A hosting control panel is a group of software tools which you can access via a browser to control your online content. As you'll have a graphic point-and-click interface, you can use these tools to do various tasks easier than if you need to type complex commands in a command line. All control panels allow you to do some basic things such as controlling your files, emails and databases or browsing through stats and logs, however some of them are simpler to use than others and include more features that could save you time and efforts. That's why, the control panel that you will receive with your new hosting account can really make a difference, therefore you should check it and see whether it'll meet your requirements before you subscribe for the service.