If you check your business email through a browser, you may have noticed a choice of webmail clients the first time you logged in. Both cPanel and DirectAdmin ship with more than one webmail client, and the one you pick changes how your inbox looks and works day to day, not what mail you receive. Here is how the two most common options, Roundcube and Horde, compare, so you can choose the one that fits how you work.
What a webmail client actually changes
Your email account itself, meaning your mailbox, your messages, and your folders, lives on the mail server and does not change when you switch clients. A webmail client is just the interface you use to read and send that mail in a browser. Switching clients never deletes or hides your existing messages, so it is safe to try both before settling on one.
Roundcube
Roundcube is a lighter, modern-feeling client built around a simple three-pane layout: folders on the left, your message list in the middle, and the open email on the right.
- Fast to load and easy to navigate, especially on a smaller screen.
- Clean inbox layout similar to most desktop and mobile mail apps.
- Supports filters, multiple "from" identities, and a basic address book.
- Fewer built-in extras such as a calendar or task list.
Horde
Horde is an older, more feature-complete suite that bundles webmail with other tools.
- Includes a built-in calendar, task list, notes, and a fuller address book alongside email.
- Useful if you want mail, calendar, and contacts in one place without installing separate apps.
- Busier interface with more menus and settings than Roundcube.
- Can feel slower to load, particularly on an older browser or a slow connection.
Which one should you choose
There is no wrong answer here, since both read the same mailbox. As a general guide:
- Choose Roundcube if you mainly want a quick, simple way to read and send email, and you already use your phone's calendar and contacts app for scheduling.
- Choose Horde if you want your calendar, notes, and contacts to live alongside your email in the same browser tab.
Both clients show the same emails. If a message seems to be missing in one, check that it was not filed under a different folder before assuming it never arrived.
Switching your default client
You do not have to stick with whichever client opened first. Both control panels let you change your default webmail client.
In cPanel
Open Webmail from your cPanel dashboard, choose the client you want to try, and look for a Make this my default webmail client option so it opens automatically next time.
In DirectAdmin
From the email section of DirectAdmin, open Webmail for the account and pick the client you prefer. If more than one is listed, selecting it there sets it as your default going forward.
For the exact click path in your panel, see How to Change Your Default Webmail Application in cPanel.