I am a beginner of re-selling and want to know if I can use my website, when people sign up online and intergrate this with Plesk 8? So when they enter all the information it then automatically get's inputted into Plesk?

That's not possible unless you have some type of billing script that will automatically create accounts (ie: modernbill, clientexec, etc.) integrated with a signup form.

Ahhhh ok so then I'd need to use ModernBill for people to sign up, then do I have to manually add clients into Plesk?

Ahhhh ok so then I'd need to use ModernBill for people to sign up, then do I have to manually add clients into Plesk?I believe Modernbill actually has an API to create accounts with the click of a button.

Hmmm but then I would still need Plesk for users to have a control panel yes?

Hmmm but then I would still need Plesk for users to have a control panel yes?Well, it can't create a new user from a signup if you're not using a control panel. Of course, you're not only limited to Plesk...

Agree, but I like the look of Plesk and it seems to have alot of features which others don't... So basically I buy ModernBill, attach it to my host. Create my re-seller website entriely around it communicating with ModernBill (if I decide to use them, but they seem good). Then it's all done through there... Once a new client is processed and added I then create them in the Plesk environment, from there send out the welcome letter and all that? So I shouldn't even think about Plesk managing billing or anything like that? Does it mean though I'd have 2 lots of databases? One in ModernBill and one in Plesk? Sorry if the questions seem obvious...

why would you want plesk. i have on one of my servers and it is garbage. you will get more clients and features with cpanel with whm. everything is easier in whm. plesk is the worst cp i have ever seen.

What's whm?

But doesn't Plesk do the job of both cPanel and WHM?

why would you want plesk. i have on one of my servers and it is garbage. you will get more clients and features with cpanel with whm. everything is easier in whm. plesk is the worst cp i have ever seen.cPanel and WHM are horrible products. Let's stop bashing other control panels because you think cPanel is "the best." Let's do a simple search for cPanel exploits and then search for exploits for Plesk, H-Sphere, Helm, DirectAdmin, and others. cPanel will probably add up to more than all of them combined.

it is web hosting manager it has a million times more features than plesk.

Back on topic, tomyknoker, this is what you would do:

1) Have a server with Plesk installed.
2) Purchase billing software that supports Plesk auto account creation (such as MB or CE).
3) Have people signup via the signup forms that you can customize in the billing software.
4) Properly setup the billing software's Plesk plugin so it will create accounts when you tell it to do so. You'll have to enter your Plesk admin username/password so it can create the accounts.

Be aware though, I hear there's some problems with Plesk API that doesn't allow CE's plugin to work. Make sure you contact the company offering the billing software before you purchase it.

cPanel and WHM are horrible products. Let's stop bashing other control panels because you think cPanel is "the best." Let's do a simple search for cPanel exploits and then search for exploits for Plesk, H-Sphere, Helm, DirectAdmin, and others. cPanel will probably add up to more than all of them combined.That's what I thought! I have heard really bad things about cPanel... from all over the web. So I'd need two types of software then, Billing Software and Control Panel Software? And woukld they work independently of each other... meaning that 'client_a' would sit in my billing software db and also in my control panel db?

it is web hosting manager it has a million times more features than plesk.The only thing you're thinking of is probably Fantastico. You can use Installatron on Plesk which is way better.

If cPanel has so many more "built-in" features than Plesk, please list them.

funny thing is that i have been using both panel for a long time. i know both very well. cpanel is good with security problems and daaaaaa cpanel more popular.

Back on topic, tomyknoker, this is what you would do:

1) Have a server with Plesk installed.
2) Purchase billing software that supports Plesk auto account creation (such as MB or CE).
3) Have people signup via the signup forms that you can customize in the billing software.
4) Properly setup the billing software's Plesk plugin so it will create accounts when you tell it to do so. You'll have to enter your Plesk admin username/password so it can create the accounts.

Be aware though, I hear there's some problems with Plesk API that doesn't allow CE's plugin to work. Make sure you contact the company offering the billing software before you purchase it.Steve thanks so much! Finally some clear concise answers! This is what I have been trying to get to the bottom of. So I can make the billing software talk to Plesk. Great! Do you have any preference for billing software? What were the two you mentioned... Sorry don't know the abbreviation as am not really familiar with billing software...

funny thing is that i have been using both panel for a long time. i know both very well. cpanel is good with security problems and daaaaaa cpanel more popular.Well, that's a great explanation on why cPanel is a much greater control panel than Plesk...

Steve thanks so much! Finally some clear concise answers! This is what I have been trying to get to the bottom of. So I can make the billing software talk to Plesk. Great! Do you have any preference for billing software? What were the two you mentioned... Sorry don't know the abbreviation as am not really familiar with billing software...CE = ClientExec
MB = Modernbill

View these forums a bit more (Hosting Software & Control Panels) and you'll find a lot of information about billing software.

I've heard great things about MB but haven't heard good nor bad about CE... Can it do anything MB can't?

I've heard great things about MB but haven't heard good nor bad about CE... Can it do anything MB can't?They're both good products, it all depends what you're aiming for I guess. Try the demos for both.

Also so then processing credit card payments and things like that, I have a merchant account with my bank... Do I incorporate this into MB?

Also so then processing credit card payments and things like that, I have a merchant account with my bank... Do I incorporate this into MB?Yes, pretty much all billing software you will find has multiple payment gateways.

it looks like you made your decision. just give cpanel a try and see why so many people love it.

I've heard great things about MB but haven't heard good nor bad about CE... Can it do anything MB can't?

Well for me, it was pretty easy to create my own payment gateway, and i'm not sure about mb.

Also, setup is very easy compared to mb.

For the cons, you'll have to modify lot of things if you're not from USA or UK (i'm french). mb and ce were originally intended for USA only, maybe that's why ...

Plesk is chieper, which does not make it better. Yesterday got another server packed with Plesk 8.0.1 and this guy started creating my vhosts under /var using /home for anonymous ftp only...

Plesk is chieper, which does not make it better. Yesterday got another server packed with Plesk 8.0.1 and this guy started creating my vhosts under /var using /home for anonymous ftp only...

what do you mean ? you ordered a plesk box and the tech guy created an anonymous ftp on /home without telling you ?

Oui. This is how the servers of ovh.com come bundled with Plesk 8. In Plesk 7.5 vhosts go under /home

In Plesk 8.0.1 package /home partition is 8 GB or so, the rest of 150 GB does under /var

Plesk is chieper, which does not make it better. Yesterday got another server packed with Plesk 8.0.1 and this guy started creating my vhosts under /var using /home for anonymous ftp only...

Plesk is more End User oriented. The customer only use a control panel to manage mail, databases, subdomains, and see a bit of stats, that's pretty much about it.

All the other goodies that come with cP/WHM are for the admin. It just depend on what you want to do, I always like to go into Shell when I need to deal with any of those admini stuffs.

I think the way they have it default to /var is better since that's the one that's supposed to store all your data stuffs anyway. I like to have /home for special shell users. Plus it can be change to anywhere the admin want, so it's not a big deal.

Do addon and parked domains in Plesk count against the licensed domain number?

In 8, addon do not, they have have a new addon feature that does the redirecting. It 7.5 that wasn't there.

I've never used the parked domain feature before so I don't have first hand knowledge, I usually just create it as a normal hosting account, which count. But I believe you can get the 4PSA software addon to do some of those advance stuffs like DNS clustering and parked domain.

In 8, addon do not, they have have a new addon feature that does the redirecting. It 7.5 that wasn't there.

I've never used the parked domain feature before so I don't have first hand knowledge, I usually just create it as a normal hosting account, which count. But I believe you can get the 4PSA software addon to do some of those advance stuffs like DNS clustering and parked domain.

I believe that's a major drawback of Plesk. When it comes to parking, addon domains, it starts to be complicated ... Well and we would have to pay $90 more to get 4PSA Total Domains ?
I know by experience Cpanel is so much more easier for those things !

But plesk8 is a bit better, Hope plesk 8.1, 8.2 or 9 will just make the difference :)