As has become tradition, cPanel has once again announced updated licensing prices — and, as usual, the hosting community’s reaction ranges from weary sighs to outright frustration. Starting January 1, 2026, new pricing will take effect, and while the increases aren’t surprising, they will certainly sting for many administrators and resellers.
New cPanel pricing for 2026
| License Type | 2025 Price | 2026 Price | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | $26.99 | $29.99 | +$3.00 |
| Admin | $32.99 | $35.99 | +$3.00 |
| Pro | $46.99 | $53.99 | +$7.00 |
| Premier | $65.99 | $69.99 | +$4.00 |
| Premier – per account over 100 | $0.45 | $0.49 | +$0.04 |
For many hosting providers, this has become an annual ritual — the “Black Week” of the control panel world — a time to recalculate service profitability and reconsider pricing models for end customers.
cPanel License Cost Calculator (2025 vs 2026)
A look back: The steady climb since 2019
For anyone keeping score, this latest increase continues a pattern that started back in mid-2019 — the year cPanel first switched to its now-infamous per-account pricing model. Since then, every tier has seen near-annual adjustments, with no signs of slowing down.
| Period | Solo | Admin | Pro | Premier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2019 – Dec 2020 | $15.00 | $20.00 | $30.00 | $45.00 |
| Jan 2021 – Nov 2021 | $15.00 | $22.00 | $32.25 | $48.50 |
| Dec 2021 – Nov 2022 | $15.99 | $24.99 | $35.99 | $53.99 |
| Dec 2022 – Nov 2023 | $15.99 | $27.99 | $39.99 | $59.99 |
| Dec 2023 – Feb 2024 | $17.49 | $29.99 | $42.99 | $60.99 |
In less than six years, the Premier plan price has climbed from $45 to nearly $70, while the Solo license has almost doubled. For many long-time hosting providers, the steady upward trend has turned what was once a predictable operating cost into a growing financial strain — one that’s forcing smaller players to rethink their toolsets, automation stacks, and even business models.
cPanel’s official explanation
In its message to partners, cPanel justified the increases by pointing to continued investments in stability, performance, and security, as well as new features designed to help partners grow revenue. Highlights include:
- AI Website Generator in Sitejet Builder,
- SocialBee integration for social media management,
- Comet Backup integration,
- and the upcoming AI App Builder and AI Support Agent.
The company also emphasized compliance with the European Accessibility Act, expanded NGINX support, and improved WHMCS integration.
Community reaction: Deja Vu
Unsurprisingly, the community’s response has been far from positive. Forum discussions feature comments like:
More and more users are now mentioning alternatives such as DirectAdmin, Webuzo, and various open-source panels as viable migration paths.
One partner noted that while cPanel has increased discounts for large resellers (from 6% to 16% for those spending over $2,000 per month), smaller partners will lose even their previous 2% discount.
That only widens the gap between big hosting players and smaller providers.
Another year, another price hike
The new cPanel pricing for 2026 comes as no surprise — but it’s certainly not good news either. After several consecutive years of price hikes, it’s hard to call this an “inflation adjustment.”
cPanel and Plesk Panel raises prices again: what does this mean for hosting providers?
For many small and medium-sized hosting providers, it’s another sign that it might be time to explore alternatives before profit margins vanish completely.
So begins another “Black Week” in the hosting world — not because of massive sales, but because of yet another round of unavoidable price increases.