |
| Across servers | All servers in one dashboard | DNS only |
| AI and agents | Native AI assistant, MCP server, WhatsApp ops | None |
| Maintained by | AdminBolt, Inc. | Volunteer team, funded by donations |
| Licence | Commercial, per server | Open source, GPLv3 |
HestiaCP is free and funded by donations. AdminBolt costs $20 a month per VPS and $45 per bare-metal server. The price buys multi-server management, official billing modules and LiteSpeed support. The HestiaCP project ships none of these.
Why operators switch from HestiaCP
The reasons that come up most often when operators compare AdminBolt with HestiaCP.
An AI that runs the panel
HestiaCP has no AI assistant. AdminBolt ships one that operates the panel, plus an MCP server so AI agents can run scoped actions and WhatsApp operations through the Agent Hub.
You run more than one server
Each HestiaCP install manages one server. Only DNS can be clustered. The AdminBolt hub shows every server in one dashboard, with single sign-on.
You sell hosting through billing software
The HestiaCP project ships no official WHMCS or Blesta module. AdminBolt has its own modules for WHMCS and Blesta, plus an Upmind provider that is not yet listed in Upmind. It also has a reseller panel.
You want LiteSpeed
HestiaCP's installer sets up nginx and Apache. AdminBolt switches between Apache, LiteSpeed and OpenLiteSpeed from the panel.
Compare AdminBolt with other panels
Try AdminBolt on your infrastructure
No credit card required. Runs on AlmaLinux 9 and Rocky Linux 9, installed with one command.
$ curl -sSL https://get.adminbolt.com/install.sh | bash