Why BlueOnyx?
A complete hosting control panel without the license trap
BlueOnyx is a free and open-source web hosting control panel for Enterprise Linux. It gives hosting providers, system administrators, agencies and power users a browser-based GUI for managing web, mail, DNS, databases, users, virtual sites and reseller hosting.
The difference is the cost model. BlueOnyx does not charge per account, per domain, per mailbox, per CPU or per server installation. You can run it on one server or many servers, with one site or hundreds of sites, and the BlueOnyx control-panel license cost remains the same:
Zero.
BlueOnyx is not a new experiment and it is not a weekend project. It continues a long hosting-control-panel lineage that goes back to the Cobalt RaQ, the Sausalito architecture and BlueQuartz. Over many years it has evolved across multiple Linux generations and is now available as BlueOnyx 5212R for modern Enterprise Linux platforms such as AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux and compatible RHEL-derived distributions.
BlueOnyx is mature in the way hosting infrastructure should be mature: proven, practical and predictable.
Download BlueOnyx View Features Provider partnerships
Built for predictable hosting operations
Commercial hosting panels can be excellent products. They also bring licensing models that can become a serious operating cost as a hosting business grows.
BlueOnyx takes a different approach. The platform is designed around practical hosting operations without turning every new account, domain, mailbox or server into another monthly license line item.
- No per-account license fees.
- No per-domain license fees.
- No per-mailbox license fees.
- No per-CPU license fees.
- No forced license tiers that punish growth.
Your real limits are the limits that should matter: server resources, storage, network capacity, operational policy and the way you choose to run your platform.
BlueOnyx vs cPanel vs Plesk
The comparison below is not meant to claim that every panel is identical. cPanel and Plesk are established commercial products with their own ecosystems, workflows and strengths.
BlueOnyx is different. It focuses on delivering a complete open-source hosting control panel with predictable cost and long-term maintainability.
| Category | cPanel | Plesk | BlueOnyx |
|---|---|---|---|
| License model | Commercial subscription | Commercial subscription | Open source |
| Per-account billing | Yes, through account tiers and additional-account pricing | Edition/domain based | No |
| Domains/sites | Plan and account-model dependent | Edition dependent | Limited by server resources |
| Mail hosting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DNS hosting | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reseller support | Yes | Yes, depending on edition | Yes |
| User and site-admin GUI | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Two-factor authentication | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| IPv6 support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise Linux base | Vendor-supported operating systems | Vendor-supported operating systems | AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux and compatible RHEL-derived platforms |
| Source availability | Proprietary | Proprietary | Open source |
| Example control-panel license cost for 500 accounts | About $265.99/month at current direct monthly cPanel Premier pricing | Depends on edition, license type and reseller pricing | No license fee |
Pricing and product editions for commercial control panels change over time. The cPanel example is based on the published Premier monthly license price of $69.99 for up to 100 accounts plus $0.49 for each additional account, checked in June 2026. Always verify current vendor pricing before making a purchasing decision.
What that means in practice
For a small server with only a few accounts, commercial panel licensing may look manageable. The economics change quickly once the account count grows.
A hosting provider with hundreds of customer accounts can pay substantial recurring license fees before selling a single additional service. That cost is due every month whether the server is busy or quiet, whether customers need premium features or not, and whether the provider had a strong month or a difficult one.
BlueOnyx removes that baseline control-panel license burden. That makes it especially interesting for:
- VPS providers who want to offer customers a ready-to-use hosting panel.
- Small and medium hosting companies that need predictable operating costs.
- Agencies that host many customer sites.
- Sysadmins who want a complete GUI on top of a familiar Enterprise Linux base.
- Providers looking for an alternative to per-account commercial licensing.
- Existing BlueOnyx, BlueQuartz or Cobalt-style users who want a modern continuation of that hosting model.
What BlueOnyx includes
BlueOnyx provides a complete hosting stack with GUI-based administration for common hosting tasks. Depending on version and configuration, BlueOnyx includes or integrates:
- Web hosting and virtual site management.
- User and mail account management.
- DNS management.
- MariaDB database management.
- PHP and web application support.
- FTP and SFTP access.
- SSL certificate management.
- IPv4 and IPv6 support.
- Reseller management.
- Site administrator access.
- Two-factor authentication.
- Mail services with email autoconfiguration and OpenDKIM support.
- Built-in CalDAV and CardDAV support.
- phpMyAdmin integration.
- Backup and migration-oriented tooling.
- Optional commercial add-ons for extended functionality.
The system is designed so server administrators, resellers, site administrators and end users can work within their appropriate level of access.
Not a cPanel clone. Not a Plesk clone.
BlueOnyx is not trying to be a pixel-for-pixel replacement for cPanel or Plesk. It has its own architecture, its own workflow and its own history.
If your business depends on exact cPanel behavior, cPanel-specific plugins or a cPanel-compatible customer experience, then cPanel may still be the right product for that use case. If your workflow is built around Plesk-specific extensions and automation, Plesk may still be the right fit.
But if your goal is stable web, mail, DNS and user hosting on an Enterprise Linux platform with a predictable cost model, BlueOnyx deserves a serious look.
It is not free because it is unfinished. It is free because the core platform is open source.
Commercial add-ons when you need more
The BlueOnyx base system is free and open source. For many installations, the base platform already provides what is needed to operate a capable hosting server.
Some environments need more. For those cases, additional commercial software is available through the BlueOnyx Shop. Add-ons can extend BlueOnyx with additional PHP versions, web applications, security features, anti-spam and anti-virus functionality, backup solutions and other operational enhancements.
The important distinction is simple: BlueOnyx does not force every server, every site and every mailbox into a recurring control-panel license model.
You can use the free base platform and add commercial software only where it makes operational or business sense.
For ISPs, VPS providers and datacenter operators
BlueOnyx can also be attractive for infrastructure providers. If you operate VPS, dedicated server or managed hosting infrastructure, you can make BlueOnyx available to your customers as an additional hosting-panel option without taking on recurring per-installation control-panel license costs.
Your customers get a complete hosting control panel. You get a differentiated offer. The base BlueOnyx license cost remains zero regardless of how many servers, virtual sites, users, mailboxes or CPUs are involved.
Partner-friendly software distribution
Infrastructure providers can work with the BlueOnyx ecosystem in a flexible way.
One option is to let customers buy or rent optional commercial add-ons directly from the BlueOnyx Shop. For qualifying provider relationships, customer purchases can be associated with the provider environment and eligible revenue can be handled through a partner participation arrangement.
Another option is for the provider to purchase or rent selected commercial add-ons directly for internal use or customer deployments. In that case, flexible volume discounts are available for qualifying providers.
This gives ISPs, VPS providers and datacenter operators a practical set of choices:
- Offer BlueOnyx as a no-license-cost hosting panel option.
- Let customers decide which optional add-ons they need.
- Participate in eligible add-on revenue where applicable.
- Purchase add-ons directly with predictable volume pricing.
The result is a model that can reduce software licensing overhead while still allowing providers to offer value-added software and services.
Why this matters
Hosting infrastructure should be sustainable. A control panel should help you operate servers, not become a tax on every account you create.
BlueOnyx gives you a different path:
- Open-source core platform.
- No per-account licensing.
- No per-domain licensing.
- No per-mailbox licensing.
- No per-CPU licensing.
- Enterprise Linux foundation.
- Long production history.
- Optional commercial add-ons.
- Partner-friendly deployment model.
For providers under pressure from rising software licensing costs, BlueOnyx is worth testing. For sysadmins who prefer open systems, BlueOnyx is worth testing. For agencies and small hosting businesses that want predictable costs, BlueOnyx is worth testing.
And for anyone who remembers the original promise of appliance-style hosting control panels: BlueOnyx is still here, still maintained and still moving forward.
Try BlueOnyx
The latest BlueOnyx images are available for current Enterprise Linux platforms.
You can install BlueOnyx from ISO, deploy it in supported virtual environments, or test it in a lab before deciding whether it fits your workflow.
BlueOnyx will not be the right panel for everyone. But if you want a stable, open-source hosting control panel without per-account license fees, it may be exactly what you were looking for.