On October 9th, 2024, WebPros, the Oakley Capital-backed owner of WHMCS (a popular web hosting billing system) and cPanel (the industry-leading hosting control panel), announced another round of price increases for 2025 on both products:
- WHMCS “Plus” will jump from $24.95/month to $29.95/month.
- WHMCS “Business” (10,000 active client license) will increase from $224.95/month to $389.95/month.
- cPanel “Solo” is rising from $17.49/month to $26.99/month.
- cPanel “Pro” will see an increase from $42.99/month to $47/month.
WHMCS License Costs
| License Plan | 2023 Price | 2024 Price | 2025 Price | 2-Year Price Inflation (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plus (250 Clients) | $18.95 | $24.95 | $29.95 | 58% |
| Professional (500 Clients) | $29.95 | $39.95 | $44.95 | 50% |
| Business (1,000 Clients) | $44.95 | $59.95 | $69.95 | 36% |
| Business (5,000 Clients) | $99.95 | $129.95 | $234.95 | 135% |
| Business (10,000 Clients) | $174.95 | $224.95 | $389.95 | 123% |
cPanel License Costs
| License Plan | 2023 Price | 2024 Price | 2025 Price | 2-Year Price Inflation (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo (1 account) | $15.99 | $17.49 | $26.99 | 69% |
| Admin (up to 5 cPanel accounts) | $27.99 | $29.99 | $32.99 | 18% |
| Pro (up to 30 cPanel accounts) | $39.99 | $42.99 | $46.99 | 18% |
| Premier (up to 100 cPanel accounts) | $59.99 | $60.99 | $65.99 | 10% |
| Bulk (over 100 cPanel accounts) | $0.39 | $0.40 | $0.45 | 15% |
These significant price jumps follow the substantial increases in September 2023, making the two-year total price increases as high as 135% for WHMCS and 69% for cPanel.
This approach mirrors the typical private equity playbook:
- Find a company with a niche market where customers are locked in.
- Acquire the company.
- Raise prices significantly.
Although customers may eventually push back, in the meantime, this strategy delivers a high return on investment.
Why We’re Moving to Enhance
In light of these ongoing price hikes, we’ve been transitioning towards using a better and more cost-effective solution: the Enhance control panel. Unlike cPanel and WHMCS, Enhance offers more flexibility, scalability, and predictable pricing that allows us to provide superior service to our clients without the constant worry of unexpected cost increases.
Check out our enhance web hosting plans here
