i know there's cpanel but what's the difference between them and others out there like plesk, ensim, ubersmith, etc. i'm getting confused and need to know what are the essential features needed to run a hosting company. in particular, i'm looking for one with 3 levels: admin, reseller and client. also, those that help automate tasks like billing and invoices would be a plus.

please feel free to list all that are out there because I want to shop around before I commit.

also, please give pros and cons of each...

thanks for the help

There have been hundreds of threads regarding different control panels, and their pros / cons. Use the search function , http://www.webhostingtalk.com/search.php?s= , to find out more information on individual control panels...


Cpanel, Plesk and Ensim are control panels in the sense that you are thinking, while Ubersmith, is a client management / billing package.

Try this thread:
http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21709

Doc