CloudLinux is sold as two editions, and the choice between them comes down to one question: are you running cPanel/WHM, or something else? There are no server-count or account-count tiers to reason about. Every license is priced per server, at the same rate, regardless of how many hosting accounts run on that server.
This article covers what each edition includes, who each one is for, and how the per-server pricing works. If you have already decided, head to CloudLinux activation to buy.
How CloudLinux licensing actually works
A CloudLinux license is issued per server. There is no per-account cap, no per-tenant surcharge, and no tier that unlocks at a higher server count — whether the server hosts 5 accounts or 500, the license cost for that server is the same.
We sell two editions, both at $13.95/mo per server (also available at $164.95/yr):
- CloudLinux OS — the base edition. Use this for Plesk, DirectAdmin, or any unmanaged/custom stack.
- CloudLinux OS for cPanel — the same underlying product, tuned specifically for cPanel/WHM environments.
Both editions include the same core feature set:
- LVE (Lightweight Virtual Environment) for per-account CPU, memory, and I/O isolation, so one bad site can't take down the whole server.
- CageFS for per-account filesystem isolation.
- PHP Selector for per-account PHP version and extension control. See setting up PHP Selector on cPanel for the walkthrough.
- MySQL Governor for per-account database query isolation.
CloudLinux OS — the base edition
Choose the base CloudLinux OS edition if your server runs Plesk, DirectAdmin, or an unmanaged/custom control-panel setup. It's a genuine drop-in replacement for CentOS/RHEL-family kernels, and it gives you LVE isolation, CageFS, PHP Selector, and MySQL Governor regardless of which panel sits on top of it.
CloudLinux OS for cPanel — the cPanel-optimised edition
Choose CloudLinux OS for cPanel if your server runs cPanel/WHM. It's the same license, same feature set, same $13.95/mo price, just tuned specifically for the cPanel/WHM stack. There's no feature gap and no price difference between the two editions; the only decision point is which control panel you run.
What's not included: KernelCare, Imunify360, ImunifyAV
Neither CloudLinux edition bundles live kernel patching or malware/security tooling. Those are separate products you can add on top of either license:
- KernelCare ($3.95/mo) — rebootless kernel patching, applying CVE fixes to a running kernel without a maintenance window.
- Imunify360 Unlimited ($24.75/mo) — the full security suite, including a WAF, malware scanning, and proactive defense.
- ImunifyAV ($7.95/mo) — a lighter malware scanner and cleanup tool, without the full Imunify360 suite.
None of these are required to run CloudLinux, and none of them change which CloudLinux edition you need. They're independent per-server add-ons you can mix and match based on what your fleet needs.
Pricing at a glance
| License | Price (per server) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| CloudLinux OS | $13.95/mo ($164.95/yr) | Plesk, DirectAdmin, unmanaged setups |
| CloudLinux OS for cPanel | $13.95/mo ($164.95/yr) | cPanel/WHM servers |
| KernelCare (add-on) | $3.95/mo | Rebootless kernel CVE patching |
| Imunify360 Unlimited (add-on) | $24.75/mo | Full security suite (WAF, malware, proactive defense) |
| ImunifyAV (add-on) | $7.95/mo | Malware scanning and cleanup only |
For a fleet-wide quote, use the contact form.
CloudLinux vs a generic RHEL-family OS
CloudLinux is built on top of a CentOS/RHEL-compatible base, but the value is in what it adds: LVE, CageFS, PHP Selector, and MySQL Governor. A generic RHEL-family distribution doesn't ship any of those, which is why CloudLinux is the standard choice for shared hosting rather than a stock enterprise Linux install. See LVE tuning for shared-hosting density for how to configure limits once the license is active.
What's the difference between CloudLinux OS and CloudLinux OS for cPanel?+
Does CloudLinux pricing change based on how many hosting accounts I run?+
Is there a volume discount for larger fleets?+
Do I need a separate CloudLinux license for each server?+
Does a CloudLinux license include KernelCare or Imunify360?+
Can I switch from the base CloudLinux OS edition to the cPanel edition later?+
Next steps
- Install CloudLinux on cPanel walks the conversion from CentOS or AlmaLinux to a fresh CloudLinux node.
- LVE tuning for shared-hosting density covers the CPU and memory limits to set once the license is active.
- Set up PHP Selector on cPanel walks through enabling per-account PHP version control.