If you are coming from an old-school hosting provider, you are probably used to cPanel. It’s that ugly, cluttered interface that looks like it hasn’t been updated since 2005.
Hostinger does things differently. They built their own control panel called hPanel.
At first glance, it looks pretty simple. Maybe too simple. But don’t let the clean design fool you. Under the hood, there are powerful tools designed to automate the boring stuff.
If you are still manually uploading files via FTP or installing WordPress by hand, you are doing it wrong. Here are five “hidden” features in hPanel that will save you massive amounts of time.
1. The “Auto-Migration” Tool (Stop Moving Sites Manually)
Moving a website from another host used to be a nightmare. You had to download the database, download the files, edit the wp-config file, upload everything, and pray it worked.
Hostinger has a button that does this for you.
Where to find it: Go to Website > Migrate Website.
How it works: You just click “Add Request.” Then, you select the control panel you are moving from (like WordPress or cPanel) and enter your username and password.
That’s it. Hostinger’s automated bots (and support team) will go into your old host, grab the site, and move it over. You can go sleep while they do the heavy lifting.
2. The File Manager “Unzip” Trick
Many beginners still use FileZilla to upload folders. The problem? Uploading a folder with 5,000 small files takes forever.
The hPanel File Manager is surprisingly fast, and it has a built-in unzipper.
The Shortcut:
-
Compress your entire website folder into a single
.zipfile on your computer. -
Open hPanel and go to Files > File Manager.
-
Upload that one zip file (which takes seconds).
-
Right-click the file inside hPanel and select Extract.
You just saved yourself an hour of watching a green loading bar in FileZilla.
3. One-Click Staging Environment
This is a lifesaver if you break things often. A “Staging” site is a clone of your live website. You can test new plugins, code, or designs on the clone without affecting the real site.
Usually, setting this up requires a developer. In hPanel, it’s a button.
Where to find it: Go to WordPress > Staging.
How it works: Click Create Staging. Hostinger creates a subdomain (like staging.yourdomain.com). You mess around with it. If you like the changes, there is a “Push to Live” button that instantly overwrites your real site with the staging version.
4. PHP Version Control
Sometimes a plugin breaks because your PHP version is too old. Or, your site is slow because you aren’t using the newest, fastest PHP version.
In cPanel, finding this setting is a maze. In hPanel, it’s front and center.
Where to find it: Go to Advanced > PHP Configuration.
You will see a simple list. Just check the bubble for the version you want (e.g., PHP 8.1 or 8.2) and click Save. It updates instantly. Keeping this updated is one of the easiest ways to speed up your site.
5. The “Boost” Button
This isn’t exactly a setting, but it’s a feature you need to know about when your site goes viral.
If you hit your resource limits (too many visitors at once), your site might slow down or crash. Instead of forcing you to upgrade to a expensive cloud plan permanently, Hostinger offers a “Boost” feature.
Where to find it: It usually appears on your Home dashboard if you are nearing limits.
It gives you 24 hours of increased CPU and RAM power. It’s perfect for handling a sudden spike in traffic from a marketing campaign or a viral social media post without committing to a monthly price hike.
FAQs
Is hPanel free?
Yes. hPanel is included with every Hostinger hosting plan. You don’t pay extra for it (unlike cPanel, which sometimes has licensing fees).
Can I switch back to cPanel on Hostinger?
No. Hostinger exclusively uses hPanel for their shared and cloud hosting. If you absolutely need cPanel, you would have to buy a VPS plan and install it yourself (which is expensive and technical). Trust me, stick with hPanel.
Does hPanel have a mobile app?
They don’t have a dedicated app, but the hPanel interface is fully responsive. It works surprisingly well on a phone browser if you need to check stats or restart a server while on the go.
Conclusion
The goal of hPanel isn’t to look like a cockpit. It’s designed to get you in and out.
By using the Migration tool, the File Manager shortcuts, and the Staging environment, you stop being a server administrator and start being a business owner. Stop doing things manually just because that’s how you learned them ten years ago
