If you have used web hosting in India for a few years, you have almost certainly met cPanel: the grid of dozens of small icons that most hosting companies used for a long time. When people move to Hostinger, the first surprise is that there is no cPanel. Instead there is hPanel, Hostinger's own control panel.
The first reaction is often mild panic: "Where is File Manager? Where are my email accounts?" They are all there, just organised differently. This comparison explains how the two panels differ and where to find everything.
What a control panel does
A control panel is the dashboard for your hosting account. Through it you manage files, databases, email accounts, domains, DNS, SSL certificates, backups and server settings, without typing commands on a server. Both cPanel and hPanel do this job; they just look and feel different.
Side-by-side comparison
| cPanel | hPanel | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | cPanel, L.L.C. (licensed to hosts) | Hostinger (in-house) |
| Layout | Large grid of icons grouped in sections | Left-hand menu per website, plus a top-level account area |
| Learning curve | Familiar to old users, busy for beginners | Cleaner for beginners, different for cPanel veterans |
| Search | Search box for tools | Search bar that jumps to any setting |
| WordPress tools | Usually via Softaculous or WP Toolkit | Built-in WordPress section with installer and management |
| Billing and domains | Often in a separate client area | Same dashboard |
| Cost to the host | Licence per account or server | No third-party licence |
Where to find common cPanel tools in hPanel
| In cPanel | In hPanel |
|---|---|
| File Manager | Website dashboard → Files → File Manager |
| MySQL Databases / phpMyAdmin | Website dashboard → Databases |
| Email Accounts | Emails (top-level menu) |
| Zone Editor | Website dashboard → Advanced → DNS Zone Editor, or the domain's DNS settings |
| SSL/TLS | Website dashboard → Security → SSL |
| MultiPHP Manager | Website dashboard → Advanced → PHP Configuration |
| Backup Wizard | Website dashboard → Files → Backups |
| Cron Jobs / SSH Access | Website dashboard → Advanced |
Menu labels shift a little when Hostinger updates hPanel, so if something has moved, use the search bar. Our web hosting basics guide explains what each of these tools is for if any are unfamiliar.
Ease of use: a realistic view
Picture two people. One is a freelance developer in Pune who has used cPanel for ten years and knows every icon by position. The other is a first-time blogger who has never seen a control panel. Put both in front of hPanel.
The developer spends the first ten minutes grumbling and searching for things, then gets comfortable. The blogger finds hPanel straightforward from the start, because it is organised around websites and tasks rather than a wall of icons. That pattern is typical: hPanel is easier for beginners, and experienced cPanel users adapt within a day or two.
Features: does hPanel miss anything?
For running websites, very little. Both panels handle the essentials: files, databases, email, DNS, SSL, backups, PHP versions, cron jobs, SSH and Git deployment. cPanel's ecosystem has many third-party add-ons, and some agencies rely on specific cPanel plugins or on WHM for reselling. If you resell hosting to clients using WHM, hPanel is not a direct replacement. For everyone else, it covers what you need.
Why the panel affects price
cPanel is licensed software, and its licence prices have increased over the years. Hosts using cPanel pass that cost on in some form. Hostinger built its own panel, which is one reason it can keep entry-level plans affordable. Our Hostinger vs GoDaddy and Hostinger vs BigRock comparisons show how this plays out against cPanel-based hosts.
Moving from a cPanel host to Hostinger
- Take a full backup in cPanel (or use a WordPress migration plugin).
- In hPanel, add your website and choose to migrate, or set up a fresh WordPress and import your backup.
- Recreate email accounts in hPanel and move old mail if needed.
- Copy DNS records, especially MX and TXT, before pointing the domain.
- Point the domain to Hostinger and test.
Our detailed website migration guide covers each step and the mistakes to avoid. After switching, you can watch the DNS change spread with a DNS propagation checker.
Things that work the same in both
A lot of what you learned in cPanel carries straight over:
- Your website files still live in a
public_htmlfolder, so tutorials that mention it still apply. - WordPress works exactly the same. wp-admin, plugins and themes do not care which panel the host uses.
- Email apps like Gmail, Outlook and phone mail apps connect with the usual IMAP and SMTP settings.
- phpMyAdmin looks identical once it opens.
- FTP clients such as FileZilla connect the same way with the FTP details shown in the panel.
So the change is mostly about where you click, not how things work underneath. Give yourself one evening to explore hPanel, and it will feel familiar.
Which one should you choose?
- Beginner building your own site: hPanel is simpler and you lose nothing important.
- Experienced cPanel user: expect a short adjustment; the features you use are all there.
- Reseller or agency relying on WHM: stick with a cPanel/WHM host or look at a VPS.
In the end, the control panel is something you use for a few minutes a week. Speed, reliability, support and price matter far more for your website's success. If those are what you care about, our Hostinger review is the next thing to read.
