How to Install HostBill on Your Hosting or VPS

HostBill is a self-hosted billing, automation, and client management platform aimed at hosting providers, infrastructure resellers, and data centre-style operations. Its upfront licence cost is higher than most entry-level monthly tools, but the listed packages are lifetime-valid and higher editions include a broader set of infrastructure integrations.

This guide uses HostBill's official documentation, pricing page, and current PHP compatibility notes checked in April 2026. It covers both TekLan shared hosting and VPS deployment.

Licensing and Positioning

HostBill sells one-time licences. The official pricing page currently lists:

All listed packages are lifetime-valid licences with one year of update access. HostBill is usually a better fit once you already know which integrations you need, because module availability depends on the edition you buy.

HostBill stores customer data, passwords, API credentials, payment records, and automation rules. Do not install it beside customer websites. Use a separate hosting account at minimum; for production, use a VPS or dedicated server.

Current Requirements

HostBill's documented manual installation requirements are:

• Operating system: Linux-based OS.
• PHP: PHP 8.1 minimum in the published requirements. HostBill's April 2026 compatibility note says current updates require PHP 8.1, 8.2, or 8.3.
• Database: MySQL 5.7 or later with strict mode disabled.
• ionCube Loader: version 10.1 or later.
• Required PHP support: cURL with SSL, MBstring, BCMath, JSON, PDO, PDO_MySQL, and FileInfo.
• Recommended PHP extensions: Sodium, IMAP, POSIX, PCNTL, and GD/GD GIF.

For a fresh VPS, HostBill also provides an automated installer with current editions. The install command is emailed after purchase, and HostBill's documentation lists supported RHEL-family distributions for that fast install method. Check the current email and documentation before choosing the operating system.

Installing on TekLan Shared Hosting (Enhance)

Step 1: Create a Billing Hostname

Create a dedicated domain or subdomain, such as billing.yourdomain.co.uk. Add it to Enhance and confirm the DNS points to the account before uploading files.

Step 2: Configure PHP and ionCube

Open the website in Enhance and go to Advanced → Developer tools → PHP. Select PHP 8.1, 8.2, or 8.3, then enable ionCube. PHP 8.2 is a sensible default for new installs unless your HostBill download or modules specify otherwise.

Check that the account also has the required extensions enabled: cURL, MBstring, BCMath, PDO, PDO_MySQL, FileInfo, and JSON. If POSIX or PCNTL are not available on shared hosting, HostBill's queue can still run in foreground mode with the -r flag.

Step 3: Create the Database

In Databases, create a new database and a dedicated user. Grant the user full permissions on that database. Save the database name, username, password, and hostname.

Step 4: Prepare the Files

Download HostBill from the HostBill client portal. Upload the archive to the billing domain's public directory and extract it there.

Before running the installer, follow HostBill's file preparation step:

• Rename includes/config.php.example to includes/config.php.
• Set templates_c/ to writable.
• Set includes/config.php to writable for the installer.

HostBill's documentation uses 777 for templates_c/ and includes/config.php during installation. On shared hosting, use the least permissive value that still allows the installer to write the file.

Step 5: Run the Installer

Visit https://billing.yourdomain.co.uk/install/index.php. Choose the standard installation path, accept the licence terms, enter the database details, and activate the licence using your HostBill activation code.

HostBill's default administrative username and password are admin. Log in immediately after installation and change them under My Account.

Step 6: Clean Up and Protect Config

After installation:

• Delete or rename the install/ directory.
• Set includes/config.php to 444.
• Set admin/cron.php, admin/pipe.php, and queue.php to 755.

Protect includes/config.php carefully. HostBill stores an encryption hash in that file; losing or replacing it can make stored passwords unrecoverable.

Step 7: Configure Cron and Queue

HostBill needs two recurring jobs:

*/5 * * * * /usr/bin/php -q /path/to/hostbill/admin/cron.php
* * * * * /usr/bin/php -q /path/to/hostbill/queue.php -r

The main cron handles tasks defined under HostBill's task list. The queue job handles background work such as provisioning, domain actions, messages, and cache/stat updates. On shared hosting, the -r flag keeps the queue in foreground mode, which is usually friendlier to account resource limits.

Step 8: Force HTTPS

Enable Force HTTPS in Enhance under the website's Security tab. Confirm both the admin and client areas use HTTPS before adding payment gateways or registrar credentials.

Installing on a TekLan VPS

If you have a fresh VPS and have bought a current HostBill edition, the best route is usually HostBill's automated installer. HostBill says this installs the web stack, database, HostBill, dependencies, cron, and additional security steps. The command is supplied after purchase and the supported OS list should be checked before provisioning the server.

Manual VPS Install Outline

If you are installing manually, these Ubuntu 22.04 steps show the shape of the setup. Adjust package names if you use a different distribution.

Step 1: Install the Stack

apt update
apt upgrade -y
apt install -y nginx mysql-server unzip certbot python3-certbot-nginx \
  php8.2 php8.2-fpm php8.2-bcmath php8.2-curl php8.2-gd \
  php8.2-mbstring php8.2-mysql php8.2-xml php8.2-zip

Enable any additional modules your HostBill edition or integrations need. POSIX and PCNTL are useful for queue performance where available.

Step 2: Install ionCube

cd /tmp
wget https://downloads.ioncube.com/loader_downloads/ioncube_loaders_lin_x86-64.tar.gz
tar xfz ioncube_loaders_lin_x86-64.tar.gz
php -i | grep extension_dir

cp ioncube/ioncube_loader_lin_8.2.so /path/to/php/extensions/
echo "zend_extension = ioncube_loader_lin_8.2.so" > /etc/php/8.2/fpm/conf.d/00-ioncube.ini
echo "zend_extension = ioncube_loader_lin_8.2.so" > /etc/php/8.2/cli/conf.d/00-ioncube.ini
systemctl restart php8.2-fpm
php -v

Confirm ionCube appears in CLI PHP. HostBill cron and queue jobs run through CLI PHP, not the browser.

Step 3: Create the Database

mysql_secure_installation
nano /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf

Disable MySQL strict mode, then restart MySQL and create the database:

systemctl restart mysql
mysql -u root -p

CREATE DATABASE hostbill CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;
CREATE USER 'hostbilluser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'use-a-long-random-password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON hostbill.* TO 'hostbilluser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Step 4: Configure Nginx

mkdir -p /var/www/hostbill
nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/billing.yourdomain.co.uk

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name billing.yourdomain.co.uk;
    root /var/www/hostbill;
    index index.php;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.2-fpm.sock;
    }

    location ~ ^/includes/ {
        deny all;
    }
}

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/billing.yourdomain.co.uk /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
nginx -t
systemctl reload nginx

Step 5: Upload, Install, and Secure Files

unzip /tmp/hostbill*.zip -d /var/www/hostbill
mv /var/www/hostbill/includes/config.php.example /var/www/hostbill/includes/config.php
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/hostbill
chmod 777 /var/www/hostbill/templates_c
chmod 777 /var/www/hostbill/includes/config.php

Visit http://billing.yourdomain.co.uk/install/index.php, complete the installer, then clean up:

rm -rf /var/www/hostbill/install
chmod 444 /var/www/hostbill/includes/config.php
chmod 755 /var/www/hostbill/admin/cron.php
chmod 755 /var/www/hostbill/admin/pipe.php
chmod 755 /var/www/hostbill/queue.php

Step 6: Add SSL and Cron

certbot --nginx -d billing.yourdomain.co.uk
certbot renew --dry-run

Add the cron jobs as the same user that owns the HostBill files, not root:

*/5 * * * * /usr/bin/php -q /var/www/hostbill/admin/cron.php > /dev/null 2>&1
* * * * * /usr/bin/php -q /var/www/hostbill/queue.php > /dev/null 2>&1

Production Checklist

• HTTPS forced and tested.
• install/ deleted or renamed.
• Default admin password changed immediately.
• includes/config.php protected and backed up securely.
• Main cron running every five minutes.
• Queue cron running every minute.
• Task queue log checked for pending jobs.
• Two-factor authentication enabled for staff.
• Test order, invoice, gateway payment, provisioning action, and email delivery completed before launch.

HostBill Hosting Notes

HostBill is often chosen for more involved infrastructure automation, so plan the environment carefully. Use a dedicated billing hostname, separate database credentials, working queue cron, and a backup process that covers both files and database content. A VPS is usually the cleaner option if you expect custom integrations or direct server module work.

If you prefer managed web stack maintenance, application hosting can still be a good fit for simpler HostBill installs when the PHP, ionCube, cron, and permission requirements are met. For selling shared hosting, connect HostBill to reseller hosting or managed server capacity and test provisioning before taking public orders.

Launch Checks for Automation

• Queue jobs process within a minute during normal load.
• Server module actions complete and log errors clearly.
• Domain registration, renewal, and transfer flows have been tested.
• Payment callbacks reach the billing area over HTTPS.
• Staff users have only the permissions they need.

Related posts: billing software compared, VPS hardening checklist, and client area security checklist.

Sources Checked

• HostBill system requirements
• HostBill installation documentation
• HostBill automation and cron setup
• HostBill pricing
• HostBill PHP compatibility update, April 2026

If you want us to check ionCube, PHP CLI, cron, or permissions before launch, open a support ticket.