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Updated: 4 November 2026 · Applies to: cPanel & WHM version 138 (Jupiter and Meridian cPanel interfaces), on AlmaLinux, CloudLinux, Rocky Linux and Ubuntu 24.04

cPanel and WHM are two parts of the same software, cPanel & WHM, installed together on one server under one licence. WHM (WebHost Manager) is the server administration interface for the root user and for resellers: it creates and manages hosting accounts and controls server-wide settings such as DNS, PHP, security and backups. cPanel is the interface of one hosting account: the website owner uses it to manage that account’s files, email, databases, domains and SSL. Every website on the server lives in a cPanel account, and WHM manages all of them.

cPanel and WHM at a glance

  • Who logs in: WHM: the server administrator (root) or a reseller. cPanel: the owner of one hosting account.
  • Scope: WHM: the whole server and every account on it (according to cPanel, a reseller manages only the cPanel accounts it owns). cPanel: one account and its domains.
  • Login address: according to cPanel, WHM uses port 2087 (2086 without SSL) and cPanel port 2083 (2082 without SSL). Webmail is on 2096.
  • Typical tasks: WHM: create, suspend and delete accounts, set up hosting packages, manage DNS zones, PHP versions and server security. cPanel: create email accounts, upload files, create databases, add domains and subdomains, install SSL certificates, set cron jobs.

Three levels of access

  1. Root WHM: full control of the server. According to cPanel, the WHM interface gives the root user all of WHM’s server administration features.
  2. Reseller WHM: a reseller logs in to WHM with their own username and sees a reduced set of features. The root user decides which ones in WHM » Resellers » Edit Reseller Nameservers and Privileges, with privileges such as “Create Accounts” and “Suspend/Unsuspend Accounts”. The “All Features” privilege gives a reseller access to the entire system, and cPanel warns to grant it only to resellers you completely trust.
  3. cPanel: the account owner. Which tools they see and how much disk, email and databases they get is set in WHM through the account’s package and feature list (see create a package in WHM and WHM Feature Manager).

Is WHM inside cPanel? Opening one from the other

No. WHM is not a menu inside cPanel; it is a separate login on its own port:

https://SERVER-IP-OR-HOSTNAME:2087     WHM (root or reseller)
https://example.com:2083               cPanel (account username)
  • From WHM to cPanel: go to WHM » Home » Account Information » List Accounts and click the cPanel icon in the cPanel column. According to cPanel, this logs you in to that account with the root or reseller login, through a temporary single sign-on session, so you do not need the account’s password.
  • From cPanel to WHM: there is no way in. A normal cPanel user has no WHM access at all; a reseller opens WHM with the reseller login on port 2087.
  • If the ports are blocked by your network, see cPanel required ports. Ucartz customers can also open cPanel straight from the client area: log in to cPanel from the Ucartz client area.

What you manage in WHM

The WHM documentation groups its tools into sections such as:

  • Account Functions and Account Information: create, modify, suspend and terminate cPanel accounts (create a new cPanel account in WHM).
  • Packages: plans with disk, bandwidth and email limits that you apply to accounts.
  • DNS Functions, IP Functions and SSL/TLS: zones and records for every domain, the server’s IP addresses and certificates.
  • Software and Service Configuration: EasyApache 4 (Apache and PHP builds) and the services that run on the server.
  • Security Center, Backup and Transfers: server security settings, backups for all accounts and moving accounts between servers.
  • Server Configuration, System Health and Reboot: server-wide settings, process checks and reboots.

What you manage in cPanel

cPanel’s tools are grouped into Email, Files, Databases, Domains, Metrics, Security, Software, Advanced and Preferences. Day to day that means mailboxes and forwarders, the File Manager and backups, MySQL databases and phpMyAdmin, domains and subdomains, visitor statistics, SSL certificates, the PHP version of each site, and cron jobs. Everything stays inside the account: a cPanel user cannot see or change other accounts or server settings.

What is new in cPanel 138

According to the cPanel & WHM version 138 release notes, the main changes are on the cPanel (account) side:

  • Meridian: a new, goal-based cPanel interface organised into hubs for Websites, Email, Files, Databases, Security and Performance. It is an opt-in alternative: the Jupiter interface remains fully supported.
  • cPanel AI Assistant: a chat panel inside cPanel that explains features, guides you through tasks and can diagnose issues from read-only account details. When enabled, it can make simple changes, such as creating an email account, only after you approve them.
  • MCP support: connects AI tools and agents to a cPanel account through the Model Context Protocol; cPanel names Claude Code and Claude Desktop as examples of MCP-capable clients.
  • Nova: an AI website-building option in Guided Setup, next to Sitejet Builder, WordPress and Node.js.

Which one do you need?

  • You run your own website or a few sites: a cPanel account is enough. Our Linux web hosting plans come with cPanel. (Our shared hosting plans use Virtualmin instead of cPanel.)
  • You sell hosting to your own clients: you need reseller WHM. With reseller hosting you create, suspend and manage client accounts from WHM, and each client gets their own cPanel.
  • You have your own VPS or dedicated server: you get root WHM once cPanel & WHM is installed with a licence. Ucartz sells cPanel licences for your own server (cPanel Solo for 1 account, Admin for 5, Pro for 30). According to cPanel, version 138 runs on AlmaLinux, CloudLinux, Rocky Linux and Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, and the Ubuntu requirements list at least 2 GB RAM and 20 GB disk. If you would rather not run the server yourself, a Managed cPanel VPS includes cPanel and WHM, and our engineers handle updates, security and monitoring.

Lost a password? See reset WHM or cPanel login passwords from the Ucartz client area.

Official documentation: cPanel & WHM documentation and release notes.

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