InMotion Hosting recently published a side-by-side comparison of cPanel and their newer product, InMotion Central, aimed at WordPress site management. It is the kind of comparison that gets shared with the air of objectivity, but the publisher clearly has skin in the game. That does not make the comparison useless. It just means you have to read it carefully and pull out the bits that are genuinely useful for a WordPress site owner or a small reseller deciding where to put their next site.
This piece takes the published comparison and adds the reseller perspective that the original does not.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | cPanel | InMotion Central |
|---|---|---|
| Domain & DNS Management | Yes | Yes |
| Email Management | Yes | Yes |
| File Management | Yes | Yes |
| PHP Version Management | Yes | Yes |
| 1-Click WordPress Installation | Softaculous/WP Toolkit | Automatic |
| WordPress Core Updates | WP Toolkit | Yes |
| Theme & Plugin Management | WP Toolkit | Yes |
| Site Health Monitoring | No | Yes |
| Playgrounds (Test Environments) | No | Yes |
| Snaps (Point-in-Time Restore) | No | Yes |
| Other CMS Support | Yes | No |
| Number of Websites | Varies per plan | 1 per plan |
| Root Access | No | Yes |
| Teams/Collaboration | No | Yes |
| Billing Management | No | Yes |
Premium options or plugin requirements may apply.
Where they overlap
Both products handle the basics. Domain and DNS management, email accounts, file management, PHP version selection, and database access are present in both. For a single WordPress site with standard requirements, either will get the job done. The differences live in the details of the workflow, not in the feature checklist.
Where cPanel wins
CPanel's strength is its universality. It runs on most shared, reseller, VPS, and dedicated hosting environments. It has a vast library of documentation, years of community knowledge on hosting forums, and deep integration with Softaculous and other auto-installers. For a reseller packaging hosting for clients, cPanel is the safe choice precisely because every hosting tutorial on the internet assumes it.
CPanel also supports multiple CMS installations in one account, which matters if you host a mix of WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or static sites. InMotion Central is WordPress only.
The WP Toolkit integration adds one-click WordPress management, core updates, theme and plugin handling, and site health monitoring. Combined with Softaculous, it covers most of what a WordPress-focused user needs without abandoning the broader control panel.
Where InMotion Central wins
InMotion Central is purpose-built for a single use case: running a WordPress site without thinking about the server. It includes Playgrounds (test environments), Snaps (point-in-time restore points), and a Teams feature for collaboration. Having them integrated into a single WordPress-native interface is a different experience from assembling them inside cPanel.
For a non-technical user who runs one WordPress site and never wants to think about DNS records, file permissions, or PHP versions, InMotion Central is a cleaner product. The trade-off is that the moment you need to do something outside the WordPress context, you have to leave the tool.
Our analysis
The comparison InMotion published is honest about most things, with the obvious exception that it compares a general-purpose panel to a single-purpose tool. The right answer to "cPanel vs InMotion Central" is not "one is better." It is "what are you trying to do."
For a reseller business, cPanel remains the only real choice. You cannot white-label InMotion Central. You cannot run a mixed-client hosting environment on it. You cannot migrate a client off it without friction. As a hosting product, cPanel is harder to use for a single site, but it is the only one of the two that lets you run a hosting business.
For a single-site WordPress owner who values simplicity over flexibility, InMotion Central is a fine product, but it locks you into InMotion Hosting. If the goal is to evaluate hosting providers, this is a useful interface. If the goal is to pick a long-term hosting partner, the interface is a small part of that decision.
Who should care
Resellers and agencies:** Choose cPanel. The ecosystem, documentation, and white-label options make it the only viable foundation for a hosting business.
Single-site WordPress owners:** Choose based on your host, not the panel. InMotion Central may offer a smoother experience on InMotion Hosting, but the same host likely offers cPanel as well. Compare support, uptime, and price before panel features.
Developers managing multiple CMS:** cPanel. No alternative on the market gives you WordPress, Drupal, and static sites under one roof with one login.
What to watch next
- Whether other major hosts launch their own WordPress-native management interfaces as a way to differentiate from cPanel.
- The slow cPanel price increases and how that affects the cost of reseller hosting built on top of it.
- The continued push toward managed WordPress hosting as a product category, and where the boundaries fall between a control panel and a hosting platform.
Key takeaways
- CPanel and InMotion Central solve different problems, even when the feature lists look similar.
- For resellers and mixed CMS environments, cPanel is the only realistic option.
- For single-site WordPress owners, a WordPress-native interface can be cleaner than cPanel.
- White-labeling and portability matter. Lock-in to a single host's interface is a real cost.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use InMotion Central outside InMotion Hosting?
No. InMotion Central is a proprietary interface tied to InMotion Hosting accounts. It is not a general-purpose control panel.
Is cPanel still the right choice for resellers?
Yes, despite price increases. It is the most widely understood control panel, the most documented, and the only realistic option for a mixed CMS hosting business.
Does InMotion Central support other CMS platforms?
No. It is a WordPress-only product. If you need to run Drupal, Joomla, or static sites, you need a general-purpose control panel like cPanel.
What is WP Toolkit?
A cPanel and Plesk add-on that provides one-click WordPress management, including installation, updates, cloning, and security hardening.