CyberPanel Full Setup Guide: Install, SSL, DNS, Email & Security on Ubuntu 24.04 (2026 Edition)

Looking for an easy, free control panel to manage your VPS in 2026? CyberPanel is one of the best choices. It’s open-source, lightning-fast (powered by OpenLiteSpeed), and gives you one-click WordPress installs, free SSL, built-in DNS, full email hosting, and strong security — all without paying for cPanel.

This complete beginner-friendly guide walks you through everything step by step: fresh installation on Ubuntu 24.04, setting up DNS, enabling free Let’s Encrypt SSL, configuring professional email, and hardening security. I tested this exact setup on a clean Ubuntu 24.04 VPS in April 2026 — it works perfectly.

Time needed: 25–40 minutes Perfect for: Beginners, bloggers, small businesses, or anyone who wants a powerful hosting panel for free.

Why Choose CyberPanel in 2026?

• Free & open-source (no licensing fees)
• Uses OpenLiteSpeed — up to 5x faster than Apache/Nginx for WordPress
• Built-in free SSL, DNS server, email, and one-click apps
• Lightweight — runs great on 2 GB RAM VPS
• Regular updates (v2.4.5+ in 2026 with full Ubuntu 24.04 support)

Note: We’ll use a clean Ubuntu 24.04 LTS VPS (as in our previous Ubuntu setup guides). If you haven’t set up your VPS yet, check our Complete Ubuntu 24.04 VPS Setup Tutorial.

1. Prerequisites (Before You Start)

• A fresh Ubuntu 24.04 VPS (minimum 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk)
• Root or sudo access
• A domain name pointed to your VPS IP (we’ll set this up)
• Your server IP address ready

Important: Start on a clean server with no other web panel or LAMP stack installed.

2. Installing CyberPanel on Ubuntu 24.04 (Super Easy)

Log in to your VPS as root (or use sudo su -).

First, update everything:

apt update && apt upgrade -y && apt autoremove -y

Now run the official CyberPanel installer (this is the exact command used in 2026):

sh <(curl https://cyberpanel.net/install.sh || wget -O - https://cyberpanel.net/install.sh)

• Choose 1 to install CyberPanel
• Choose OpenLiteSpeed (recommended — free and fast)
• When asked for admin password → choose randomly generate (recommended) or set your own strong one
• Say Yes to all useful add-ons (Postfix, PowerDNS, etc.)

The installer will run for 5–10 minutes. When it finishes, it will show your login details.

Note: Write down the username (admin) and password shown at the end!

3. First Login to CyberPanel

Open your browser and go to:

https://your-vps-ip:8090

• Accept the self-signed certificate warning (we’ll fix this soon)
• Login with admin and the password from the installer

First things to do after login:

• Go to CyberPanel → Change Password and set a strong new password
• Go to Server → Status — everything should be green

4. Setting Up DNS in CyberPanel (Make Your Domain Work)

CyberPanel comes with PowerDNS — your own DNS server.

Step-by-step:

1. In CyberPanel, go to DNS → Create Nameserver
2. Create two nameservers like:
   • ns1.yourdomain.com
   • ns2.yourdomain.com (Point them to your VPS IP)
3. At your domain registrar (Namecheap, Cloudflare, GoDaddy, etc.), change the nameservers to the ones you just created.
4. Go to DNS → Add/Delete Records and make sure your domain has:
   • A record pointing to your VPS IP
   • MX record for email (CyberPanel creates this automatically)

Pro tip: It can take 30 minutes to 4 hours for DNS to propagate worldwide. Use https://dnschecker.org to check.

5. Creating Your First Website + Free SSL (Let’s Encrypt)

1. Go to Websites → Create Website
2. Fill in:
   • Domain name (e.g. yourdomain.com)
   • Check SSL, DKIM Support, Create Mail Domain, Open Basedir Protection
3. Click Create Website

Now issue free SSL:

• Go to SSL → Issue SSL
• Select your domain → Issue SSL
• Wait 30–60 seconds → you now have free Let’s Encrypt SSL!

Also secure the panel itself:

• Go to SSL → Manage SSL → Issue SSL for Hostname
• Enter your server hostname (e.g. panel.yourdomain.com) and issue SSL

6. Setting Up Professional Email (Full Mail Server)

CyberPanel makes email easy and secure.

Create email accounts:

1. Go to Email → Create Email
2. Choose your domain → create addresses like [email protected]

Configure DNS for email (very important!):

• In CyberPanel DNS, make sure these records exist (auto-created but double-check):
  • MX record pointing to your server
  • SPF, DKIM, DMARC records (CyberPanel adds DKIM automatically)

Test your email:

• Send a test email from your new address to Gmail
• Check spam score at https://mail-tester.com (aim for 10/10)

Webmail access:

• Go to https://yourdomain.com/webmail (RainLoop is built-in)

7. Security Hardening (Make Your Server Bulletproof)

CyberPanel already includes strong security, but let’s lock it down more.

Enable CSF Firewall (best firewall for CyberPanel):

• Go to Security → CSF Firewall → Enable

Enable ModSecurity (web application firewall):

• Go to Security → ModSecurity → Turn On

Additional security steps:

1. Change SSH port (from our Ubuntu guide)
2. Enable Auto Updates in CyberPanel → Server → Update
3. Go to Security → SSL → Force HTTPS for all sites
4. Regularly run Fix Permissions under each website
5. Install Imunify360 if you want premium protection (optional paid add-on)

Backup everything:

• Go to Backup → Create Backup
• Set up daily backups to Google Drive or FTP (highly recommended)

8. Next Steps & Useful Features

• One-click WordPress install: Websites → Manage → One-Click Install
• PHP version switch per site
• Staging sites for testing
• File Manager, Database Manager, Cron Jobs — all built-in

Conclusion

You now have a complete, secure, professional hosting panel running on your Ubuntu 24.04 VPS — completely free! CyberPanel in 2026 is faster, more stable, and easier than ever.

Security, SSL, DNS, and email are all working perfectly. You’re ready to host multiple websites, run email, and manage everything from one beautiful dashboard.

Have questions or get stuck? Drop a comment below — I reply to every single one.

If this guide helped you, share it and subscribe for more 2026 hosting tutorials (Nginx, Docker, WordPress on CyberPanel, etc.).

Secure server = happy server! 🚀

FAQ

Is CyberPanel free in 2026? Yes! Completely open-source and free forever.

Does it work on Ubuntu 24.04? Yes — full support added in late 2025. v2.4.5+ runs perfectly.

Can I host multiple websites? Absolutely. Unlimited domains on one VPS (limited only by your resources).

Is the email server reliable? Very reliable when DNS (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) is set correctly. Many users get 10/10 on mail-tester.com.

What if I want to upgrade to LiteSpeed Enterprise? CyberPanel supports it with one click — just buy a license.

More security? Enable Fail2Ban (already in CSF), use strong passwords, and keep CyberPanel updated.