Final verdict
Looking over Liquid Web vs. Hivelocity, it’s clear why both hosts are so popular. They have both hosted millions of
websites that run on WordPress for decades, building up a loyal customer base.
-
Hivelocity (Overall grade: 7.7)
offers several impressive features, but also has some limitations, such as bandwidth restrictions and lack of
free domain names. Additionally, there is a substantial price increase from one service level to the next, with
the highest plan costing $400 per month. Despite these drawbacks, the platform’s excellent performance and
reliability make it a suitable option for users seeking high performance and scalability.
Liquid Web (Overall grade: 8.7)
offers many of the same features that Hivelocity does, plus many more. If you’re looking for a web host that
will help you build a WordPress website with an easy-to-use website builder, features robust security features
and offers a 24/7 support team, Liquid Web is the host you’ve been looking for.
 Overall grade:8.7 |
 Overall grade:7.7 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Uptime and Availability | 9.4 | 9.8 |
| Hosting Performance | 8.5 | 7.0 |
| Hosting Security | 9.0 | 8.7 |
| Price | 8.4 | 8.7 |
| Hosting Features | 7.9 | 2.5 |
| Ease Of Setup | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| User Management | 7.8 | 6.9 |
| Customer Support | 9.6 | 9.5 |
| User feedback | 4.3/5 | 4.9/5 |
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
9.8
Section 1: Winner Hivelocity
Winner Hivelocity: Hivelocity offers exceptional uptime and reliability for demanding hosting needs.
Hivelocity delivers a 99.99% uptime guarantee, backed by their achievement of 100% uptime for network and power since 2011. Monitoring of their main website for one month confirmed a flawless 100% uptime. Users experiencing downtime below the 99.99% threshold can receive a 5% credit, excluding scheduled maintenance. The data center includes redundancy with high-end diesel power generators and four days’ worth of fuel on-site.
Liquid Web features high availability hosting, a 100% network and power uptime SLA, and 30-minute hardware replacements. They also have proactive Sonar™ monitoring and managed services that involve replication across servers and database services. Liquid Web’s commendable uptime is backed by a 10x credit for any downtime experienced, ensuring reliability and minimal interruptions.
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
7.0
🏆 Winner Liquid Web: Superior hosting performance and diverse high-availability solutions.
Liquid Web and Hivelocity both offer powerful hosting services, but Liquid Web edges out with its high-availability hosting, next-gen VPS, and managed WordPress and WooCommerce hosting. Liquid Web boasts a 100% network and power uptime SLA and features like automatic plugin updates and free monthly autoscaling, which are critical for speed and stability. Hivelocity provides a global presence with data centers across six continents and a self-healing international network, but Liquid Web offers more comprehensive caching methods, including image compression and Cloudflare-powered CDN.
Website speed
Both providers feature high-end hardware and strong network capabilities, but Liquid Web’s next-gen VPS hosting with AMD EPYC processors and integrated firewall ensures consistently fast speeds. Its managed WordPress and WooCommerce hosting offers efficient image compression and object caching, enhancing page load times. Hivelocity’s offerings, including instant deployment and SSD storage, also support rapid website performance, but Liquid Web’s proactive monitoring and additional performance plugins tip the scale.
Scalability
Liquid Web provides easy scalability options with memory- and CPU-optimized plans, root access, and dedicated IP addresses. Their hosting plans include autoscaling for managed WordPress and WooCommerce, which automatically adjusts resources during high traffic periods. Hivelocity offers flexible custom solutions and DDoS protection but lacks specific details on automatic scaling. Both offer dedicated servers, but Liquid Web’s diverse plan optimizations and included monitoring services demonstrate more seamless scalability options.
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
8.7
🏆 Winner Liquid Web: A feature-rich hosting service with robust security and compliance solutions.
Both Liquid Web and Hivelocity 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 a robust array of security measures including SSL certificates, firewalls, VPN, and DDoS attack protection. They also offer web application protection and a comprehensive intrusion detection system. Meanwhile, Hivelocity’s technical security features include advanced firewalls and network security, proactive malware scanning, and brute force detection. They excel in encryption technologies, ensuring secure data transfer and storage. DDoS protection is provided by both, but Liquid Web offers additional features like real-time monitoring and rapid-response investigation, making their security measures more comprehensive.
Operational security measures:
Liquid Web includes several operational security features such as 24/7/365 on-site support, physical security with manned facilities, closed circuit TV security cameras, and advanced fire prevention. Hivelocity’s operational security encompasses 24/7 monitoring and support for real-time issue resolution, service monitoring with email alerts, and hardware diagnostics and replacement. Both providers emphasize physical and network security, but Liquid Web’s fully managed services and extensive physical security protocols provide a higher level of operational security.
Compliance and certifications:
Liquid Web complies with multiple regulatory standards like PCI, GDPR, and HIPAA, offering PCI Compliant Hosting Solutions, self-certification under EU-US and Swiss-US Privacy Shields, and HIPAA compliant hosting services. They also provide a GDPR-compliant Data Processing Addendum. Hivelocity ensures compliance with SSAE-16, HIPAA, and PCI standards through completed audits. While Hivelocity meets important compliance benchmarks, Liquid Web’s wider range of regulatory adherence and explicit GDPR commitment provide superior compliance assurances.
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|---|---|---|
SSL certificate |
Provided |
Provided |
Additional security features |
Firewalls, DDoS protection, Intrusion Detection System |
Firewall, Malware Scanning, Brute Force Detection |
PHP versions |
Multiple supported |
Not specified |
GDPR compliance |
Yes |
Not specified |
HIPAA compliance |
Yes |
Yes |
PCI compliance |
Yes |
Yes |
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
2.5
🏆 Winner
Liquid Web: A leader known for its robust managed hosting services and exceptional customer support.
Liquid Web and Hivelocity each offer unique features tailored to diverse user needs. Liquid Web excels in fully managed hosting services, providing proactive management, high availability solutions, and compliance with HIPAA and PCI standards. Their various hosting options, such as VMware Private Cloud, managed VPS, and specialized managed WooCommerce and WordPress hosting, cater to complex and data-intensive projects. Liquid Web is particularly appealing due to their 24/7/365 human support with an impressively quick initial response time, making it an ideal choice for users prioritizing responsive and dependable customer support.
Hivelocity, on the other hand, offers a comprehensive range of managed services and control panels, alongside support for a variety of operating systems and additional enhancements like cloud storage and load balancing. With features such as proactive malware scanning, network intrusion monitoring, and performance optimization, Hivelocity provides robust security and performance. Their support for various control panels and operating systems allows users to customize their hosting environments extensively. Although Hivelocity lacks some of the high-end, fully managed features of Liquid Web, it stands out with its inclusive services such as manual OS reloads and proactive security updates.
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|---|---|---|
Free domain |
No |
No |
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 |
Yes |
Free backup |
Yes |
No |
Money-back guarantee |
No |
No |
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 Hivelocity 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:
Liquid Web offers secure email hosting and supports unlimited email accounts, which is beneficial for small to mid-sized businesses looking to manage their communications in-house. Hivelocity also provides email hosting and includes transactional email capabilities, suitable for users needing essential email services for notifications or alerts. For those requiring advanced email campaign management, integrating third-party services like Google Workspace or Outlook might be necessary, as neither provider specializes in comprehensive email campaign solutions.
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
8.7
🏆 Winner
Hivelocity: Offering comprehensive hosting solutions with a wide range of features.
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.
Hivelocity stands out with its competitive pricing, numerous global data center locations, and extensive range of hosting solutions. Liquid Web offers a variety of plans, including managed WooCommerce, WordPress, and VPS options, with high-performance specifications. Hivelocity’s plans are typically more economical, especially in dedicated server and game server setups. Both providers offer a suite of advanced features, but Hivelocity’s pricing and range of services provide greater flexibility for various needs.
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SPARK $21/mo
1 site, 15GB storage, 2TB bandwidth, 10 PHP workers, 20 autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.0
|
N/A
|
|
SPARK+ $43/mo
3 sites, 25GB storage, 2.5TB bandwidth, 15 PHP workers, 25 autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.2
|
N/A
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MAKER $87/mo
5 sites, 40GB storage, 3TB bandwidth, 20 PHP workers, 30 autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:7.8
|
N/A
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DESIGNER $120/mo
10 sites, 60GB storage, 4TB bandwidth, 20 PHP workers, 30 autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:7.5
|
N/A
|
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BUILDER $164/mo
25 sites, 100GB storage, 5TB bandwidth, 30 PHP workers, 40 autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:7.3
|
N/A
|
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PRODUCER $328/mo
50 sites, 300GB storage, 5TB bandwidth, 40 PHP workers, 50 autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:7.0
|
N/A
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EXECUTIVE $602/mo
100 sites, 500GB storage, 10TB bandwidth, 50 PHP workers, 60 autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:6.5
|
N/A
|
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ENTERPRISE $1095/mo
250 sites, 800GB storage, 10TB bandwidth, 60 PHP workers, 70 autoscaled PHP workers, 24/7 support. Value for price:6.0
|
N/A
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|---|---|
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N/A
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N/A
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|---|---|
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Essential $20/mo
AlmaLinux, 2 vCPU, 2GB RAM, 40GB SSD, 10TB bandwidth, 24/7 support. Value for price:7.5
|
N/A
|
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Advanced $30/mo
AlmaLinux, 4 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 100GB SSD, 10TB bandwidth, 24/7 support. Value for price:7.7
|
N/A
|
|
Professional $40/mo
AlmaLinux, 8 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 150GB SSD, 10TB bandwidth, 24/7 support. Value for price:7.8
|
N/A
|
|
Elite $50/mo
AlmaLinux, 12 vCPU, 12GB RAM, 200GB SSD, 10TB bandwidth, 24/7 support. Value for price:7.9
|
N/A
|
As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their websites.
Enterprise plans
Liquid Web offers enterprise solutions with custom security, high availability, and dedicated load balancers, tailored to meet extensive business requirements. Hivelocity, on the other hand, provides free consultations for custom-built bare metal solutions, perfect for creating private clouds or server clusters. Both hosts offer essential managed services, but Hivelocity’s extensive data center locations and versatile control panel options make it a versatile choice for global enterprises.
Ease of setup
platform.
Score Components:
- Site migration (25%): Assesses whether the provider offers tools for site migration,
either automated or manual, and whether these services are free or require a fee. - Admin panel usability (35%): Evaluates the type of admin panel provided, such as the
standard cPanel or a custom solution, focusing on its accessibility and user-friendliness for both
technical and non-technical users. - Setup features (20%): Examines the availability and ease of use of various setup
features, including FTP accounts, file managers, email account setup, PHPMyAdmin, and easy CDN
configuration. - Help center quality (20%): Measures the quality and accessibility of the provider’s
help center resources, including articles and tutorials.
9.3
8.5
🏆 Winner Liquid Web: Known for its user-friendly interface and proactive support features.
Both Liquid Web and Hivelocity offer various control panels designed to cater to users with different technical expertise. Liquid Web provides a selection of control panels including InterWorx, Plesk, and WHM/cPanel. These panels offer a straightforward interface, which makes managing servers and websites more accessible for non-technical users. Pre-configured settings and automated tasks simplify the setup process, allowing users to focus on content rather than technicalities. Additionally, Liquid Web’s Managed WordPress Hosting provides a tailored experience for WordPress users, featuring automatic plugin updates and proactive monitoring.
Hivelocity, on the other hand, offers a more extensive list of control panels such as cPanel, DirectAdmin, Parallels Virtuozzo, SolusVM, ProxMox, Webmin, Plesk, and WebsitePanel. While this broad range provides flexibility, it may feel overwhelming for non-technical users who are not familiar with the nuances of each panel. However, technical users will appreciate the customization opportunities and the support for various operating systems like CentOS, Debian, and Ubuntu. Hivelocity’s instant server deployment, typically taking between 5 and 7 minutes, is a notable feature that saves time during initial setup.
When it comes to migration tools, Liquid Web stands out by offering complimentary migrations for most hosting control panels including InterWorx, Plesk, and cPanel. This added service reduces the hassle and cost of moving existing websites to their platform. Hivelocity also provides migration services, but the details regarding cost and process are less explicitly stated. Both providers handle migrations effectively, but Liquid Web’s free migration services give it a slight edge.
Liquid Web’s knowledge base is extensive and well-organized, featuring categories like Getting Started, Common Fixes, Technical Support, and more. The articles are detailed and provide step-by-step instructions, making it easier for users to resolve common issues. Their 24/7/365 human support ensures immediate assistance, with a rapid initial response guarantee. Hivelocity’s help center is also thorough, covering a wide range of topics from security to web design. Articles are frequently updated, ensuring users have access to the latest information. While both providers offer valuable resources, Liquid Web’s organized knowledge base and rapid human support make it more accessible.
The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Liquid Web offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. Hivelocity also boasts a detailed help center with an intuitive search function and around-the-clock support via live chat, phone, and ticketing, ensuring comprehensive user support.
User management
accessibility.
Score Components:
- Role customization (40%): Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and
permissions. - Ease of management (30%): User interface and tools for managing users.
- Access control (20%): Effectiveness of access control measures for different user
levels. - Scalability (10%): Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently.
7.8
6.9
🏆 Winner
Liquid Web: Superior user management capabilities in Plesk.
In comparing Liquid Web and Hivelocity, Liquid Web stands out due to its detailed suite of user roles, permissions, and accessibility options within the Plesk environment. Liquid Web provides four predefined user roles: Administrator, Webmaster, Application User, and Accountant. Each role precisely caters to varying levels of access and responsibilities, from full server management to subscription details viewing. The flexibility in creating and defining new user roles means administrators can tailor access to meet the specific needs of their teams. This level of granularity and customization distinctly sets Liquid Web apart in user role management.
When it comes to user interfaces and tools for managing users, Liquid Web utilizes the intuitive Plesk control panel. Administrators can easily access user settings through either the Service Provider or Power User view, making navigation straightforward and efficient. The user management options are neatly organized under a dedicated Users tab, enhancing usability. Hivelocity, by comparison, does not provide specific tools or UI enhancements for user management, which could complicate user settings and permissions adjustments for administrators.
Regarding access control measures, Liquid Web’s approach is methodical and efficient. New user accounts can be swiftly created and assigned precise roles, with an option to restrict or extend access across subscriptions. The ability to add additional administrator accounts further enhances control and scalability. Liquid Web’s Plesk environment ensures that the growing number of users can be managed efficiently without sacrificing security or functionality. In contrast, Hivelocity lacks targeted access control features, potentially hindering seamless user management and scalability.
Liquid Web user roles table:
| Role | Description | Access highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator | Full control over the Plesk control panel and server functions | Can manage all aspects of the server, including user roles and settings. |
| Webmaster | Manages subscriptions, creates sites, configures services | Cannot create new Plesk users or manage roles. |
| Application User | Limited access | Restricted functionalities within Plesk. |
| Accountant | Views subscription details without modifying settings | Read-only access to subscription information. |
Customer support
hosting provider.
Score Components:
- Support communication channels (30%): Measures the variety of customer support types
provided (live chat, chatbot, email, phone, etc.) - Availability (20%): Assesses the availability hours for each channel, including 24/7
support options. - Technical support quality (30%): Assesses whether the provider offers comprehensive
technical support, including hardware upgrades (e.g., HDD to SSD), software installations, and web
server configuration changes. - Enterprise support (20%): Checks if there are dedicated or priority support services
for enterprise-level customers.
9.6
9.5
🏆 Winner
Liquid Web: Known for its detailed customer focus and quick response times.
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Phone support |
||
Live chat support |
||
Chatbot |
||
Email/ticket support |
||
Enterprise support (dedicated agent, priority support) |
Liquid Web and Hivelocity both offer 24/7 customer support, but their services differ in several ways. Liquid Web provides chat and phone support for general inquiries, with designated hours for account verification, renewals, and cancellations. Technical assistance is available from 7 a.m. to midnight EST, via phone or a Help Ticket for email support. They have separate contact numbers for US and international customers. However, some users have reported issues such as slow response times and communication difficulties, often attributed to outsourcing.
On the other hand, Hivelocity also offers round-the-clock support via live chat, phone, and tickets, with a notable emphasis on providing comprehensive tech support across all plans. On higher-tier plans, Hivelocity offers advanced technical support, assisting with significant hosting changes like server configurations and software installations. While Hivelocity generally receives positive feedback, some complaints highlight longer wait times for resolving complex issues, a challenge common in the hosting industry.
User feedback
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.
Hivelocity is highly praised for its exceptional customer service, reliable server performance, and knowledgeable technical support. Long-term users, some with over a decade of experience, commend the company for its personalized support and rapid response times, often highlighting near-instant ticket resolutions and a proactive approach to addressing issues. Additionally, the infrastructure and network reliability receive strong accolades, with many users experiencing minimal to no downtime. While a few noted the increasing prices and occasional variability in support quality, the consensus is that Hivelocity offers an outstanding hosting service marked by dependability and top-tier customer support.
FAQ
Which platform is better suited for hosting WordPress websites?
Liquid Web is better suited for hosting WordPress websites as it offers advanced WordPress management tools, such as automatic plugin updates and efficient image compression, making it ideal for WordPress-centric websites. Hivelocity does offer WordPress hosting, but Liquid Web’s comprehensive features and performance optimizations make it the superior choice.
Which hosting service offers better security features?
Liquid Web provides a more robust suite of security features, including SSL certificates, firewalls, VPN, DDoS protection, web application protection, and a comprehensive intrusion detection system. Hivelocity also offers advanced firewalls, proactive malware scanning, and brute force detection, but Liquid Web’s additional security measures like real-time monitoring and rapid-response investigation make it more comprehensive.
Which platform offers better customer support?
Liquid Web offers extensive customer support options, including phone, live chat, helpdesk, and email with rapid response times. Their Heroic Support® guarantees initial responses within 59 seconds for phone and chat, and within 59 minutes for helpdesk tickets. While Hivelocity also provides 24/7 customer support and is praised for its reliability, Liquid Web’s specialized roles like Customer Success Managers and Strategic Account Executives for prioritized assistance give it an edge.
Which hosting service offers more scalability options for growing websites?
Liquid Web offers easy scalability with memory- and CPU-optimized plans, root access, dedicated IP addresses, and autoscaling features for managed WordPress and WooCommerce hosting. Hivelocity offers flexible custom solutions and DDoS protection but lacks specific details on automatic scaling. Liquid Web’s diverse plan optimizations and included monitoring services provide more seamless scalability options.
What are the differences in the control panels offered by each hosting service?
Liquid Web provides control panels like InterWorx, Plesk, and WHM/cPanel, which are user-friendly and feature pre-configured settings and automated tasks, making server and website management easier for non-technical users. Hivelocity offers a wider range of control panels, including cPanel, DirectAdmin, and ProxMox, among others, which may be overwhelming for non-technical users but offer extensive customization opportunities and support for various operating systems.
The making of this blog
We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.
