Installing apps with Softaculous

basic · Last updated 22 July 2026

Softaculous is an app installer with over 400 preconfigured open-source applications. The database is created automatically, the login details arrive by mail. Here’s an overview and the most important apps with setup tips.

Starting Softaculous

In Plesk: left navigation → Applications → Softaculous Apps Installer.

You’ll see categories: blogs, CMS, forums, eCommerce, education, etc.

Which apps are worth it

App	Category	Use case
WordPress	CMS	The standard for 90% of all websites — blogs, company sites, shops
Joomla	CMS	Classic CMS, less flexible than WP, simpler multi-site
Drupal	CMS	More complex structures, public agencies, large sites
TYPO3	CMS	German public agencies, large companies
PrestaShop	eCommerce	Simpler shops
WooCommerce	not directly — comes with WordPress as a plugin
phpBB / Discourse	Forums	Community forums
Moodle	Education	Learning management system
Nextcloud	Cloud	Self-installed mini cloud — for anything serious, better use our Nextcloud plans
MediaWiki	Wiki	Wikipedia-style wikis
Roundcube	Mail	Webmail (we’ve already preinstalled it)
Matomo	Analytics	Privacy-compliant web tracking, a Google Analytics alternative

Example: installing WordPress

Softaculous → search for WordPress
Click Install Now
Fill in the setup form:
- Software setup:
  - Protocol: https:// (or https://www.)
  - Domain: your domain
  - In directory: empty (= root directory) or e.g. blog
- Site settings:
  - Site name
  - Site description
  - Multisite: off (unless you need it)
- Admin account:
  - Username (NOT “admin”, for security reasons)
  - a strong password
  - email
- Language: German
- Plugins: optionally Limit Login Attempts, Classic Editor, etc.
Click Install — takes 30 seconds
Login URL and credentials arrive by mail

WordPress runs immediately. First login: https://deinedomain.de/wp-admin/.

Enabling auto-updates

During installation there’s an auto-update option:

Update automatically on new versions (recommended)
Auto-update plugins & themes (recommended for standard plugins, careful with custom ones)

Auto-updates run in the background — you don’t have to do anything. On failure you get a notification.

Backup before update

Softaculous can automatically make a backup before every update:

In Softaculous → installation → Backups → Auto-Backup:

Backup before update: yes
Retention: 7 days default

On update failure: restore from this backup.

Installing a demo site

Some apps offer demo data as an option:

WooCommerce: demo shop with sample products
Moodle: demo course

Handy for testing. For production: better a clean installation and your own content.

Managing multiple installations

Softaculous → All Installations tab:

List of all installed apps
Status (active / deactivated)
Quick actions: update, backup, clone, migrate, remove

Cloning

For creating a test/staging site:

Select the original installation
Clone
Target domain or subdomain

Clones data and code 1:1. Handy for testing updates.

Migrating

If you want to move an installation to another domain:

Select the original → Migrate
New domain
The database comes along

Applications with a dedicated Plesk toolkit

Some apps have a dedicated toolkit in Plesk alongside Softaculous:

WordPress: WordPress Toolkit (see WordPress Toolkit in Plesk) — much better than Softaculous for WP

Recommendation: for WordPress use the WP Toolkit, for everything else Softaculous.

Security after installation

Change the admin password immediately

If Softaculous generates a default password: log in after installation and change the password in the app’s admin area.

Directory protection for the admin area

If you want extra protection (e.g. WordPress wp-admin only from your own IP):

In Plesk: Domain → Security → Password-protect directory → path /wp-admin/ → Basic Auth.

2FA in the app itself

WordPress: Wordfence or Two-Factor plugin. Nextcloud: built-in 2FA.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between Softaculous and the WordPress Toolkit? The WordPress Toolkit is Plesk’s own WP management with staging, cloning, security scan. Softaculous is a general app installer for 400+ apps. For WP we recommend the WP Toolkit.

How do I update apps? Softaculous → installation → Update. Or in the app itself (e.g. WordPress has its own update function).

Can I delete a Softaculous-installed app? Yes. Softaculous → installation → Remove. Files and DB get deleted. Make a backup first.

What if the app installation fails? Common reasons: incompatible PHP version, missing extensions, quota full. Check the Plesk logs or open a ticket.

Can I install apps that aren’t in Softaculous? Yes, manually — upload the files via FTP, create a DB, adjust the config. More in Migrating a website to xaweho (also helpful for a first-time installation).

Block Softaculous updates — prefer manual updates? In the installation settings → auto-updates: off. You then do updates yourself.

Multiple WordPress installations on one domain — is that possible? Yes. Different directories: /blog, /shop, /wiki. Each with its own WP installation, its own DB.

Do I need a separate database per installation? Recommendation: yes. Separating DB tables by prefix works in theory; in practice one DB per app is cleaner. Mind your plan’s DB limits.