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NGN - Nigeria
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Short answer
Yes, on every shared hosting plan except Starter. Turn it on in cPanel, add your SSH key, and connect with any SSH client to use Git, Composer, WP-CLI, npm or pip. You get a secure shell for your own account, not root; for root access, use a VPS.
Which plans have SSH
SSH is available on the Standard, Executive and Platinum web hosting plans. Starter doesn’t include it; upgrade to Standard (Ksh 4,180 a year) when you need it.
How to connect
- In cPanel, open SSH Access (or Terminal to use it in the browser).
- Under Manage SSH Keys, generate a key or import your public key, then authorise it.
- Connect from your computer:
ssh -p PORT [email protected], using your cPanel username. Ask support for the SSH port if you don’t have it.
Use keys rather than passwords: they’re safer and you won’t be locked out by typing errors.
What you can do over SSH
- Git: clone and pull your code straight onto the server.
- WP-CLI: update WordPress, plugins and users from the command line.
- Composer and Laravel Artisan for PHP apps.
- npm and pip for Node.js and Python apps, set up with cPanel’s app tools.
- Import and export large databases, unzip archives and search files quickly.
What you can’t do
Shared hosting is a secure, shared environment, so you don’t get root: you can’t install system packages, run your own web server or keep long-running background processes. For that, a VPS gives you full root access.