Conversations about OS choice for dedicated servers end the same way half the time: "we only have CentOS 7" or "Ubuntu is available, everything else is extra." Providers optimize for what's easiest to support on their end — you get what simplifies their operations, not what actually fits your workload.
THE.Hosting built the catalog differently. Eight operating systems across multiple versions, ten control panels — all installed automatically at order time or during reinstallation. No extra fee for a "non-standard image," no waiting while support assembles the configuration you need.
Eight Operating Systems: From Classics to Specialized Platforms
The OS catalog covers fundamentally different dedicated server use cases — from classic web hosting to enterprise virtualization.
Windows Server is available in five versions: 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025. This is one of the few providers where Windows Server 2025 is already in the automatic installation catalog rather than under "ask your account manager." Need .NET, Active Directory, or MSSQL on physical hardware — select the version and get a ready system.
Debian in versions 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13. Five generations of one distribution in a single catalog — covering both fresh projects on Bookworm and legacy systems nobody's migrating anytime soon. Debian 13 in the catalog already is uncommon among hosting providers.
Ubuntu in versions 16.04, 18.04, 20.04, 22.04, and 24.04. The full range of LTS releases. A project running on 20.04 with no migration plans? No problem. New server straight onto 24.04? Also no problem.
CentOS in six variants: 6, 7, 8, 8 Stream, 9 Stream. Yes, six — including older versions for teams migrating systems with long histories, and current Stream for building new infrastructure in the RHEL ecosystem.
AlmaLinux versions 8, 9, and 10. AlmaLinux 10 is the freshest release, one that showed up in provider catalogs later than anything else. Need RHEL compatibility with the most current kernel — it's here.
Astra Linux in five versions: 1.7.2, 1.7.3, 1.7.4, 1.7.5, 1.7.6. A specialized OS for projects with corresponding compliance requirements. Not just "the latest version" — the full current range to match different client specifications.
VMware ESXi 6 — the hypervisor for building enterprise virtualization on THE.Hosting physical hardware. Deploys automatically, without manual installation from an ISO.
Proxmox VE 7 — an open-source virtualization and container management platform. A competitor to VMware in the open-source segment, popular among teams that prefer not to depend on large vendors' licensing decisions.
Ten Control Panels: From Hosting to Development
Control panels serve fundamentally different purposes. Some are built for hosting businesses managing multiple clients. Others handle server infrastructure management. Still others exist for developers who want a usable interface without unnecessary complexity.
ISPmanager — a panel with a long track record in the Russian market. Well-developed interface for managing websites, mail, and databases. Available in editions for small and enterprise segments. Supports multiple servers in a unified interface — relevant when running several THE.Hosting dedicated servers.
cPanel — the industry standard for western hosting. If your clients know cPanel's interface by heart, switching to anything else creates friction. Runs on RHEL-compatible systems only: CentOS or AlmaLinux.
Plesk — cross-platform support covering both Linux and Windows Server. The only panel in this list that works across both OS families. For agencies managing both Linux and Windows servers, that's a practical advantage.
DirectAdmin — fast and light on resources. Noticeably quicker than cPanel on modest hardware. A solid choice for small hosting providers where interface speed matters when managing large numbers of accounts.
Hestia — free, open-source, successor to VestaCP. Minimal interface, core functionality for websites and mail, no unnecessary overhead. For personal projects without billing and multi-client structures — clean and practical.
Webmin — a long-standing Linux server management panel. Not focused on hosting — manages the operating system directly: network interfaces, scheduled tasks, users, filesystem. The choice for system administrators who want a graphical interface to the OS itself rather than a hosting platform.
Virtualmin — a Webmin module that adds virtual host management, databases, and mail. Webmin combined with Virtualmin is a full open-source alternative to cPanel.
CloudPanel — a modern panel oriented toward PHP applications and Node.js. Light, clean interface, works well with popular frameworks. For development agencies hosting dozens of sites on a single server — a practical tool.
FastPanel — a free Russian-developed panel. Clean interface, supports current versions of PHP, Nginx, and Apache. Deploys quickly, not burdened with features that aren't needed.
EasyPanel — a Docker-based panel for teams working with containerized applications. Node.js, Python, Go, Ruby — everything runs in containers with a straightforward interface. Over 120 ready-to-deploy application templates included.
Automatic Installation: What It Actually Means
"Automatic" here means something specific: nobody installs the operating system or control panel manually after your request. OS and panel selection happens in the interface at order time. After confirming the order, the system deploys the required image on its own.
The same applies to reinstallation. Need to switch OS or control panel — start the process from the client area. Within 10–20 minutes the server is running the new configuration.
This removes several practical friction points at once. No dependency on support team working hours. No manual configuration errors. No queue waiting when the task is urgent. A dedicated server with the right OS and panel is a choice in an interface, not a conversation with a manager.
Seven Locations, Identical Catalog
The full operating system and panel catalog is available across all THE.Hosting locations: Finland, France, Germany, Moldova, the Netherlands, the USA, and the United Kingdom. Location choice doesn't limit OS choice — which matters when you need a server in a specific region running a specific distribution.
Choose a Dedicated Server and Operating System
FAQ
Can a control panel be installed on Windows Server? Plesk supports Windows Server and installs automatically. The other panels in the catalog are designed for Linux systems.
Are cPanel or Plesk licenses included in the server price? Licenses for commercial control panels — cPanel, Plesk, ISPmanager — are paid separately. Open-source panels — Hestia, Webmin, Virtualmin, CloudPanel, FastPanel, EasyPanel — are free.
Can the control panel be changed without reinstalling the OS? In most cases, replacing a control panel requires a clean installation. Reinstalling the OS with the new panel selected is recommended — it takes 10–20 minutes and avoids component conflicts.
Does ISPmanager support multiple THE.Hosting servers? Yes, the enterprise version of ISPmanager allows managing multiple servers through a unified interface. Relevant when scaling infrastructure across several dedicated servers in different locations.
Is it possible to install an OS not in the standard catalog? Yes, through the IPMI interface you can mount a virtual drive with any ISO image and install an operating system manually. IPMI access is included as standard on every dedicated server.