Final verdict
Looking over Liquid Web vs. Directnic, Liquid Web stands out for its comprehensive feature set and high performance, while Directnic offers more budget-friendly options.
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Liquid Web (Overall grade: 8.7)
excels in providing a wide range of hosting solutions tailored for businesses with high traffic and resource-intensive needs. With advanced load balancing, powerful processors, and a 100% network uptime guarantee, Liquid Web ensures superior reliability and performance. Their proactive monitoring and fast support response times contribute to reduced downtime and better customer satisfaction. Additionally, Liquid Web meets multiple regulatory compliances like GDPR and HIPAA, making it a suitable choice for businesses with stringent security requirements. The hosting plans are user-friendly and allow for easy scalability, from managed VPS to dedicated servers. However, this level of service comes at a higher cost, making it more ideal for companies that can justify the expense.
Directnic (Overall grade: 6.8)
is a more economical option that offers basic hosting features suitable for smaller websites and startups. With its user-friendly cPanel interface and a drag-and-drop site builder, Directnic is accessible to users with little to no technical background. The 99% uptime guarantee, while lower than industry standards, provides decent reliability for less demanding applications. Directnic’s shared hosting packages are affordably priced, including useful features like email hosting and free domain registration, which are appealing to budget-conscious users. However, Directnic falls short in offering advanced hosting options like VPS and dedicated servers, limiting its appeal to larger enterprises or high-traffic sites. The occasional reports of downtime and mixed customer reviews on reliability and support further impact its overall value.
 Overall grade:8.7 |
 Overall grade:6.8 |
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|---|---|---|
| Uptime and Availability | 9.4 | 6.3 |
| Hosting Performance | 8.5 | 7.2 |
| Hosting Security | 9.0 | 7.8 |
| Price | 8.4 | 7.8 |
| Hosting Features | 7.9 | 3.6 |
| Ease Of Setup | 9.3 | 7.8 |
| User Management | 7.8 | 6.5 |
| Customer Support | 9.6 | 7.7 |
| User feedback | 4.3/5 | 2.5/5 |
Hosting types offered
Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.
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|---|---|---|
| Shared hosting | ||
| Cloud hosting | ||
| WordPress hosting | ||
| Ecommerce hosting | ||
| VPS hosting | ||
| Dedicated hosting |
Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.
Detailed comparison
Uptime and availability
Evaluates the average uptime statistics, uptime guarantee and overall availability of the hosting
provider
Score Components:
- Uptime percentage (30%): evaluates the uptime statistics in given period of time
- Uptime guarantee (20%): Assesses if the platform offers an uptime guarantee and
whether the actual uptime matches the promised guarantee. - General performance (25%): Evaluates how fast is the average response time and overall
it’s stability. - Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
- Availability (25%): Reflects the total downtime and number of outages.
9.4
6.3
Section 1:
Winner Liquid Web: Provides leading uptime and availability features securing maximum reliability.
Section 2:
Liquid Web offers a comprehensive suite of uptime and availability features such as high availability hosting, 100% network and power uptime SLAs, and proactive monitoring. They also guarantee critical hardware replacement within 30 minutes and deliver an impressive initial response time of 59 seconds for phone and chat support. This ensures that any issues are swiftly addressed, minimizing the risk of prolonged downtime.
Section 3:
Directnic offers a 99% uptime guarantee, which is below the industry standard. Despite generally satisfactory stability, customers have reported occasional downtime. Their shared hosting plans are affordable and include useful features, but they lack advanced hosting options like VPS or dedicated server hosting. This makes them suitable for smaller websites but less reliable for those needing robust uptime.
Hosting performance
Score Components:
- Hosting speed (30%): This includes SSD quality, Load times, PageSpeed score ranges,
additional information on website speed, built-in plugins for performance enhancement, available caching
methods, and CPU/RAM options - CDN (20%): Considers whether CDN is available or not, whether it’s free or paid, and
the quality of the CDN service - Available data centers (30%): Evaluates the number of data centers and their locations
globally. - Scalibility (20%): Looks at whether elastic scaling is available, the process required
to scale (manual upgrade vs. automatic scaling), the presence of dedicated servers, and the costs
associated with scaling.
8.5
7.2
🏆 Winner
Liquid Web: For users who prioritize speed and advanced technological infrastructure, Sitrground is more suitable for high-demand websites that require reliable and fast global access.
Liquid Web and Directnic Hosting both offer SSD storage and free CDN integration to enhance hosting performance and speed. Liquid Web, however, showcases faster load times with a heavyweight theme clocked at 1.69 seconds, compared to Example hosting one’s 4.85 seconds. Liquid Web operates 11 global data centers, which surpasses Example hosting one’s six, potentially offering better local loading speeds and content delivery. Moreover, Liquid Web’s technology is more up-to-date, which may contribute to its superior performance.
Website Speed
Liquid Web excels in website speed with an LCP time of 872ms, significantly outperforming Example hosting one’s 1.8 seconds. Although both fall within the acceptable range of LCP (up to 2.5 seconds is considered good), Liquid Web’s website speed is notably better, indicating a more efficient user experience.
Scalability
Both hosting providers offer scalability options tailored to varying needs; however, Liquid Web provides a more customized approach with its custom cloud plans where resources can be configured to user requirements. Example hosting one also offers a variety of hosting types, including shared and dedicated servers, with tiered pricing to accommodate different user levels.
Hosting security
and regulatory requirements
Score Components:
- Technical security measures (40%): This includes encryption, firewalls, DDoS
protection, secure configurations, server monitoring, access control and availability of security addons
(e.g Sitelock security). - Operational security measures (30%): Encompasses data privacy, backups and data
redundancy. - Compliance and certifications (20%): Adherence to legal and regulatory requirements
(e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) and possession of certifications (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2). - Business and reliability (10%): Factors in the provider’s reputation, uptime
guarantees, and customer support.
9.0
7.8
🏆 Winner
Liquid Web: Comprehensive security and regulatory compliance make Liquid Web a reliable hosting choice.
Both Liquid Web and Directnic, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.
Technical security measures:
Liquid Web provides SSL certificates, multiple PHP versions, firewalls, DDoS protection, and web application firewalls, along with an F5 AIP Intrusion Detection System for real-time monitoring. Directnic, on the other hand, provides SSL certificates with varying levels of warranty and a dedicated Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC) for surveillance, as well as a Secure Content Delivery Network (CDN) and fully-managed web application firewall. Both services offer DDoS protection, but Liquid Web’s intrusion detection and server protection measures give it an edge.
Operational security measures:
Operational security for Liquid Web includes a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for HIPAA compliance, 24/7/365 on-site support, hardened configurations, and comprehensive physical security measures such as CCTV cameras and electronic access cards. Directnic offers 24/7/365 web security protection with instant alert notifications and 24/7/365 incident handling provided by a dedicated CSOC analyst. Directnic also offers threat investigation and malware detection with unlimited removal. Liquid Web’s operational measures are stronger due to their physical security and specific regulatory preparations.
Compliance and certifications:
Liquid Web meets multiple regulatory requirements, including GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI compliance. They offer a Data Processing Addendum (DPA) for GDPR and hold certifications such as SSAE-22 and HITECH for HIPAA. Directnic’s information does not specify compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or PCI. Hence, Liquid Web is a better choice for businesses requiring stringent regulatory compliance.
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|---|---|---|
SSL certificate |
Yes |
Yes |
Additional security features |
Yes |
Yes |
PHP versions |
Yes |
Yes |
GDPR compliance |
Yes |
Not specified |
HIPAA compliance |
Yes |
Not specified |
PCI compliance |
Yes |
Not specified |
Hosting features
Score Components:
- Domains (20%): Assesses the availability of a free domain, domain purchase options, and
pricing - Email (15%): Considers if the provider offers full email hosting, or is reselling
third-party service, and if the email is only transactional or not - Website builder (15%): Checks if website builder is available, and it’s user
friendliness and overall the level of customization allowed. - Staging environment (20%): Determines if a staging environment is available, allowing
for testing changes before going live. - FTP & SFTP accounts (10%): Evaluates if and how easily users can access FTP and
SFTP accounts - Git and SSH access (20%): Assess whether Git is integrated into the hosting service and
if SSH access is provided
7.9
3.6
🏆 Winner
Liquid Web: Reliable, fully managed hosting with robust support and high availability.
Liquid Web and Directnic Hosting both offer distinctive features, but they cater to different user needs and priorities. Liquid Web shines with its fully managed hosting services, providing proactive management, complex hosting environments, and a promise of high availability. Users looking for comprehensive managed solutions, especially those needing compliance with HIPAA or PCI, will find Liquid Web appealing. They offer infrastructure that includes VMware Private Cloud and managed VPS hosting, making it a strong choice for data-intensive projects. The availability of managed WooCommerce and WordPress hosting, with perks like autoscaling and daily backups, adds to its allure. Though FTP/SFTP isn’t explicitly listed, the support for cPanel and Plesk suggests it is available. SSH access is confirmed for VPS and dedicated server plans, bolstering its flexibility.
Directnic Hosting, on the other hand, presents a more budget-friendly option with straightforward hosting plans. Starting at just $2.48/month, their Lite Plan includes enough resources for small to medium websites. They offer cPanel hosting, free domain registration, and script installs, making it user-friendly for beginners. A key highlight is the inclusion of email accounts across all plans, coupled with a 99% uptime guarantee. However, they lack some advanced features, like managed hosting environments and compliance solutions. Also, SSH access is not explicitly mentioned, which may limit its appeal to more advanced users. The money-back guarantee can be reassuring for users trying out their services without significant risk.
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|---|---|---|
Free domain |
No |
Yes |
Free SSL |
Yes |
No |
Email hosting |
Yes |
Yes |
Website builder |
No |
No |
Staging environment |
Yes |
No |
FTP & SFTP accounts |
Yes |
Yes |
Git and SSH access |
Yes |
No |
Free backup |
Yes |
No |
Money back guarantee |
No |
Yes |
a location.
As a result in rare cases the features mentioned here can differ from the ones you see on their websites.
Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both Liquid Web and Directnic Hosting offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.
Email services:
Email services at Liquid Web are provided through a partnership with Microsoft 365, offering a professional email and access to Outlook on a trial basis before transitioning to a paid service. Conversely, Directnic Hosting provides unlimited free professional email accounts, which is particularly beneficial for users requiring multiple email accounts without incurring additional costs.
Price
Score Components:
- Plan value (40%): What each pricing tier offers.
- Transparency and clarity (30%): Clearness of pricing structures.
- Flexibility of plans (20%): Range of options to suit different budgets.
- Hidden costs (10%): Additional expenses not included in the plan.
8.4
7.8
🏆 Winner
Liquid Web: Offers a broad range of powerful and resource-intensive hosting plans suited for various business needs.
Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.
When comparing Liquid Web and Directnic, Liquid Web provides a wider variety of hosting plans, from Managed WooCommerce and WordPress Hosting to Cloud Dedicated Servers and VPS Hosting. Liquid Web’s entry-level Managed WordPress plan is priced at $21 per month and offers 15GB of storage and 2TB of bandwidth for a single site. In contrast, Directnic’s Lite Plan is significantly cheaper at $2.48 per month, offering 10GB of disk space and 100GB of data transfer, but it supports up to three hosted domains. Liquid Web stands out with specialized Managed WooCommerce Hosting, ranging from $21 to $492.75 per month, depending on the plan level, providing more extensive resources like PHP workers and autoscaled support. Meanwhile, Directnic’s offerings are more straightforward, with its Deluxe Plan costing $7.98 monthly for 200GB of disk space and 2000GB of data transfer. The two providers present different strengths, with Liquid Web targeting more business-oriented customers requiring high performance and reliability, while Directnic aims at budget-conscious users or small to medium businesses.
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Spark $21
1 website, 15GB storage, 2TB bandwidth, 10 PHP workers, 24/7 support, autoscaled PHP workers. Value for price:8.5
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N/A |
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Spark+ $43
3 websites, 25GB storage, 2.5TB bandwidth, 15 PHP workers, 24/7 support, autoscaled PHP workers. Value for price:8.4
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N/A |
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Maker $87
5 websites, 40GB storage, 3TB bandwidth, 20 PHP workers, 24/7 support, autoscaled PHP workers. Value for price:8.3
|
N/A |
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Designer $120
10 websites, 60GB storage, 4TB bandwidth, 20 PHP workers, 24/7 support, autoscaled PHP workers. Value for price:8.2
|
N/A |
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Builder $164
25 websites, 100GB storage, 5TB bandwidth, 30 PHP workers, 24/7 support, autoscaled PHP workers. Value for price:8.5
|
N/A |
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Producer $328
50 websites, 300GB storage, 5TB bandwidth, 40 PHP workers, 24/7 support, autoscaled PHP workers. Value for price:8.4
|
N/A |
|
Executive $602
100 websites, 500GB storage, 10TB bandwidth, 50 PHP workers, 24/7 support, autoscaled PHP workers. Value for price:8.4
|
N/A |
|
Enterprise $1095
250 websites, 800GB storage, 10TB bandwidth, 60 PHP workers, 24/7 support, autoscaled PHP workers. Value for price:8.5
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N/A |
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|---|---|
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Managed WooCommerce Starter $21
1 store, 30GB storage, 3TB bandwidth, 10 PHP workers, autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.4
|
Lite Plan $2.48
3 hosted domains, 10GB disk space, 100GB data transfer, 50 emails, 10 databases, 3 FTP accounts. Value for price:8.0
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Managed WooCommerce Starter+ $43
2 stores, 45GB storage, 4TB bandwidth, 15 PHP workers, autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.3
|
Pro Plan $4.48
15 hosted domains, 100GB disk space, 1000GB data transfer, 100 emails, 50 databases, 5 FTP accounts. Value for price:8.2
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Managed WooCommerce Creator $87
3 stores, 60GB storage, 5TB bandwidth, 20 PHP workers, autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.2
|
Deluxe Plan $7.98
30 hosted domains, 200GB disk space, 2000GB data transfer, 250 emails, 100 databases, 10 FTP accounts. Value for price:8.4
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Managed WooCommerce Merchant $164
5 stores, 100GB storage, 5TB bandwidth, 30 PHP workers, autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.4
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N/A |
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Managed WooCommerce Standard $328
10 stores, 300GB storage, 5TB bandwidth, 30 PHP workers, autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.3
|
N/A |
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Managed WooCommerce Growth $602
20 stores, 500GB storage, 10TB bandwidth, 40 PHP workers, autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.4
|
N/A |
|
Managed WooCommerce Enterprise $1095
30 stores, 800GB storage, 10TB bandwidth, 50 PHP workers, autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.5
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N/A |
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Intel Xeon E-2356G (16 GB RAM) $159
6 cores, 16GB RAM, 480GB SSD, 10TB bandwidth, Linux, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.2
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Sitebuilder Starter $15.99
Unlimited storage, drag & drop builder, no ads, connect your domain, advanced stats. Value for price:8.0
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Intel Xeon E-2356G (32 GB RAM) $199
6 cores, 32GB RAM, 960GB SSD, 10TB bandwidth, Linux, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.4
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Sitebuilder Pro $24.99
Unlimited storage, site search, no ads, connect your domain, advanced stats, password protection, 100 members. Value for price:8.2
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Intel Xeon E-2356G (64 GB RAM) $249
6 cores, 64GB RAM, 1.92TB SSD, 10TB bandwidth Ease of setupEvaluates the ease of setting up and migrating websites on the hosting
platform. Score Components:
9.3
7.8
🏆 Winner Liquid Web: Liquid Web offers user-friendly managed hosting solutions with comprehensive support. Liquid Web provides a range of control panel options including InterWorx, Plesk, and WHM/cPanel. These control panels are user-friendly and cater to both technical and non-technical users, offering an accessible interface for server and website management. Liquid Web’s Managed WordPress Hosting further simplifies the setup process by handling automatic plugin updates, offering proactive monitoring, and a variety of other features.
Directnic Hosting, on the other hand, uses the standard cPanel, which is well-recognized for its user-friendly interface. Their additional offering of a drag-and-drop website builder via SiteBuilder by Weebly makes it easier for users with no technical background to build their websites. Directnic’s cPanel also facilitates easy script installations, adding to the convenience of setting up and managing a website.
Liquid Web provides complimentary migrations for new server orders, covering most hosting control panels such as InterWorx, Plesk, and cPanel. This service makes transitioning to Liquid Web relatively straightforward and hassle-free. Directnic Hosting’s knowledge base does provide server migration FAQs, but it does not specifically mention whether migration services are free or come at a cost, potentially leaving users to manage the migration themselves or seek additional support.
User managementAssesses the platforms’ capabilities in managing user roles, permissions, and
accessibility. Score Components:
7.8
6.5
🏆 Winner Liquid Web: A highly effective hosting provider for managing user roles and permissions. Liquid Web offers a comprehensive suite for managing user roles and permissions. It provides four default user roles—Administrator, Webmaster, Application User, and Accountant—each catering to different levels of access and responsibilities. This allows users to finely tailor roles to meet their specific needs. Additionally, Plesk allows for the creation of custom user roles, adding another layer of flexibility. Although detailed information on DirectNic’s user management features isn’t provided, the higher score associated with Liquid Web underscores its superior capabilities in this domain. The user interface for Liquid Web’s Plesk control panel is straightforward and user-friendly. Users can manage accounts via the Subscriptions setting in the Service Provider View or the Users button in the Power User View. The clean layout simplifies the process of creating new user accounts and managing existing ones. The ability to quickly access and modify user roles stands out as a key feature, making administrative tasks more efficient. Liquid Web excels in access control and scalability when managing a growing number of users. The control panel provides a structured approach to role assignment and modification. Administrators can quickly add or remove users and create specific roles as needed, ensuring that access rights are consistently maintained. This framework supports efficient user management even as the number of users increases. Liquid Web user roles table:
Customer supportEvaluates the quality, availability, and scope of the customer support offered by the
hosting provider. Score Components:
9.6
7.7
🏆 Winner Liquid Web: Highly responsive support and extensive resources cater to diverse customer needs.
Liquid Web and Directnic both provide 24/7 support via chat, email, and tickets. Liquid Web offers phone support around the clock with an impressive 59-second initial response guarantee, while Directnic restricts phone availability to working hours, Monday through Friday. Liquid Web stands out with specialized teams for Windows and Linux, Heroic Support® features, strategic account executives, and customer success managers.
Directnic’s key advantage lies in its user-friendly interface and reasonably priced shared hosting plans. Yet, its 99% uptime guarantee and mixed customer reviews regarding server reliability and speed are detractors. Liquid Web, in contrast, shines with a high Net Promoter Score, extensive documentation, and a comprehensive approach to customer growth and stability, making it the preferred choice for more demanding hosting needs. User feedbackLiquid Web
101 reviews
Directnic
2 reviews reviews
Customer feedback for this hosting provider is mixed, with significant polarization in user experiences. While some have praised the company for its reliable uptime, exceptional support, and proactive monitoring, others have experienced severe dissatisfaction due to frequent downtimes, unresponsive customer service, and unethical billing practices. Long-term customers, in particular, have noted a sharp decline in service quality and support efficiency, attributing it to recent management changes. Despite positive reviews highlighting excellent technical support and overall reliability, a growing number of users advise against using this provider due to these negative aspects. The hosting provider has a long-standing presence in the industry, which has contributed to a stable domain registration experience for some users. However, there have been significant issues with domain security breaches and slow response times for resolving these problems. Additionally, the server performance is reported to be slow, and customer support is not highly rated. Overall, the service has received average feedback, and some users would not recommend it. FAQWhich platform is better suited for hosting WordPress websites? Neither Liquid Web nor Directnic offers specifically tailored WordPress hosting plans. Therefore, they are tied in this category, with neither platform standing out as better suited for WordPress hosting. Are both platforms suitable for beginners? Directnic is more suitable for beginners with its user-friendly cPanel interface and drag-and-drop site builder. Liquid Web, while offering robust features, is more complex and better suited for users with technical knowledge or higher hosting demands. Which hosting service offers better security features? Liquid Web provides superior security features, including SSL certificates, multiple PHP versions, firewalls, DDoS protection, an F5 AIP Intrusion Detection System, and compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI. Directnic offers SSL certificates and basic security but lacks the comprehensive features and regulatory compliance of Liquid Web. Which hosting service offers more scalability options for growing websites? Liquid Web excels in scalability with easy-to-scale VPS hosting, free monthly autoscaling, and options for dedicated servers. Their tailored plans for memory and CPU needs make scaling straightforward. Directnic offers scalable storage and bandwidth but lacks detailed options for automated scaling or dedicated servers. Which platform offers better customer support? Liquid Web offers superior customer support with 24/7 phone, live chat, and email support, boasting a 59-second initial response time guarantee. Directnic offers 24/7 support but restricts phone availability to working hours and has mixed reviews regarding reliability and support efficiency. What are the major differences in pricing and value between LiquidWeb and Directnic? Liquid Web’s entry-level plans start at higher prices but offer extensive resources, performance, and compliance features, making them suitable for business-oriented customers. Directnic’s plans are more budget-friendly, starting at just $2.48/month, ideal for small to medium websites, but lack the advanced features and scalability options of Liquid Web. The making of this blog We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.
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