What is Plesk? – simple and understandable!

You may have heard of Plesk but don't know exactly what it is? In this article, we'll introduce you to Plesk and show you why it's an easy way to manage and manage your websites optimize.

What is Plesk?

Plesk is a Hosting control panel, which allows users to use websites and Server & Hosting can manage. The Plesk control panel provides a graphical interface and tools to handle hosting tasks, e.g Modern and Domains add or remove, Email accounts furnish, Databases create and manage etc.

What different Plesk versions are there?

Plesk has many different versions, some of which free and other chargeable are. The free versions usually have fewer features than the paid ones. For example, the free version of Plesk is only for one Website intended, while the paid version supports multiple websites.
The current paid versions from Plesk are:

Plesk Onyx

Plesk Onyx is the latest version of Plesk and offers numerous new features and improvements. These include, among other things, better support for Docker, Microsoft SQL Server and PHP 7.3 as well as improved performance and stability. There are also many best practices for Safety and administration are already integrated so that you can administer your system even more easily.

Plesk obsidian

Plesk Obsidian is the latest version of Plesk and offers a number of advanced features and improvements. The new features include an improved security module, an expanded control overview and an integrated backup module. Plesk Obsidian is suitable for both beginners and advanced users and offers an intuitive interface.

Plesk Automation (PA) 

With Plesk Automation, providers can manage their products, accounts and billing, offer self-service to customers, and more.

Plesk Web Pro Edition 

Plesk Web Pro Edition is a premium version of Plesk and offers additional functions and features for professional users. For example, with Plesk Web Pro Edition you can create, manage and host or provide your customer with a professional hosting package. Additionally, Plesk Web Pro Edition offers advanced security features to protect your online business from threats, as well as unlimited Hosting of email accounts and databases.

Plesk Web Host Edition 

Plesk can be purchased in two different editions: Plesk Web Host and Plesk Web Pro. Both editions include an interface to manage your website, as well as some other useful features such as email accounts and Databases. The main differences between the two editions are the number of websites you host and the number of custom domains you can register.

Plesk Multi Server Edition 

Plesk Multi Server & Hosting Edition is a powerful and easy-to-use web-based operations and automation platform for hosting providers. The Multi Server & Hosting Edition of Plesk allows hosting providers to manage multiple physical or virtual servers from a single interface. With the multi Server & Hosting Edition, hosting providers can offer their customers a highly scalable and automated service.

Unlimited Domains Edition 

The Plesk “Unlimited Domains Edition is ideal for hosting providers and web designers who want to run unlimited customer or project domains on a single installation. With its diverse features and expansion options, it allows you to manage and scale your business efficiently - with maximum control and flexibility.

Cloud Hosting Solutions.

"“Cloud Hosting Solutions” is a term you may see on various websites. But what exactly is “Cloud Hosting“? The idea behind cloud hosting is to provide your Website on multiple servers to host instead of just on one. This means that your Website in the event of a single server failure remains online.

Cloud hosting has many advantages over traditional Webhosting. For example, it offers better performance because your website runs on multiple servers at the same time. Plus, it's redundant, meaning your website will still stay online even if one of the servers goes down.

However, there are also some disadvantages to using cloud hosting. For example, it may be more expensive than traditional Webhosting, as you have to pay to use multiple servers. Additionally, it can be harder to maintain control of your website if it is hosted on multiple servers.

There are also some free versions from Plesk, which are available as open source software. This includes:

Plesk Onyx Express

Plesk Onyx Express is a simple and free web hosting platform based on Linux or Windows. Plesk Onyx Express allows users to create and manage a web server without having to worry about the technical details.

Plesk Obisdian Express 

Plesk Obisdian Express is the latest version of Plesk and includes some new features to make your work easier. Additionally, Plesk Obisdian Express offers a free trial so you can try it out before committing to a subscription.

Plesk Core Edition 

Plesk is a web-based hosting platform. This can be purchased in two editions: Plesk Core Edition and Plesk Extended Edition. The Core Edition provides all the basic features needed to manage a web server, while the Advanced Edition offers additional features for managing domains and email accounts.

Plesk Panel for Linux.

Plesk Panel is a web-based hosting control software that can be installed on Linux servers. Plesk Panel allows customers to manage their websites and other online services without having to deal with the technical backend of the server.

Advantages of Plesk

Plesk is a web-based hosting platform that offers users an easier way to manage their websites and apps. Plesk is intuitive and easy to use, making it easier for you to work with your website. You can set up and maintain your website faster without having to worry about technical details. Plesk also allows you to make your website more secure and offers you additional features such as email notifications and statistics.

Intuitive and simple user interface:

Plesk has an intuitively designed and easy-to-use interface that allows you to manage websites quickly and easily.

Support for various technologies:

Plesk supports many different technologies such as PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc., so you can build your website using the technology that best suits your needs.

Safety:

Plesk provides a high level of security features to protect your websites from malware and other attacks. The automatic update feature ensures that all components are up to date

Disadvantages of Plesk

Plesk is a hosting control panel that allows users to host their websites and web applications. It also allows users to securely manage their websites by providing an intuitive interface and tools. However, Plesk also has some disadvantages.

One of the biggest disadvantages of Plesk is the fact that it relative expensive is. Compared to other hosting control panels, Plesk costs more. Additionally, Plesk doesn't always offer the same performance as the more expensive panels.

Another disadvantage of Plesk is that there are some Compatibility issues gives. Older versions of Plesk in particular are often not compatible with newer websites and web applications. This can happen too errors and cause websites not to function properly.

How do you install Plesk?

If you don't have a Plesk account yet, you can create one here.

You will then receive your access data via e-mail. Use this information to log in to your Plesk account.

Now you can start installing Plesk on your computer. To do this, simply follow the on-screen instructions.
If your system does not already have a version of Plesk installed, the latest version will be downloaded and installed.

After the installation is complete, you can log in with your Plesk account details and start managing your panel.

What are Plesk’s best features?

Plesk is a sophisticated and easy-to-use web-based hosting platform that allows you to manage your website quickly and easily. Plesk offers many useful features to help you manage your website effectively.

The best features of Plesk at a glance:

Website management: 

With Plesk you can manage your websites easily and conveniently. You have access to all important functions via a single web-based interface.

Database management:

Plesk offers extensive functionality for managing MySQL, PostgreSQL and Microsoft SQL Server databases. You can easily create, edit or delete databases.

Email management:

Plesk allows you to create, edit and delete email accounts. You can also configure email filters, antivirus and anti-spam features.

Safety:

Plesk offers a range of security features to help you protect your website from viruses, Hacking and other threats. You can create firewalls and manage firewall rules.

User management:

Plesk offers extensive functionality for managing users and groups on your website. You have full control over permissions and access permissions.

Plesk and the Nginx cache

Plesk is a web-based control panel that you can use to manage your websites. This provides a simple, intuitive way to change and maintain your website settings. Plesk can also be used to configure and manage the Nginx cache for your website.
The Nginx cache is an efficient way to cache website content so that it loads faster. This makes your website faster for users and allows you to welcome more visitors to your website.

To use Nginx cache with Plesk, you need to change the settings in the Plesk administration console. To do this, go to “Settings” and then click “Web Server”. Select “Nginx Cache” from the following menu.

On this page you can make various settings to configure the cache. Available options include the size of the virtual memory and the time after which the cache automatically updates. You can also determine which types of files should be saved to the cache. Once you have made your settings, save them and restart Nginx.

The Nginx cache can help you improve the performance of your website. It is important to note that there are some limitations when using Nginx cache. For example, certain file types need to be manually removed from the cache to ensure they always remain up to date.

Plesk and DNS settings

Plesk is a software that allows you to create your own website or your own Blog to create and manage. The software is very intuitive and easy to use. You don't need to have any technical knowledge to use Plesk.

Plesk offers many useful features such as a built-in DNS manager. With this you can easily change and edit your DNS settings. You can also add additional domains or rename existing domains.
You can make the following DNS settings in Plesk:

- The Name servers Change your domains
- IP addresses Add and edit your domains
- DNS records add or edit, e.g. one A record or MX record
- Subdomains add or edit
- Wildcard entries draw up
- CNAMEs for specific subdomains
- SRV entries create for specific services
- SPF records Add or edit email authentication

This list is just a small part of the options Plesk offers you. With the software you can use many other functions to manage and optimize your web server.

Plesk and security

Plesk is a web-based control panel that gives you full control over your website and servers. It allows you to create, manage and secure websites. With Plesk you can also easily security updates for your websites and ensure that they are always up to date.

Alternatives to Plesk?

Plesk is an excellent choice for web hosting, but there are some alternatives you should consider. One of the most popular alternatives is cPanel. cPanel is also very easy to use and offers a variety of advanced features for advanced users. Another alternative you should consider is DirectAdmin. DirectAdmin is also very easy to use and has a very intuitive interface.

Conclusion

Plesk is a Hosting and server management system, which is intended to simplify the management of websites and servers. It offers one comprehensive interface, through which you can manage your website, and contains many useful features like a web server, Databases, email and more. Plesk is both for beginners as well as for experienced users suitable and offers a variety of options for customizing your website.

Jan Domke

Prompt Engineer | Social Media Manager | Hosting Manager | Web administrator

I have been running the online magazine privately since the end of 2021 SEO4Business and thus turned my job into a hobby.
I have been working as a since 2019 Senior Hosting Manager, at one of the largest internet and marketing agencies in Germany and am constantly expanding my horizons.

Jan Domke