Latest from the blog
Product updates, tutorials, and news from the ShadowPanel team.
Run multiple PHP versions on one server (5.6 to 8.4), per site
A legacy client site needs PHP 7.4; your new app wants 8.4. You don't need two servers — one machine can run every PHP version at once, isolated per site. Here's how multi-PHP actually works, the traps to avoid, and how to make switching a site's version a one-click job.
Free SSL for all your websites: how Let's Encrypt works (and how to automate it)
Paying for SSL certificates has made no sense since 2016. Let's Encrypt issues them free — but the real work is renewing them every 90 days, forever, without downtime. Here's how TLS and ACME actually work, how to fix the common errors, and how to make renewal something you never think about.
Best cPanel alternatives in 2026 — free and paid
cPanel still works, but its per-account pricing and dated feel have pushed a lot of people to look elsewhere. Here's an honest landscape of the eight alternatives worth knowing in 2026 — free open-source, paid commercial, and developer-focused — with a recommendation by profile.
How to host multiple client websites on one VPS — without per-account fees
One decent VPS can host a dozen client sites. The hard part was never the hardware — it was isolating each site safely and not paying a per-account tax to do it. Here's how multi-site hosting actually works, and how to get the isolation right.
White-label hosting for agencies: resell hosting under your own brand
Hosting is one of the stickiest, highest-margin services an agency can sell — if you own the stack instead of renting per-account SaaS. Here's how white-label hosting works, and how to set it up with ShadowPanel Agency.
Self-hosted Laravel Forge alternative — Git deploy, multi-PHP, no monthly fee
Laravel Forge is great — but it's a monthly subscription and a layer on top of your servers. Here's how to get Git-push deploys, multi-PHP and staging on a server you fully own, with ShadowPanel.
Website backups that actually save you: 7 rules for encrypted, off-site backups
Most "backups" fail exactly when you need them: same server, never tested, no encryption. Here are seven rules for backups that survive a real disaster — and how to stop doing them by hand.
Docker for your websites: 7 practical tips for running containers on your own server
A Redis cache, a queue worker, a small internal API next to your site — Docker makes it clean on your own VPS. Here are seven habits that separate a tidy container setup from a fragile one.
How to install a web hosting panel on a Hetzner VPS in 10 minutes
A step-by-step guide: spin up a Hetzner Cloud server, install ShadowPanel with one command, create your first site with automatic Let's Encrypt SSL, and point your domain.