cPanel 138 supports four operating systems: AlmaLinux 8, 9 and 10, CloudLinux 8, 9 and 10, and Ubuntu 24.04. Rocky Linux was dropped at version 134, Ubuntu 22.04 was last supported in 136, and RHEL-family installs must be at least 9.5. For a server being built today the realistic choice is between Ubuntu 24.04 and AlmaLinux 9 or 10, with CloudLinux as an overlay on the AlmaLinux side. Each is a sound choice; the wrong one is the one that does not match the software you need to run on it. This guide sets out the differences that matter.
Table of Contents
Short answer: Choose AlmaLinux 9 or 10 for a new cPanel server when CloudLinux, RPM-based automation, third-party plugins or the longest support window matter, and pick 10 unless a required database version or plugin is not yet supported there. Choose Ubuntu 24.04 when the rest of the fleet is Debian-based, a newer kernel is needed for the hardware, or CloudLinux is not part of the plan. Both run the same cPanel, EasyApache and MariaDB 11.8 builds.
Support lifetimes
AlmaLinux 9 is supported until mid-2032 and AlmaLinux 10 until 2035, matching the RHEL lifecycle. Ubuntu 24.04 LTS receives standard support until 2029 and extended security maintenance beyond that with a subscription. cPanel itself tends to add the next Ubuntu LTS about a year after release and drop the previous one two versions later, as happened with 22.04, so a 24.04 server should expect an in-place do-release-upgrade to 26.04 around 2028 with cPanel’s blessing. AlmaLinux major upgrades go through cPanel’s ELevate process, which is slower and more disruptive but well documented; see our ELevate guide.
If the server must run for seven years with minimal OS churn, AlmaLinux 10 wins. If you expect to rebuild or upgrade every three to four years anyway, the lifetime difference is academic.
Database and PHP availability
On AlmaLinux 8 and 9, cPanel offers MySQL 8.0 and 8.4, and MariaDB 10.5 through 11.8, with 10.11 the default. On AlmaLinux 10 the list narrows to MySQL 8.4 and MariaDB 10.11, 11.4 and 11.8. On Ubuntu 24.04, MySQL 8.0 and 8.4 are available and MariaDB 10.6 through 11.8. MariaDB 12.3 is not yet in cPanel’s supported list on any platform, and MariaDB 10.6 reached end of life in July 2026, so a new server should start on 10.11 or 11.4 regardless of OS.
PHP through EasyApache 4 is identical across platforms: 8.4 is mainstream, 8.5 is available, 8.1 is retiring and 8.2 leaves security support at the end of 2026. The difference is at the system level. Ubuntu’s own PHP packages and the EA4 ones coexist without conflict, but scripts that assume /usr/bin/php is a Red Hat path or use dnf will need adjusting. Any tooling written for RPM servers, including a good deal of hosting automation, needs a dpkg/apt variant.
CloudLinux, Imunify and CSF
CloudLinux is only available as an overlay on AlmaLinux 8, 9 and 10, or as a conversion from them. If the business model depends on CageFS, LVE limits and PHP Selector, Ubuntu is not an option; go with AlmaLinux 9 or 10 and convert. The current state of CloudLinux 10 is in our CloudLinux 10 guide. Imunify360 supports both families, including AlmaLinux 10 since September 2025 and Ubuntu 24.04.
CSF is a consideration since ConfigServer stopped in August 2025. The cPanel-maintained fork installs on both AlmaLinux and Ubuntu cPanel servers, but note two platform details: on AlmaLinux 10 ipset is not functional, so LFD’s large blocklists need care, and on Ubuntu the fork uses the same nftables compatibility layer as on EL9. KernelCare live patching covers AlmaLinux 8 and 9 and Ubuntu 24.04; AlmaLinux 10 coverage should be confirmed with the vendor for your kernel at build time.
Kernel and hardening
The 2026 kernel privilege escalations affected both families. The mitigations are the same: blacklist algif_aead for Copy Fail and esp4, esp6 and rxrpc for Dirty Frag, then patch. On AlmaLinux this is a modprobe.d entry and a dnf update kernel; on Ubuntu it is the same entry and apt full-upgrade. Ubuntu’s kernel moves faster and the HWE stack gives newer hardware support on 24.04, which can matter on recent server platforms. AlmaLinux’s kernel is more conservative and better exercised by the CloudLinux and cPanel test matrix.
SELinux is disabled on cPanel AlmaLinux installs and AppArmor is left in place but largely unused on Ubuntu installs, so neither provides meaningful mandatory access control out of the box. Hardening in practice comes from CSF, CageFS or Imunify, and the SSH baseline in our SSH hardening guide applies to both with path changes.
Installation differences
Both installs are the same script:
cd /home && curl -o latest -L https://securedownloads.cpanel.net/latest && sh latestOn AlmaLinux, NetworkManager must be disabled before running it and the hostname set to a fully qualified name; on Ubuntu, the installer expects a clean minimal server with no pre-installed Apache, MySQL or mail server, and apt must be able to reach the standard repositories. Ubuntu servers use systemd-resolved by default, which cPanel reconfigures; check /etc/resolv.conf after the install if DNS behaves oddly. A cPanel license covers either OS.
Making the choice
Choose AlmaLinux 9 or 10 when you need CloudLinux, when your automation and staff experience are RPM-based, when you want the longest support window, or when third-party cPanel plugins matter, since most vendors test on EL first. Between 9 and 10, pick 10 for a new server unless a required database version or a specific plugin is not yet supported there. Choose Ubuntu 24.04 when the rest of your fleet is Debian-based and you want one set of tooling, when you need a newer kernel for the hardware, or when you are running a cPanel server without CloudLinux and prefer Ubuntu’s packaging.
Verify
After the install, confirm the supported combination before adding accounts:
cat /etc/os-release | head -3
whmapi1 version
whmapi1 current_mysql_version
/usr/local/cpanel/scripts/check_cpanel_pkgs --list-only | headThe panel version should be 138 or the LTS 134 line, and the database version should be one that cPanel lists as supported for the OS. The common pitfall is building AlmaLinux 10 and then discovering that a customer’s application requires MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.6, neither of which can be installed there; cPanel does not downgrade databases, so confirm the requirement list before choosing the OS rather than after the first migration fails.
Ubuntu vs AlmaLinux cPanel at a glance
Official documentation: cPanel & WHM documentation, AlmaLinux wiki, Linux man pages.
Related guides: How to install cPanel & WHM on AlmaLinux 10 (2026 checklist) · High load on a cPanel server: finding the culprit with sar, top, Apache status and the MySQL slow log · Install ImageMagick and PHP Imagick for EA-PHP on AlmaLinux 8/9/10 (and CloudLinux CageFS).
Frequently asked questions
Does CloudLinux work on Ubuntu 24.04 with cPanel?
No. CloudLinux is available only as an overlay on, or conversion from, AlmaLinux 8, 9 and 10. A hosting model built on CageFS, LVE limits or PHP Selector needs the AlmaLinux side.
Is cPanel cheaper or licensed differently on Ubuntu than on AlmaLinux?
No. A cPanel licence covers either operating system at the same price, and the installer, version tiers and update cadence are identical on both.
Can I convert a cPanel server from Ubuntu to AlmaLinux later, or the reverse?
Not in place. There is no supported cross-family conversion, so moving between Ubuntu and AlmaLinux means building a new server and transferring accounts with the WHM Transfer Tool.