As we look back on 2025, we’re excited to celebrate the progress made across the cPanel platform. This year, we expanded OS and PHP lifecycle support, introduced AI-powered web development tools, strengthened security, improved WordPress management, and enhanced monitoring. Here’s a look at the themes that shaped 2025, and a preview of what’s coming next.
Up-to-Date Systems and Security Enhancements
Security threats are rising sharply. According to the Verizon DBIR, over 60% of breaches exploit vulnerabilities that already have patches, and reports show double-digit growth in Linux server vulnerabilities year over year. With PHP still powering over 72% of the internet, fast updates and hardened infrastructure are essential.
In 2025, cPanel delivered continuous platform and security enhancements to keep servers safe by default.
Key highlights of this year:
- Expanded OS support: cPanel now runs on AlmaLinux 10 and Ubuntu 24, giving providers access to modern, secure platforms.
- Seamless upgrades with ELevate: In-place OS upgrades are now easier, preserving Apache/PHP configurations, databases, and more.
- Introduction of PHP 8.5: Delivered within cPanel’s 2-day SLA.
- Weekly EasyApache updates: Included the latest PHP components, database, and mail services. Automatically applies security patches for OS, web server, and PHP modules, fixing known vulnerabilities and hardening configurations with minimal downtime.
- Stronger WordPress security: Enhanced through WP Toolkit and WP Guardian, with automated scanning and patching of vulnerable plugins and themes, plus real-time alerts for potential threats.
With these updates, our users can maintain secure, stable environments without disruptive migrations.
Extended Lifecycle Support (OS and PHP)
Many servers and websites still run outdated operating systems or legacy PHP versions, increasing security risks. Over 50% of PHP installations globally are on versions that no longer receive official security updates, and many hosting providers continue operating on OS versions past their vendor lifecycle due to the complexity and cost of migration.
cPanel’s Extended Lifecycle Support (ELS) provides a practical solution:
- Extended Lifecycle Support for outdated OS versions: Even after vendor end-of-life, cPanel provides continued security patches, new product releases, and full technical support. This gives providers flexibility in planning infrastructure upgrades while reducing risks of downtime or data breaches.
- Extended Lifecycle Support for legacy PHP versions (arriving late 2025): Security fixes are backported into unsupported PHP versions using ELS PHP (powered by TuxCare/CL), allowing websites to run safely without immediate upgrades.
With so many sites still running legacy PHP and OS versions, cPanel’s Extended Lifecycle Support helps hosting providers keep those systems safe while minimizing operational disruptions.
Modern Web Development and AI Tools
AI has become essential for SMBs, agencies, and developers. According to Deloitte’s SMB AI Report, 60% of small businesses expect to rely on AI for content or website creation within the next two years. Furthermore, Gartner estimates that the no-code/low-code industry continues to grow rapidly, at over 20% per year.
cPanel expanded its web-development and AI ecosystem significantly this year to help users create sites and applications faster than ever while maintaining full control on their hosting infrastructure.
- Sitejet AI Builder: Quickly generate websites with AI-assisted layouts and content.
- Nova AI app builder: Build functional websites and applications through natural conversation.
- Temporary domain support: Start building projects immediately, without waiting for a domain to be registered or propagated. This is especially useful for agencies, developers, and SMBs who want to prototype quickly, migrate existing sites without downtime, or test new features in an isolated environment. By removing the need for a domain, projects can start faster and staging becomes simpler.
- WP Toolkit enhancements: Faster staging, improved cloning and backups, and integrated WP Guardian security features.
- Vulnerability protection: Delivers real-time WordPress security, now included inside WP Squared and powered by Patchstack.
- Paid cPanel images in hyperscalers: Users can utilize our paid images in all available marketplaces to launch cPanel quickly and reliably on their preferred hyperscaler.
With these expansions, our users can build websites and apps faster and more securely, while maintaining full control over their hosting environment.
Server Monitoring and Site Quality Monitoring
Website performance directly impacts revenue: a 1-second slowdown can reduce conversions by 7%, and downtime can cost SMBs thousands per incident.
Google uses performance and Core Web Vitals as ranking factors, so, cPanel strengthened its monitoring suite to help providers identify issues early, maintain uptime, and deliver better experiences.
Enhancements in 2025:
- 360 Monitoring: Provides deep, real-time visibility into critical server health metrics, including CPU load, memory usage, and server performance. These insights help catch resource issues before they impact customers, support capacity planning, and enable faster root-cause diagnosis during incidents. It reduces downtime, minimizes performance degradation, and allows teams to operate more proactively.
- Site Quality Monitoring: Continuously checks websites for broken links, slow loading pages, HTTP errors, content issues, and uptime failures – problems that often go unnoticed until customers complain or rankings drop. With automated detection and alerts, providers can fix issues early, preserve SEO value, improve user experience, and demonstrate higher service quality.
- DNS improvements: Support for TXT records over 255 characters, default DMARC records, and optimized zone management.
Now, providers can identify issues early, maintain uptime, and deliver reliable experiences for their customers.
SEO Improvements
With organic search driving more than 50% of online traffic on average, cPanel focused on SEO improvements that help small businesses and agencies stay competitive without relying on external, complex tools.
cPanel delivered the XOVI SEO extension, offering insights into technical SEO and visibility issues directly from cPanel. Customers gain actionable SEO insights without relying on complex external tools, helping them stay competitive online.
Coming Soon: AI Support Agent (Q1 2026)
Hosting providers want fewer repetitive support tickets and faster problem resolution. AI support automation is expected to handle up to 30% of IT and support tasks by 2026, reducing operational workload for hosting teams.
Planned feature:
- Built-in AI Support Agent in WHM to help admins resolve issues faster, reduce repetitive support tickets, and scale support operations efficiently.
This innovation will help hosting providers scale support without scaling support teams as hosting teams will be able to handle more requests with fewer resources, improving productivity and reducing costs.
Coming in 2026
Development is already underway for several major enhancements. Here’s what’s already in progress for release:
- MCP support in WHM
- Modernized SSL experience
- Comet Backup integration
- Support for short-lived SSL certificates
These upgrades will further modernize security, backup processes, and your overall cPanel experience.
Additional UX & Quality Enhancements
This year, a variety of updates that enhanced performance, reliability, and the overall user experience. Some of our top improvements include:
- Modernized HTML Editor (Jodit, Beta): A cleaner, more reliable HTML editing experience inside File Manager.
- Webmail improvements: Enhanced reliability and smoother handling across core webmail functions.
- Sieve support (Dovecot 2.4): More advanced and dependable mail filtering capabilities.
- Stability fixes: Improved SSL verification, backup file creation, and file lock handling to enhance system reliability.
These enhancements allow our users to experience a more intuitive and reliable platform, making everyday hosting tasks easier.
A Year of Progress
2025 has been a year of meaningful progress for cPanel. From security and lifecycle support to AI-powered development tools, monitoring, and SEO enhancements, the platform continues to empower our users, hosting providers, and server admins with a safer, smarter, and future-ready experience.
As we close out 2025, we want to thank our entire community for your continued trust and feedback. Your support drives every improvement we release. We wish you a successful and innovative year ahead. Happy New Year from the cPanel team!
