When it comes to auto install software, Fantastico has been the industry standard for the past few years. But now there’s a new option in town – Softaculous – that has been creating quite a buzz. Practically overnight, Softaculous has become the auto installer of choice with web developers everywhere. Why? It allows web owners to install some of their favorite website software with simply one-click of a button!

What (in our opinion) are the advantages of using Softaculous?
While Fantastico and Softaculous are fairly similar, there are some distinct differences. Perhaps the most obvious difference is the number of scripts Softaculous supports. Last we checked, Softaculous supports over 260 scripts that enable everything from customer support options to content management to social networking. In comparison, Fantastico has only 59.

Another big plus is the frequency and speed of which new versions of these scripts are rolled out. Softaculous rolls out updates within hours, as opposed to weeks/months, ensuring that you are running the latest, up-to-date scripts on your site.

What can you do with Softaculous?
With the power and ease of Softaculous, you can do virtually anything, including adding interactivity and functionality to your website. Softaculous supports some of the best open source web apps available, including:

• Blogging Tools like WordPress, B2Evolution, Geeklog, Nucleus
• E-commerce Shopping Carts such as Prestashop, OpenCart, OS Commerce
• Content Management Systems (CMS) like Joomla, Drupal, Moodle
• Image Galleries such as Coppermine, Shutter, Pixelpost and ZenPhoto

From mail to ad management, gaming to guest books — anything you need to accomplish with a website, there’s probably an application for it in the Softaculous library.

What are the benefits of Softaculous?
Softaculous is one of the most comprehensive auto-installers available. With a library of hundreds of scripts, it is powerful yet easy-to-use. Plus, with Softaculous, you don’t need to download or upload any files. Other key benefits include:

• Set up a blog, forum or e-commerce store in simply a couple of seconds
• Enjoy access to hundreds of web apps and scripts – and free demos
• Create surveys and polls quickly and easily
• Save time and money on web design
• Install any app with just one-click

Where can I get Softaculous?
When shopping for a web hosting provider, look for companies who use Softaculous — such as Webhostinghub or Hostmetro. Both include Softaculous in cPanel, making the process of creating and managing web apps easy, effortless, and (almost) instantaneous. To help you get started, Webhostinghub and HostMetro have also created a number of tutorials to assist in adding some of the most popular apps for Softaculous — including WordPress and Prestashop.