Liquid Web vs InterServer
Liquid Web and InterServer compared on measured uptime, response time, pricing and features from our own tests. Liquid Web scores higher overall.
By Jennifer T. · Updated
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Verdict
Liquid WebWins overall
Lansing's managed host since 1997: WordPress plans from $9 with Cloudflare edge CDN and a 100% network SLA, no refunds
Secaucus host since 1999 with a $7 monthly plan, stated resources, free migration and a 30-day refund
Liquid Web wins 4 of the six sub-scores and comes out ahead overall (7.7 vs 7.5).
How do the scores compare?
Liquid Web leads on 4 sub-scores, InterServer on 1. Higher is better.
| Liquid Web | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Uptime | 8.0 (better) | 7.0 |
| Support | 8.0 (better) | 7.0 |
| Features | 8.5 (better) | 8.0 |
| Value | 7.0 | 8.5 (better) |
| Ease of use | 7.5 (better) | 7.0 |
Which one is faster and more reliable?
| Liquid Web | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7.7 (better) | 7.5 |
| Uptime (published)HostingStep 365 d vs Cybernews 14 d; methods differ | 99.99% | 100.00% (better) |
Which one costs less?
On renewal, InterServer is cheaper ($7.00/mo vs $9.00/mo). Intro prices need the listed term.
| Liquid Web | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan | Essentials WordPress | Standard |
| Intro price | $9.00/mo | $2.50/mo (better) |
| Renewal price | $9.00/mo | $7.00/mo (better) |
| Required term | 1 months | 1 months |
| Websites | 1 | unlimited |
| Storage | 15 GB | Unlimited |
| Money back | 0 days | 30 days (better) |
What does each include?
| Liquid Web | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Free domain | No | No |
| Free SSL | Free SSL certificates on the WordPress plans | SSL support is listed on every plan |
| Backups | Daily backups kept 7, 14 or 30 days by tier; Acronis backup storage on managed VPS | Weekly backups on Standard |
| Free migration | A self-serve migration tool and migration by a person on every WordPress plan | The migration team moves the site, database and email for new accounts |
| Free CDN | Edge CDN powered by Cloudflare on every WordPress plan; CDN overage is usage-billed | Cloudflare CDN on every plan |
| Caching | Object Cache Pro on every WordPress plan | SSD caching servers, RAM caching for small files, LSCache for dynamic content and QUIC |
| Staging | Staging sites with visual comparison on Pro and Elite; not on Essentials | No |
| Security | DDoS protection, WAF, Kadence Security Pro and daily malware scans on every plan; Patchstack virtual patching on Elite | InterShield attack blocking, malware scanning and a machine-learning firewall, with free DDoS protection |
| Resource limits | WordPress plans are sized by visitors (50,000 a month on the entry tiers), shared storage and bandwidth; managed VPS plans state vCPU, RAM, SSD and bandwidth | Printed per plan: cores, memory, IOPS, processes, entry processes, inodes and emails per hour |
| Data center choice | Lansing, Phoenix, Ashburn and Amsterdam, selected on the purchase screen where a plan offers it | No |
| Uptime guarantee | 100% network uptime in the SLA with credits up to the monthly charge, claimed within days of an outage; the managed VPS page states 99.9% server uptime | No |
| Managed VPS | Fully managed from $72 a month for 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD and 3 TB; cPanel, InterWorx or Plesk; Windows available | Not stated |
| Phone support | 24/7 by phone, chat and ticket | No |
| Windows hosting | On VPS and dedicated servers | A separate Windows hosting package |
| Not stated | Unlimited accounts with outgoing mail routed through smart hosts for deliverability; 200 emails an hour on Standard |
Company facts
| Liquid Web | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Control panel | Liquid Web's own platform for WordPress plans; cPanel, InterWorx or Plesk on VPS | DirectAdmin on Standard and Boost; cPanel on the cPanel hosting plan |
| Data centers | 4 (better) | 3 |
| Support channels | chat, phone, ticket, knowledge-base | ticket, knowledge-base |
| Founded | 1997 | 1999 |