How to Install Plesk on Ubuntu 20.04

If you’ve ever managed your hosting manually, from creating databases to setting up email and web servers, you probably know how time consuming it can be. That’s where Plesk comes in. A powerful control panel that makes server management simple, graphical, and professional. I first turned to Plesk when I had multiple sites on one server at the same time. Before, I was doing everything from the command line. But after installing it, I realized how much time it saves and how much less error it makes. In this guide, we’re going to install Plesk on Ubuntu 20.04, step by step and without any additional complications.

Before you start (Important prerequisites)

To ensure a smooth installation, have the following ready:

• A fresh Ubuntu 20.04 LTS server
• A system that is up to date
• A non-root user with sudo access
• A domain that points to the server IP
• A valid Plesk license

Important experience tip: Be sure to use a raw server. If you have previously installed Apache or MySQL separately, there may be interference.

Installing Plesk on Ubuntu 20.04

Method 1: Installing Plesk with Web Installer (Recommended Method)

This method is simpler and provides you with a graphical environment.

Step 1: Update the server

sudo apt-get update

Step 2: Open the required ports in the firewall

Plesk needs several ports to run:

sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw allow 8443/tcp
sudo ufw allow 8447/tcp
sudo ufw allow 8880/tcp
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw reload

If you skip this step, the panel will not come up later and you will think that there is a problem with the installation.

Step 3: Download the installation script

wget https://autoinstall.plesk.com/plesk-installer

Grant execute access:

sudo chmod 755 plesk-installer

Step 4: Run the installation with the web interface

sudo ./plesk-installer --web-interface

After running, you will see a link like this:

https://your-server-ip:8447/

Open it in a browser (be sure to use https).

Step 5: Login and Choose Installation Type

Enter your server root credentials to begin the installation process.

You have three installation types:

• Recommended
• Full
• Custom

If you are a beginner, Recommended is the best choice. It is both lightweight and hassle-free.

The installation process usually takes between 3 and 5 minutes (depending on the server resources).

Once finished, stop the script with Ctrl+C and restart the server:

sudo shutdown -r 0

Step 6: Login to Plesk Panel

After rebooting, run the following command:

sudo plesk login

You will receive a one-time login link. Through it:

• Create an Administrator account
• Enter the license
• Complete the initial settings

From now on, you can log in from this address:

https://your-server-ip:8443

or

http://your-server-ip:8880

Second method: Installation via command line (for more advanced users)

If you prefer to do everything in the terminal:

Download:

wget https://autoinstall.plesk.com/plesk-installer

Execution access:

sudo chmod +x plesk-installer

Run the installation:

sudo ./plesk-installer

During installation, you will be asked a few questions:

• Agree to the terms (F)
• Select the installation type (recommended or custom)
• Show the list of packages (optional)

After the installation is complete, the login links will be displayed. If needed:

sudo plesk login

What are the important things to do after installation?

This is where many people make a mistake. They think that the installation is complete, that means the work is done. No!

1. First thing: Change the default SSH port
2. Enable Plesk’s built-in firewall
3. Update the system
4. Set up automatic backups
5. Check resource usage

My personal experience is that if you take security seriously from the beginning, you will be less likely to encounter strange problems later.

Why is Plesk a good choice for Ubuntu 20.04?

• Clean and simple user interface
• Easy to manage multiple sites
• Create email and databases with a few clicks
• Good support for different PHP versions
• Server monitoring within the panel

If you have a personal server or client projects, it really saves you a lot of time.

Conclusion

Installing Plesk on Ubuntu 20.04 is not a complicated process, but it requires care. If you have a fresh, clean server and follow the steps step by step, you will have a professional control panel in less than a few minutes, experience has shown that using Plesk can make server management much easier and more predictable, especially when you are managing multiple websites at once, it is important to take security and maintenance seriously after installation to ensure that your server remains stable and secure.