The Liquid Web Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Liquid Web in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Liquid Web
The Insider’s Guide
Managed WordPress, VPS and dedicated server hosting for businesses
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among web hosts, read from Liquid Web’s own pages.
Made by Liquid Web, LLC · checked Oct 17, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Liquid Web’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Liquid Web’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 17, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 7 of the 21 other web hosts we grade
Liquid Web sells managed WordPress and WooCommerce hosting, managed and self-managed virtual private servers, and dedicated servers, with 24/7 support. Its pages are signed Liquid Web, LLC by Nexcess Corp., and the same group makes the Kadence, LearnDash, Give and The Events Calendar WordPress plugins. WordPress plans are priced by sites and monthly visits; VPS plans by memory, processors and storage.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Liquid Web, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Managed WordPress is looked after for you, but the cheapest VPS is self-managed, so there you'd run the server yourself.
- 1
Best for WordPress sites that may grow into a server
Just watch the traffic tiers, as prices climb with visits.
- 2
Paid plans start at $17 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $17 per month (self-managed VPS); managed WordPress $17.10 a month, billed annually.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Managed WordPress platform
WordPress core and plugin updates are handled for you, with Object Cache Pro, a Cloudflare-powered edge CDN, a web application firewall and DDoS protection.
- 5
Staging with visual comparison
Pro and Elite WordPress plans include staging sites and visual comparison, which previews how plugin updates change pages before they go live.
- 6
Security layers
WordPress plans include daily malware scans, Kadence Security Pro and Patchstack virtual patching for known plugin flaws.
- 7
A 2.0 GPA, above 7 of 21
That is against the other web hosts we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace Liquid Web you would be making servers kept running, patched and backed up for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Liquid Web at a glance
- Pricing
- Paid, from $17 per month (self-managed VPS); managed WordPress $17.10 a month, billed annually
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Liquid Web, LLC
- Category
- Web Hosting
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for WordPress sites that may grow into a server
Liquid Web covers both ends: managed WordPress with staging, visual comparison of updates and layered security, and VPS servers you can run yourself or have fully managed. One WordPress site is $17.10 a month billed yearly, cheaper than every managed WordPress specialist here bar WPX. Just watch the traffic tiers, as prices climb with visits.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Pro WordPress is $17.10 a month billed yearly for one site, with no intro price to expire, so two years cost $410.40. That sits between the cheaper and dearer quarters of hosts. More traffic costs more: 400,000 visits is $71.10 a month. |
| Free plan and trial | F | Nothing free: no free plan and no trial on record, so you pay from the start. |
| Features | B | Managed WordPress with Object Cache Pro, a Cloudflare-powered CDN, a firewall, daily malware scans, Patchstack and staging with visual comparison, plus VPS plans with root access. Nothing in the core hosting job is missing. |
| Ease of use | C | No app store rating to go on. Managed WordPress is looked after for you, but the cheapest VPS is self-managed, so there you'd run the server yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web dashboard with no app on record. VPS plans come with an API and cPanel, Plesk or InterWorx, and Cloudflare and Kadence are named too. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Liquid Web is for
- Great if you expect to move from WordPress hosting to your own server
- Handy when you want a fully managed VPS with cPanel or Plesk
- Good for developers who want a cheap self-managed VPS with root access
Who it is not for
- Pricey if your site gets busy, as one Pro site at 400,000 visits is $71.10 a month
- Skip it if you want the $17 VPS looked after, as fully managed is $72 a month
- Tight if you dislike surprise bills, since autoscaling and CDN overage are billed by use
Good to know
Good for
- Businesses that expect to move from WordPress hosting to their own server
- Teams that want a fully managed VPS with cPanel or Plesk
- Developers who want a cheap self-managed VPS with root access
Worth knowing
- Dedicated servers, Magento hosting and white-label plans for agencies are sold separately from the plans listed here.
- WordPress prices rise with traffic: one Pro site with up to 400,000 visits is $71.10 a month, billed annually.
- The $17 VPS is self-managed; the same server fully managed costs $72 a month.
- Autoscaling and CDN overage are billed by use, and Performance Shield is an optional add-on; the plan page does not give their prices.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$17
A month to start
Liquid Web is a paid product, starting at $17 per month (self-managed VPS); managed WordPress $17.10 a month, billed annually.
That sits between the cheaper and dearer quarters of hosts.
Self-Managed VPS, 4 GB
$17
per month for 2 vCPU and 4 GB RAM, billed monthly
80 GB SSD, 3 TB bandwidth, root access and a dedicated IP. You look after the operating system, security and software yourself.
Pro WordPress
$17.10
per month for 1 site, billed annually ($19 billed monthly)
Up to 50,000 visits, 15 GB storage, 14 days of daily backups, staging and visual comparison. $35.10 at 150,000 visits.
Elite WordPress
$26.10
per month for 1 site, billed annually ($29 billed monthly)
Up to 50,000 visits and 15 GB, with 30 days of backups and migration done by a person. $53.10 at 150,000 visits.
Managed VPS, 4 GB
$72
per month for 2 vCPU and 4 GB RAM, billed monthly
The same server fully managed: 24/7 support, updates, firewall setup and Acronis backups, with cPanel, Plesk or InterWorx and Windows available.
Pro WordPress, 10 sites
$89.10
per month for 10 sites, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Ten sites with up to 50,000 visits each. Plans for 25 sites start at $179.10 a month, billed annually.
Read from liquidweb.com on Oct 17, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
10% off WordPress plans billed yearly
Annual billing saves 10% on managed WordPress plans: Pro for one site is $17.10 a month instead of $19 billed monthly.
Stated on liquidweb.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Managed WordPress, VPS and dedicated server hosting for businesses. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, malware protection, managed WordPress.
Nothing in the core hosting job is missing.
- Managed WordPress platform
- WordPress core and plugin updates are handled for you, with Object Cache Pro, a Cloudflare-powered edge CDN, a web application firewall and DDoS protection.
- Staging with visual comparison
- Pro and Elite WordPress plans include staging sites and visual comparison, which previews how plugin updates change pages before they go live.
- Security layers
- WordPress plans include daily malware scans, Kadence Security Pro and Patchstack virtual patching for known plugin flaws.
- VPS with root access
- VPS plans give root access on a 10 Gbps network, with cPanel, Plesk or InterWorx control panels, Windows servers and an API.
- Self or fully managed
- The same VPS can be self-managed or fully managed, where Liquid Web also handles system updates, firewall setup, PHP support and restores.
- Migrations
- A self-serve tool moves WordPress sites over, and Elite plans add migration by a specialist. Managed VPS moves include email and control panel accounts.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- WordPress
- WooCommerce
- Magento
- cPanel
- Plesk
- InterWorx
- Cloudflare
- Kadence
Liquid Web is made by Liquid Web, LLC.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
7/21
Other web hosts it is graded above
Liquid Web's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 7 of the 21 other web hosts we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 12 of 21) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $17 a month, against a middle price of $10.99 for the category: 11 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 22 web hosts we grade, cut by the letter each got. Liquid Web’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 21
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 21
- BFeaturesAbove 11 of 21
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 21
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 12 of 21
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 17 web hosts. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Liquid Web is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Liquid Web you would be making servers kept running, patched and backed up for you. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $204 a year.
What you could not
- Servers kept running, patched and backed up for you.
- An engine that recognises new malware as it appears.
- It plugs into other products, WordPress, WooCommerce and Magento among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Liquid Web’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Nexcess, WP Engine, Cloudways and ScalaHosting
The 4 tools Liquid Web is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 1.6GPA
Nexcess
Paid
Managed cloud hosting for WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento and VPS.
- 1.6GPA
WP Engine
From $35/mo
Managed WordPress hosting sized by sites and monthly visits.
- Liquid Web also covers malware protection.
- 2.0GPA
Cloudways
Free trial
Managed cloud hosting on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google.
- Liquid Web also covers managed WordPress.
- 2.2GPA
ScalaHosting
From $11.95/mo
Shared and cloud VPS hosting with its own SPanel control panel.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Liquid Web free?
No. Liquid Web is a paid product, starting at $17 per month (self-managed VPS); managed WordPress $17.10 a month, billed annually.
How much does Liquid Web cost?
Liquid Web lists 5 plans. Self-Managed VPS, 4 GB: $17 per month for 2 vCPU and 4 GB RAM, billed monthly.
What platforms does Liquid Web work on?
Liquid Web is available on Web.
Does Liquid Web offer any discounts?
Liquid Web publicly lists the following: 10% off WordPress plans billed yearly.
Does Liquid Web have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Liquid Web is listed for Web.
Does Liquid Web have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Liquid Web is listed for Web.
Is Liquid Web open source?
Liquid Web is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Liquid Web have an API?
Yes. Liquid Web offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Liquid Web integrate with?
Liquid Web's listing names WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, cPanel, Plesk, InterWorx, Cloudflare and Kadence.
Who makes Liquid Web?
Liquid Web is made by Liquid Web, LLC.
What are the alternatives to Liquid Web?
The closest alternatives to Liquid Web in our directory are Nexcess, WP Engine, Cloudways and ScalaHosting.
How does Liquid Web compare with other web hosts?
Liquid Web's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 7 of the 21 other web hosts we grade, and level with 7.
Is Liquid Web good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Liquid Web C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $17 a month, against a middle price of $10.99 for the category: 11 of the 16 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Liquid Web?
To replace Liquid Web you would be making servers kept running, patched and backed up for you.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Liquid Web’s own pages on Oct 17, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 17, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Liquid Web's own pages on 17 October 2026. Its WordPress plans page showed no prices to our reader when we checked it again that day. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Liquid Web, LLC. Prices change, so check liquidweb.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
1,880
Tools graded, in 47 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
1,880
tools graded
47
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Liquid Web, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/liquid-web
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Liquid Web: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 17, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/liquid-web
Know someone choosing between web hosts?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/liquid-web/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded web hosts after Liquid Web, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Web Hosting Insider's GuideEvery one of the 22 web hosts we grade, compared
- ChemiCloud Insider's GuideShared cPanel hosting and managed WordPress on LiteSpeed servers2.2 GPA
- DreamHost Insider's GuideIndependent shared and WordPress host with monthly or multi-year terms2.2 GPA
- FastComet Insider's GuidecPanel shared and WordPress hosting with first-term discounts2.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Liquid Web’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Liquid Web is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Liquid Web, LLC. Prices and plans change: check liquidweb.com before you buy.