Liquid Web VPS Hosting Review: Faster Than RackSpace & AWS?

Last Updated on March 7, 2021 by Obaro Alidou K.

Are you running a website that is more than just a side project? Or do you own a huge website and need robust and secure hosting to handle it? Then Liquid Web’s managed VPS Hosting is the solution.

According to Cloud Spectator, an independent cloud analytics firm, Liquid Web provides the fastest managed cloud VPS hosting. Faster than Rackspace, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and DigitalOcean.

Is this the truth? Let’s find it out.

But first….

Who is Liquid Web?

Liquid Web is a premium managed hosting company founded in 1997 by Matthew Hill. It is one of the first web hosting companies in the world. Older and more experienced than HostGator, SiteGround, WP Engine, and even Bluehost.

The company provides fully managed hosting to thousands of customers over 170 countries worldwide and hosts big brands like Motorola.

Liquid Web has always been one of the best web hosting service providers overall and for Managed WordPress Hosting as well; with a focus on security and power for mission critical websites. They provide the widest range of hosting products (YES THE WIDEST IN THE WORLD and I know what I’m talking about) but this review will focus on VPS Hosting. Thus let’s go…

Liquid Web VPS Hosting Plans

VPS hosting is the level of web hosting where you own a virtual environment that simulates a private server with dedicated resources for your only needs.

VPS Hosting runs faster (than shared hosting) and is more stable as it operates on privately allocated bandwidth. Plus your account is fully isolated so that when another user is a resource hog, it can’t affect your account.

Whether you need Linux or Windows, Liquid Web provides VPS Hosting for both platforms.

Linux VPS Hosting Plans

The Linux offer comes into four plans starting at $39/mo.

The first plan costs $39/mo and includes 2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, and 40 GB SSD storage. The second plan is 4 GB RAM, 4vCPU, 100 GB SSD disk space at the cost of $69/mo. The third one is 8 GB RAM, 8 vCPU, 150 GB SSD storage, and priced at $99/mo. Liquid Web VPS Hosting top tier plan includes 16 GB RAM, 8 vCPU, 200 GB SSD disk space, and costs $129/mo. This pricing is really affordable for the powerful service customers get.

Windows VPS Hosting

The windows VPS Hosting offers three powerful plans starting from $129/mo.

The entry level here allows 4 GB RAM, 4vCPU, and 100 GB SSD disk space. The middle plan is 8 GB RAM, 8 vCPU, 150 GB SSD storage, and priced at $169/mo. The highest windows VPS plan includes 16 GB RAM, 16 vCPU, 200 GB SSD disk space, and costs $169/mo as well (promo price).

The cool thing is that each VPS plan (Linux and Windows) also includes:

• 10 TB bandwidth (YES 10 TB!)
• Free 100 GB Backup
• InterWorx, Plesk Web Pro, or cPanel control panel
• Dedicated IP Address
• Unlimited websites
• Integrated Firewall
• DDoS Attack Protection
• Root Access
• Free CDN

>> Go To Liquid Web

That being said, you certainly know that there are hundreds (if not thousands) of web hosting companies that offer VPS Hosting. So here’s the ultimate question:

Why Should You Choose Liquid Web VPS Hosting (over the other companies)?

I could spend hours trying to explain the complex aspects of the subject without getting you to any meaningful understanding. So I won’t do that.

To give the best answer to the question, I will go through the pros and cons of using Liquid Web’s managed VPS Hosting.

Pros and Coins Of Liquid Web Managed VPS Hosting

While Liquid Web VPS Hosting is one of the best web hosting offers, it’s may not be right for everyone. Here are the pros and cons to consider before buying a plan.

The Pros

#1. Powerful Hosting Infrastructure

Liquid Web has its own datacenters in Lansing (USA, with 33,000 server capacity), Phoenix (USA, with 2,000 server capacity), and Amsterdam (Europe, with 8,000 server capacity) powering over 45,000 customers and featuring some of the best power systems in the industry including:

Uninterruptable Power System

Liquid Web’s power systems feature extensive fault tolerance and resilience in every layer. From multiple uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) with redundant battery cabinets, to Liebert Precision and Eaton Power distribution units that handle final power transformation and distribution to racks, the company ensures clean, consistent power to its datacenter equipment. In addition, each facility has multiple emergency generators waiting on standby.

So no matter what happens, when you host with Liquid web, you are sure your website won’t go down the non-sense way.

Tier-1 Premium Bandwidth

For a server to run fast, it needs to be connected to a fast internet connection. That is why providing the highest quality Internet connectivity and performance is Liquid Web’s top priority. Their Tier-1 bandwidth providers like Cogent, Level3, Verizon, and Comcast ensure minimal latency and fast connections to all points of the global internet, allowing Liquid Web aggregate connectivity to reach over 8,500 networks.

Cooling

Liquid Web environmental processing systems include upflow and downflow CRAC units that include pumped refrigerant systems to help ensure maximum efficiency while maintaining precision server inlet temperature.

Temperature and humidity are precisely regulated year round to ensure optimal equipment reliability. Each unit contains independent compressors and cooling loops to further enhance fault tolerance and reliability. Air filtration systems actively remove foreign particles from circulation and cycle the entire data center air supply in a matter of minutes.

#2. Advanced Security

Most hosts provide SSL certificates and it stops there. No extra security or any kind of application protection.

Well; while SSL is a good tool, it is nothing more than just a seal that encrypts users data when they browse your website. SSL does not protect your server or application from malicious attacks. That is why Liquid Web goes beyond providing just a seal.

In fact, when you host with Liquid Web, you are sure your work will never be lost due to malicious attacks.

Their infrastructure is built on the latest server technologies and hardware and provides advanced security steps to make sure your projects never go down. Some of the top features include:

• Network & Web Application Firewall
• DDoS protection
• Dedicated IP
• Full account isolation thanks to Container Based technology
• ServerSecure Advanced Security
• Ongoing Virus & malware Scans
• Hack Scans
• Free 100 GB Backup Drives
• Account isolation per client
• Proactive server monitoring

#3. Fast Speed and Nearly 100% Uptime

Website speed and uptime are both important for conversion and SEO. According to a study by Google, when your site takes more than 3s to load, 50% of your visitors will bounce back and never come back. And, as Liquid Web is not a typical shared host, I set up a heavy website for testing purposes and below is the surprising result….

Liquid Web VPS Hosting speed is around 303ms (0.3s). This ensures a smooth user experience for your clients/readers which directly increases conversion and sales.

The most surprising thing during the tests has been uptime. As you can see clearly from the screenshot above, Liquid web recorded zero downtime from October, 2019 to the time this review is written (August, 2020). That’s nearly one year with 100% uptime.

Don’t believe me? Just look at the screenshot above. The last downtime was recorded on 2019-10-19 and lasted for 8 mins and since then, no downtime has been recorded. Waoo that the best uptime ever seen for a VPS Hosting service.

The server has been up and running for 7565 hrs and 17mins = 315+ days!

#4. Customer Centric Tech Support

You are a business man and not a developer. When you decide to drop $$$$/mo for Managed VPS Hosting, it means you don’t have time to waste in managing the server or solving hosting issues. This is especially important when you own a mission critical website.

Hopefully, Liquid web has the most heroic hosting support in the industry. They not only respond and solve issues fast, they also help in managing your business. And this is a God sent because even if you get stuck at some point in your business, the support goes beyond hosting and provides you with helpful tips and tricks to achieve your goal.

The support is reachable 24h/7 through live chat (59s response), phone calls, and tickets as well.

#5. Auto-scale

A sudden boom in traffic? Don’t worry—Liquid Web won’t shoot your account down. They already offer 10 TB bandwidth and when you need more, the auto-scale feature adjusts your server to handle your growth without any hassle or service interruption.

The Cons of Liquid Web VPS Hosting

While it has been hard, I found at least one.

#No Proper Money Back Guarantee

Liquid Web does not offer any money-back guarantee on its VPS Hosting. Sure you can negotiate a refund as they don’t tie you to any contract and you can cancel your service at any time. If you paid upfront, you can still get a refund for any full month of service you don’t use. You just have to give them notice before the month in question begins.

However, this is not a big deal because most of the times, you won’t be cancelling thanks to how fast the service is and how the support handles assistance when you need it.

Conclusion

Liquid Web is a very popular and trustworthy web hosting company and their VPS Hosting has proven to be faster than most competitors with, no doubt, one of the most helpful tech support staff.

If you want powerful hosting for huge projects, Liquid Web VPS Hosting is the right path.

>> Go To Liquid Web 

Cheers!

Obaro