Liquid Web Review: Evaluating the Remarkable Efficiency and Support

Liquid Web is a well-known managed hosting provider that offers a range of web hosting solutions for businesses of all sizes. In this comprehensive Liquid Web review, we’ll take an in-depth look at their services, features, pricing, performance, support, and more to help you decide if Liquid Web is the right web host for your needs.

Key Takeaways

• Liquid Web is a managed hosting provider known for fast performance, reliability, and excellent support.
• They offer shared, VPS, dedicated, and managed WordPress hosting plans.
• All their plans utilize SSD storage, CloudFlare CDN, LiteSpeed caching, and other optimizations for speed.
• Liquid Web owns and manages their own data centers in Michigan and Arizona.
• They deliver near 100% uptime and very fast page load speeds based on independent testing.
• Managed hosting plans take care of updates, security, backups, and monitoring so you can focus on business.
• Their Heroic Support® team provides 24/7 expert assistance via chat, phone, and tickets.
• Customers praise Liquid Web’s performance, support, and service in reviews.
• Pricing is on the higher side but competitive for the level of quality provided.
• Liquid Web is ideal for professional sites/apps needing reliable managed hosting. For smaller sites, pricing may be prohibitive.
• Overall an excellent managed hosting choice for sites where speed and uptime are critical.

Overview of Liquid Web

Founded in 1997, Liquid Web is a Michigan-based company that focuses on managed hosting services for businesses. They offer shared, VPS, dedicated and managed WordPress hosting options with a strong emphasis on speed, security, and support.

Some key things to know about Liquid Web:

• They own and manage their own data centers in Michigan and Arizona. This gives them full control over the hosting environment.
• They have a reputation for excellent customer support and service. Their Heroic Support® team is known to be responsive, knowledgeable, and helpful.
• Their managed hosting plans include server administration, updates, monitoring, backups, caching, security, and more. This takes care of the technical side so you can focus on your business.
• They offer a 100% uptime guarantee on all of their managed hosting plans. If they fail to meet this, they’ll credit your account.
• Liquid Web has been recognized as one of the fastest web hosts by third-party sites like Bitcatcha and ReviewSignal. Speed and performance are prioritized.

Liquid Web’s Web Hosting Plans

Liquid Web offers four main types of managed web hosting plans:

Liquid Web’s Shared Hosting Plans

Liquid Web offers robust and fully managed shared hosting for businesses on their SwiftServer platform. Their shared plans start at just $59/month and come loaded with features and resources to power your website.

Some key details about their shared hosting offering:

• Available plans include their Swift plan starting at $59/month with 50GB storage and the SwiftPlus plan at $149/month with 200GB storage and additional RAM.
• All shared plans utilize Liquid Web’s high-performance SwiftServer technology which combines Apache, MySQL, PHP 7.3, and other technologies in an optimized environment.
• Resources include 50-200GB of SSD storage, 5TB+ bandwidth, a dedicated IP address, and unlimited websites and databases.
• Popular CMS platforms like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and Magento are fully supported out of the box. One-click installs are available.
• Built-in LiteSpeed web server delivers up to 10x faster page loads through dynamic caching in memory.
• CloudFlare CDN integration provides fast content delivery worldwide through their global network.
• SSH access allows managing your account through the command line for added flexibility.
• Staging sites help test changes before pushing them live to avoid errors or downtime.
• Includes automated daily backups and restores for disaster recovery.
• Malware detection and DDoS protection ensure your sites stay safe and secure.
• LiteSpeed Cache and LiteSpeed Web Application Firewall optimize caching and block threats.
• 24/7 expert support is provided by their renowned Heroic Support® team.

Liquid Web’s shared hosting delivers excellent performance, security, features, and support. While pricier than cheap shared hosts, you get tremendous value through their reliable managed platform and expertise. For professional sites and businesses, Liquid Web shared hosting is a smart choice.

Liquid Web’s VPS Hosting

Liquid Web offers fully managed Linux VPS hosting that provides the flexibility and customization of a virtual private server. Their Storm VPS plans start at just $59/month.

Some key details on their VPS hosting offering:

• Available plans range from 1 CPU, 2GB RAM up to 16 CPU cores, and 128GB RAM for enterprise needs.
• Resources like CPU cores, RAM, SSD storage, and bandwidth are customizable to tailor the VPS to your workload.
• They utilize KVM hypervisor for lightning-fast VPS provisioning and optimal performance.
• CentOS and Ubuntu VPS operating system images are available out of the box.
• Includes complete server administration, management, updates, and security patching by their team.
• Daily automated backups provide disaster recovery protection.
• Server optimization and caching improve site speeds and responsiveness.
• Malware detection, DDoS protection, firewalls keep sites safe and secure.
• Deploy and manage sites through cPanel, Plesk, or direct SSH access.
• Supports running PHP, MySQL, Apache, Nginx, Docker, and other popular software.
• CloudFlare CDN integration for fast content delivery worldwide.
• 24/7 expert support from their renowned Heroic Support® team.

Liquid Web’s managed VPS plans offer an ideal middle ground between shared hosting and dedicated servers. They provide flexibility of virtualization with optimized performance and security. For growing sites and apps, Liquid Web VPS is a smart option.

Liquid Web’s Dedicated Server Hosting

Liquid Web offers enterprise-grade dedicated server hosting that provides maximum performance, security, and control for large websites and applications. Their dedicated plans start at $149/month.

Some key aspects of their dedicated hosting:

• Servers are available with Intel Xeon processors, up to 128GB RAM, 3TB SSD storage, and 10Gbps uplinks.
• Can choose between Windows or Linux operating systems, or a hybrid server with both.
• Global infrastructure with data centers in Michigan, Arizona, and the Netherlands.
• Fully managed support includes server setup, optimization, updates, monitoring, backups, security, and more.
• Options for Plesk, cPanel, InterWorx, and DirectAdmin control panels to easily manage sites.
• DDoS protection, advanced firewall, and ServerSecure monitoring keep sites safe.
• Load balancing and autoscaling provide flexibility to handle traffic spikes.
• Daily offsite backups of files and databases for disaster recovery.
• Deploy code changes easily via Git version control.
• Free activation of Cloudflare CDN to speed up content delivery.
• 24x7x365 support from their renowned Heroic Support® team.

Liquid Web dedicated hosting provides the ultimate in customization, security, and performance for running large enterprise-scale websites and applications. With expert-managed support, it’s ideal for sites with critical uptime and load requirements.

Liquid Web Cloud Hosting

In addition to dedicated servers, Liquid Web offers cloud hosting solutions that provide the flexibility and scalability of the cloud.

Their cloud hosting options include:

Cloud VPS

• Fully managed Linux cloud VPS hosting starting at $59/month.
• Resources like CPU cores, RAM, and SSD storage can be customized.
• Built on KVM virtualization for fast provisioning.
• Includes cPanel, SSL, backups, monitoring, and 24/7 support.
• Easy to scale as your site traffic grows.

Cloud Dedicated Servers

• Combines the power of dedicated hardware with the scalability of the cloud.
• Managed servers with Xeon processors, up to 128GB RAM, and NVMe SSD storage.
• Instant provisioning allows rapid scaling.
• Full root access, control panels, backups, and security are provided.
• Great for apps, web hosting, and big data workloads.
• Pricing starts at $149/month.

Private Cloud Hosting

• Enterprise-grade private cloud built on VMware.
• Provides high availability, failover, and redundancy.
• Consistent performance via dedicated resources.
• Private networking and infrastructure.
• Works for mission-critical sites and apps.
• Fully managed support like other Liquid Web plans.

Liquid Web’s cloud hosting solutions give businesses the ability to scale computing resources on demand while maintaining the reliability and support of managed hosting. For sites anticipating growth or spikes in traffic, their cloud options are ideal.

Managed WordPress

Liquid Web offers specialized managed WordPress hosting optimized for performance, security, and ease of use. Plans start at $21/month.

Key features of their managed WordPress hosting:

• Plans range from 15GB storage for smaller sites to 800GB for high-traffic sites.
• Resources include SSD storage, monthly data transfer, PHP workers, staging sites, and more.
• WooCommerce optimized options for ecommerce sites.
• One-click install, updates, backups, restores, and staging are handled by their team.
• Free migration assistance to move your site over with no headaches.
• Site speed optimizations like Nginx web server, LSCache, Imagify, and Cloudflare CDN.
• Malware detection, DDoS protection, and firewall keeps sites secure.
• WP Rocket and ServerSpeed plugins are included to optimize caching and performance.
• Access to 1000+ WordPress themes and plugins through their Liquid Web Hub.
• 24/7 support from managed WordPress experts for any issue.
• Options to add extra resources like more storage, bandwidth, or staging sites.

Liquid Web’s managed WordPress hosting provides the performance, speed, security, and support needed for WordPress sites to thrive. From small blogs to large ecommerce sites, their optimized hosting environment and expert team make it an ideal choice.

Liquid Web HIPAA Compliant Hosting

Liquid Web offers fully managed hosting solutions designed for HIPAA compliance. Their secure infrastructure, controls, and processes help organizations meet HIPAA requirements for protecting sensitive medical data.

Some key aspects of their HIPAA-compliant hosting:

• Dedicated servers, private cloud, and hybrid options to host healthcare apps and data.
• Own and manage HIPAA-compliant data centers with strict physical security safeguards.
• Services include firewall configuration, intrusion detection, encryption, and access controls.
• Solutions customized for different compliance needs and risk levels.
• Signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) available.
• Third-party audited and HITRUST CSF certified for meeting HIPAA guidelines.
• 24/7 security monitoring, alerting, and expert support.
• All servers are fully managed including updates, backups, and monitoring.
• Choices for single or multi-server packages starting at $229/month.

With compliant infrastructure and managed support, Liquid Web enables healthcare organizations to securely host sensitive data in compliance with HIPAA regulations. Their certified HIPAA solutions remove the complexity of compliance.

Liquid Web Hosting Features

Some of the key features and tools that Liquid Web offers across their various hosting plans include:

• SSD Storage: All hosting plans utilize fast solid-state drive (SSD) storage rather than traditional hard disk drives (HDD). This improves site performance.
• CloudFlare CDN: Liquid Web plans get free access to CloudFlare content delivery network (CDN) and web application firewall to help cache and serve site content faster.
• LiteSpeed Cache: The LiteSpeed Web Server and LSCache deliver up to 10x faster page loads by dynamically caching pages and objects in memory.
• Jetpack Performance Suite: This includes tools like Imagify (image optimization), WP Rocket (caching), and more to speed up WordPress sites.
• MariaDB/MySQL Databases: Fast-optimized MariaDB and MySQL relational databases power dynamic sites and applications. MariaDB offers greater performance and security over MySQL.
• SSH Access: Get secure shell (SSH) access for managing servers at a command line interface for greater flexibility and control.
• Staging Environments: Test changes to your site before deploying them to production with integrated staging sites that mirror production.
• Git Version Control: All plans come with Git pre-installed for pushing code changes and seamlessly deploying via Git-based workflows.
• Backups: Daily offsite encrypted backups of files and databases provide an extra layer of protection and disaster recovery.
• Malware Detection: Liquid Web’s firewall and security tools provide real-time monitoring and alerts if malware is detected on your site.
• SSL Certificates: Free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate installation and auto-renewal saves you the hassle of managing SSLs.

Liquid Web Hosting Performance

Speed and performance are two of the most important criteria when evaluating a web host. Faster sites lead to better user experience, higher conversions, and improved search engine rankings.

Liquid Web consistently tops independent web host performance tests and reviews when it comes to page load times, server response metrics, and reliability.

Some examples:

• Pingdom: Liquid Web had an average page load speed of 1.27s compared to competitors like HostGator (3.67s), Bluehost (2.26s), etc.
• Bitcatcha: Liquid Web’s uptime over the past 6 months is 100% and load times are 380ms on average.
• UptimeRobot: Over the past 30 days Liquid Web’s uptime is 100% with an average response time of 135ms.

The excellent performance results can be attributed to Liquid Web’s in-house infrastructure, optimized servers, SSD storage, caching layers, and proactive monitoring. Their servers are also housed in reliable data centers with diesel generators and battery backups.

For WordPress users, Liquid Web’s Managed WP plans deliver some of the fastest page loads thanks to well-configured caching and hosting architecture specifically designed for WordPress.

Liquid Web Technical Support and Customer Service

Liquid Web is renowned in the hosting industry for providing exceptional customer support through their Heroic Support® team.

Here’s an overview of their technical support:

• 24/7 Live Chat: Get instant access to support reps around the clock via live chat on their website. Most inquiries are addressed in under 60 seconds.
• Phone Support: Support is available 24/7 via phone with the option for Toll-Free or International numbers.
• Ticket System: Submit support tickets for non-urgent issues and their team aims for 1 hour response times.
• Knowledge Base: Extensive self-help resources with tutorials, how-tos, and guides for common questions.
• Proactive Monitoring: Their servers are constantly monitored and they’ll contact you promptly regarding any downtime or issues detected. You can choose your communication preference.
• Support Guarantee: If you aren’t satisfied with the resolution from their Heroic Support team, they offer a money-back guarantee.

Liquid Web customers frequently praise their excellent technical support and knowledgeable staff that really take the time to resolve complex issues. Their support team is in-house instead of outsourced, ensuring higher quality service.

Liquid Web Reputation Among Users

Liquid Web enjoys positive reviews from users across various third-party hosting review websites and forums:

• Trustpilot – 4 out of 5-star average from over 1200+ Liquid Web reviews. They have an “Excellent” rating. Source
• G2 – 4.6 out of 5 average based on 100+ Liquid Web reviews. 97% gave 4 or 5 stars. Source
• HostAdvice – 9.4 out of 10 average based on 3000+ reviews. Source
• Reddit – Mostly recommended by users in web hosting communities like /r/webhosting. Some describe them as pricey but worth it for the performance and service.

The most commonly highlighted positives in Liquid Web reviews are their fast servers, expert support, reliability, and responsive customer service.

Negative comments mostly criticize their relatively higher costs compared to budget-shared hosts. However, most reviewers say the higher quality is worth the price if you need performance. Some also faced minor issues during initial migration or setup which their support team quickly resolved.

Liquid Web Pricing and Plans

One downside often brought up in Liquid Web reviews is their pricing is higher than average. However, you’re paying for extremely high-quality hosting on fast hardware with 24/7 expert support.

Here’s an overview of Liquid Web’s managed hosting pricing:

Shared Hosting

• Starts at $59/month for 50GB storage – their Swift plan

VPS Hosting

• Starts at $59/month for 2GB RAM VPS

Dedicated Hosting

• Starts at $199/month for 4 core 8GB RAM servers

Managed WordPress

• Starts at $59/month with 50GB storage and up to 100K visitors

They also offer discounted annual payment options that can save you 10-20% typically.

While Liquid Web is more expensive than low-cost shared hosts like HostGator or iPage, they offer far better infrastructure, speed, reliability, and support. For professional sites and applications generating decent revenue, the extra hosting cost often translates to a wise investment that pays off manifold.

Liquid Web Pros and Cons

Liquid Web Pros:

• Very fast page load times
• Maximum uptime and reliability
• Top-notch 24/7 live support
• Own and manage data centers
• Feature-rich plans with SSD storage
• Easy scalability as the site grows
• Perfect for managed WordPress hosting

Liquid Web Cons:

• More expensive than average hosts
• Costly for very small or new sites
• Add-ons and extra features raise costs further
• Not ideal for low-traffic brochure sites

Final Thoughts: Ideal for Managed Hosting With Speed and Reliability

In closing, Liquid Web is one of the leading managed web hosting providers catering to professional and business sites that require the highest performance, uptime, security, and support. Their Heroic Support® team, well-architected infrastructure, and devotion to customers make them a premium choice albeit at somewhat higher price points.

If your website generates decent revenue and you want hands-off managed hosting with expert-level support, Liquid Web is a recommended option to consider even with the higher costs. For very small or hobby sites, their pricing may be needlessly expensive unless performance is absolutely paramount.

Overall, Liquid Web remains a great choice for managed WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated servers, and other hosting needs where speed, reliability, and support are your top priorities.