Liquid Web is a leading hosting company with five global data centers. Currently managing over 1 million sites, Liquid Web services are specifically optimized for popular apps, such as WooCommerce and WordPress. The company offers VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting. But it’s worth noting that shared hosting is not available, so it is perhaps not suited to smaller business websites.
Liquid Web is known for stability and super-fast server speed, and it offers good customer support. This Liquid Web review will take you through all you need to know about the web hosting platform, including an overview of available services, analysis of features, and competitor comparisons.
| Overall score | 3.8★ | Great for fast web creation |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | ★★★★ | Intuitive interface, user friendly. |
| Features | ★★★★ | Wide range of premium features available. |
| E-commerce | ★★★ | Good e-commerce functionality. Suitable for businesses of all sizes. |
| Pricing | ★★★ | No free plan, high prices but high quality services. |
| Help and support | ★★★★★ | Excellent response rates on customer service. |
Pros
- Industry-leading support
- Wide range of plans available
- Powerful, high-end server specs
- Great uptime
- Premium tools included for free
Cons
- No shared hosting
- Few refund options
- No free/cheap plan available
What is Liquid Web hosting?
Liquid Web is a $100 million web hosting business that manages over 1 million sites around the world. The company offers powerful managed hosting products that are targeted at business and professional users. There are no free plans or basic shared hosting options.
Liquid Web focuses on high performance and highly configurable cloud hosting, alongside managed applications and dedicated server products. The company also offers cloud sites, custom hosting solutions, managed WordPress hosting, and managed WooCommerce hosting.
The Liquid Web is one of the more expensive options, but that is because it doesn’t offer underpowered products. There are no hidden costs and charges, and quality support and powerful features are provided as standard.
Liquid Web promises an impressive 100% uptime. It has a fantastic average response time and is built upon the latest technologies to improve performance and speed across the board.
Does it have shared hosting?
Liquid Web does not offer shared web hosting, which is generally used by small businesses and individuals. If you are looking for shared hosting, you should go elsewhere (we recommend HostGator, WordPress, and Wix).
Liquid Web offers powerful managed hosting products targeted at professional and business users. There are no free or basic plans available.
What is Liquid Web managed WordPress hosting?
Liquid Web offers managed hosting services that are optimized for popular apps, including WordPress. Marketed as the complete solution for WordPress websites, users on this plan will get a custom control panel to manage their WordPress sites with ease.
The managed WordPress hosting plan has been developed to optimize your WordPress experience. You can migrate your site for free with Liquid Web’s automation tools, access expert WordPress support and benefit from automatic plugin updates.
Pricing
Liquid Web has a range of pricing options for anyone looking to use their managed WordPress hosting services. These plans start at around $13 per month, with no hidden charges or fees.
| Spark | Maker | Designer | Builder | Producer | Executive | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.67/mo | $52.67/mo | $72.67/mo | $99.33/mo | $199.33/mo | $366/mo | $677/mo |
| Sites | 1 | 5 | 10 | 255 | 50 | 100 | 250 |
| Storage | 15GB | 40GB | 60GB | 100GB | 300GB | 500GB | 800GB |
| Bandwidth | 2 TB | 3 TB | 4 TB | 5 TB | 5 TB | 10 TB | 10 TB |
| 30 day backups | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited email acc | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Beaver builder lite | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iThemes security pro | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sync Pro control panel
Liquid Web partnered with iThemes to bring you the Sync Pro plugin. This is included in your managed WordPress hosting plan for no extra charge. The control panel lets you manage all of your sites from a single location. The software continuously monitors Google Analytics data and your SEO status, while also updating you on any uptime or downtime.
Is it good for multiple sites?
Yes, this option is good for multiple sites. With a tool called Multisite, users can manage multiple WordPress sites from a single WordPress control panel. Each site will use the same database, plugins, themes, and file structure to keep everything localized.
You can deploy sites quickly with the same themes, templates, and plugins as other sites.
VPS hosting service – do you need it?
When it comes to web hosting, a VPS is the next step up from a basic shared plan. With a VPS, you will share the same physical server with other users, but each site gets a virtually partitioned part of the server all to itself. This comes with a dedicated amount of resources.
A VPS is a great middle-ground solution for users who want more power and independence than shared hosting, but don’t want to pay top dollar for a fully dedicated server. You should consider this option if:
- You need to install custom applications/modules that aren’t supported by your shared host
- Your website exceeds the architectural and resource limits of your current host
- You require root access to the server
- Your site is used to handle sensitive data or process financial transactions
- You are experiencing traffic fluctuations
- You want a virtual dev environment for your software development and testing
Managed VPS
Liquid Web claims that its managed VPS hosting services are faster than Rackspace and AWS. The plans come with the flexibility of cloud hosting and the power of a dedicated server. It’s a strong choice for anyone who wants to keep costs down while maintaining control.
| 2GB RAM | 4GB RAM | 8GB RAM | 16GB RAM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $15/mo | $25/mo | $35/mo | $95/mo |
| vCPU | 2 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| SSD Disk Space | 40GB | 100GB | 150GB | 200GB |
| Bandwidth | 10 TB | 10 TB | 10 TB | 10 TB |
| Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
As the plans are fully managed, Liquid Web will help handle software updates and security issues. Users will also get assistance whenever it’s needed.
Private VPS
Private VPS is like having a private data center that you can control. This hosting option allows you to create your own private cloud environment. You can use this to create, resize, move or destroy any number of virtual instances.
Private VPS gives you granular control over your resources and the ability to move instances to the public cloud or create a public network of private cloud services.
High-end dedicated hosting service
If your site needs a dedicated server, then performance is likely an important factor for you. Dedicated hosting is a good option for sites with heavy website traffic. This means it is best suited to mid to large sized companies.
With dedicated hosting, your site taps into a server’s full system of resources. Liquid Web has dedicated servers available in a variety of configurations to meet your requirements.
Pricing and plans
Available with Linux or Windows operating systems, Liquid Web offers single processor and dual processor dedicated servers. You can pick between self-managed, core-managed, and fully managed dedicated server hosting plans depending on your specific needs.
Features
The dedicated server plans come with a wide range of features, including:
- Standard DDoS protection
- CloudFlare CDN
- Backup Drive
- ServerSecure advanced security
- Interworx, Plesk or cPanel
- IPMI access
- Root access
- Dedicated IP address
- Business grade SSD storage
- 100% network and power uptime SLAs
| Intel Xeon 1230v6 | Intel Xeon Gold 6226R – Single | Intel Xeon Gold 6226R – Dual | Intel Xeon 1230v6 Value Bundle | Intel Xeon Gold 6226R – Single Value Bundle | Intel Xeon Gold 6226R – Dual Value Bundle | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $169/mo | $224.25/mo | $374.25/mo | $219/mo | $261.75/mo | $411.75/mo |
| Cores | 4 | 16 | 32 | 4 | 16 | 32 |
| RAM | 16GB | 32GB | 64GB | 32GB | 64GB | 128GB |
| SSD | 2 x 240GB SSD Primary Disk | 2 x 480GB SSD Primary Disk | 2 x 480GB SSD Primary Disk | 4 x 240GB SSD Primary Storage Hardware | 4 x 240GB SSD Primary Storage Hardware | 4 x 480GB SSD Primary Storage Hardware |
| Backup | 1 x 1TB SATA Backup Disk | 1 x 2TB SATA Backup Disk | 1 x 2TB SATA Backup Disk | 1 x 1TB SATA Backup Disk | 1 x 1TB SATA Backup Disk | 1 x 1TB SATA Backup Disk |
| Bandwidth | 5 TB | 8 TB | 8 TB | 8 TB | 10 TB | 15TB |
| Acronis Cyber Backup | 250GB Backups | 250GB Backups | 250GB Backups | 500GB Backups | 1000GB Backups | 1000GB Backups |
Types of cloud hosting supported by Liquid Web
Liquid Web offers a range of cloud hosting services. This means that the resources your site needs to operate are shared across multiple servers.
Liquid Web’s cloud hosting comes in numerous tiers, with Linux or Windows operating systems. Liquid Web supports public cloud hosting, private cloud hosting, and high-performance cloud dedicated hosting.
Public cloud hosting
Liquid Web makes cloud hosting simple by providing pre-configured solutions and predictable pricing structures. If your business needs a more advanced cloud deployment, the Liquid Web advisors are on hand to design a scalable environment from the ground up.
The cloud servers are fully managed by a support team, so you can avoid the complexity that is usually involved in public cloud hosting.
| Standard | Professional | Premier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $265/mo | $510/mo | $1,105/mo |
| Primary Node | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Web Nodes | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Load Balancer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NFS Replication | No | Yes | Yes |
| SSD file storage | 960GB | 960GB | 1440GB |
| TB Transfer per VM | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Acronis Cyber Backup | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CentOS 7 or CenOS 7 with cPanel | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Private cloud hosting
Private cloud hosting lets users retain control. This option lets you reconfigure, optimize and scale on your own terms. The private cloud, powered by NetApp and VMware, adds the benefits of a traditional public cloud to the power, security and performance of an isolated infrastructure on dedicated hardware.
All private cloud hosting plans come with a single-tenant solution on dedicated hardware, and high-performance NetApp SAN storage. Free standard DDoS protection and firewall and load balancer are included.
High performance cloud dedicated hosting
Cloud dedicated hosting servers essentially combine the resources and processing power of a traditional dedicated server with the instant provisioning and flexibility of a cloud platform.
This option is always secure and reliable. Available with Linux or Windows, users can optimize and scale at any time for peak performance, despite increases in traffic.
Liquid Web review: ease of use
When it comes to getting started with Liquid Web, the process is pretty straightforward. If you are looking to get a site up and running in no time at all, Liquid Web is a strong choice. The hosting platform is fairly simple to manage and suitable for beginners.
There is also 24/7/365 support on hand to help you with any queries, so you are well covered should issues arise. We will take a look at how user-friendly Liquid Web is in more detail in the following sections.
First impressions: sign up
The signup stage is fairly simple with Liquid web. You can choose to pay via credit card or PayPal, and the process can be completed in minutes. You should then receive an email confirmation and login details for your site.
Installation of apps and CMS
Liquid Web has an auto-installer that lets you install apps in no time. You can install e-commerce solutions, web portals, content management systems, forums, blogs and more in just a few clicks. This is powered by the Softaculous Apps Installer in the cPanel.
Control panel
Liquid Web has a control panel that is intuitive and easy to use. Even beginners will be able to navigate the clear interface and manage their settings.
How often does Liquid Web perform backups?
On-server backups can be performed with or without the use of a control panel. Using a control panel and setting up on-server backups provides flexibility in terms of the days and times they run. This service is available for VPS, cloud dedicated and dedicated servers.
Alternatively, remote backups are performed daily. For dedicated servers, Liquid Web uses Acronis Cyber Backup – a solution that provides daily or continuous backups of your server. For server cloud hosting, Liquid Web performs cloud backups that run every day.
Does Liquid Web charge for site migration?
Liquid Web provides complimentary migrations for new server orders from cPanel to cPanel or Plesk to Plesk. The support team is also available around the clock to provide free migration advice or offer custom migrations from nearly all other types of hosting and CMS.
Performance: is Liquid Web really that great?
Liquid Web has a reputation for great overall performance. The company places a real emphasis on high performance and consistent uptime. We have reviewed Liquid Web to help you get an idea of how fast your website should load if you host with Liquid Web, and the levels of uptime you should experience.
Almost perfect uptime
Uptime refers to the amount of time that an infrastructure is online, available, and fully operational.
Liquid Web consistently scores highly on uptime. In 2020, the company upheld an annual uptime of 99.998%. Liquid Web guarantees 100% network and power uptime. And if this is missed, you will be credited for 10 times the amount of the length of your outage.
Good loading time
Liquid Web delivers on its promise for fast loading times. All hosting plans are optimized for quick page loads, and the company consistently performs well in testing.
Whether your website is small and simple, or complex and full of high-res images, Liquid Web has got you covered.
SSD storage for better speed
SSDs increase the overall speed and responsiveness of your server. Increased speed means that programs can run quicker and work gets done with less stress on the server.
By providing SSD storage, Liquid Web guarantees users have the required speed, stability and endurance needed to share information reliably online.
Does Liquid Web offer tutorials and customer support?
Liquid Web offers 24/7 live chat, a phone line and email. There is also a large knowledge base available, where you can browse through a wide range of tutorials and articles to find answers for the most common problems.
Responsive live chat, email and telephone support
Liquid Web is known for superior customer support. If you contact the support team via phone or chat, you should get a response in under a minute. If you reach out by email, you should get a response within 30 minutes.
If Liquid Web fails to respond within the guaranteed response window, you will be credited 10 times the amount of time exceeding the commitment. For instance, if a live support agent fails to answer your call within 59 seconds, you will receive a hosting credit of 10 times the amount of time that passes the guarantee.
Liquid Web alternatives
Liquid Web is a fantastic high-performance website host, but it’s not the right choice for everyone. It may be out of your budget, or you may be looking to create a smaller website on a shared hosting plan.
If that’s the case, not to worry. We’ll outline a couple of alternative web hosting options below.
HostGator
HostGator is a popular web hosting provider. It comes with a wide range of tools and is easy to use, meaning that users of all abilities can quickly launch a professional website.
When starting out, you can choose one of HostGator’s shared hosting plans. As you grow, it’s easy to switch over to VPS, cloud, or dedicated server hosting. You can try the service for free for 45 days.
HostGator offers one-click WordPress installation, 24/7 support and 99.9% uptime guarantee. The company also provides flexible billing periods and free migration for all new accounts.
On the downside, monthly pricing is quite high when compared to annual plans. HostGator also has fairly aggressive upselling, and additional services can be costly.
BlueHost
BlueHost is a popular and reliable web hosting service. It has great introductory offers, and the company generally has a solid uptime. Unlike other providers, however, BlueHost does not offer an SLA.
The web host offers unmetered bandwidth and all hosting plans come with generous storage limits. BlueHost has a user-friendly cPanel that makes managing your site simple.
Unfortunately, BlueHost is also known for constant upsells and high renewal rates. Users will only have the option to host their site in the US, and speed could be a little better.
Our verdict
Liquid Web is a great choice for websites that are growing exponentially and need guaranteed speed, reliability, and uptime.
Liquid Web differs from most web hosts, as it doesn’t offer shared hosting. This means that prices will be higher. However, users are guaranteed high-quality services that stand out in the market. Support and speed are clear priorities for Liquid Web, and users will see a multitude of benefits as a result. Liquid Web services are also specifically optimized for popular apps, like WordPress and WooCommerce.
Of course, you need to determine how much performance and support your site needs. If budget is your primary consideration, you might be better off with a host that has fewer features and lower rates. So, if you’re a small business or an individual just getting started with a personal website, Liquid Web is not the right choice for you.
If money isn’t an issue and you are looking for a reliable, high-quality web host, Liquid Web could be the perfect solution. The service delivers across the board on uptime, speed, customer service, and fast loading time.
FAQs
What is Liquid Web hosting?
Liquid Web is a managed web host that offers strong uptime, commendable customer service and feature-packed plans. It does not offer shared hosting, and it is pretty expensive compared to other web hosts on the market.
Who owns Liquid Web?
Chicago based private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners is the majority owner of Liquid Web Hosting.
Is Liquid Web a good hosting provider?
Yes, Liquid Web costs a bit more than most, but the services make up for it. Users will get powerful features, excellent 24/7 customer support, and reliable uptime. It is a popular choice for anyone looking to build a powerful website.
