Liquid Web vs Knownhost: guide for 2024

Liquid Web vs Knownhost: Final verdict

Looking over Liquid Web vs. KnownHost, 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.

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  Liquid Web (Overall grade: 8.7)
  
  
  offers a versatile range of high-quality hosting options, including cloud, VPS, dedicated, WordPress, and eCommerce hosting. Their standout features include a 100% uptime guarantee, Sonar™ monitoring, and managed replication services. Liquid Web is ideal for users requiring scalable, high-performance solutions with extensive security measures and compliance certifications. Their state-of-the-art infrastructure, rapid load times, and integrated Cloudflare CDN enhance their hosting speed and reliability. However, Liquid Web’s higher price points might be a drawback for budget-conscious users.
  
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  KnownHost (Overall grade: 8.6)
  
  
  excels with its competitive pricing and impressive uptime, often reaching 99.996%. Their offerings include shared, VPS, cloud, WordPress, and eCommerce hosting, with a particular focus on performance and reliability. KnownHost’s fast response times, robust DDoS protection, and user-friendly features like cPanel and Softaculous make them an excellent choice for individuals and agencies. Though KnownHost may lag slightly in scalability and granular security measures compared to Liquid Web, their affordable plans and comprehensive support options make them appealing for those seeking value without sacrificing quality.
  

Hosting types offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

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

🏆 Winner
KnownHost: Delivers unparalleled uptime and performance with quick response and robust DDoS protection.

KnownHost guarantees a minimum 99.9% uptime but often exceeds this, achieving 99.996%. Their services include automated snapshot backups, DDoS protection, and free SSL certificates. KnownHost’s performance is enhanced by fast server speeds, making their platform highly reliable.

Liquid Web offers high availability hosting with a 100% uptime guarantee and proactive Sonar™ monitoring. They ensure quick hardware replacement and provide managed replication services. Despite these strong features, KnownHost’s higher uptime and superior performance make it the preferred choice.

🏆 Winner Liquid Web: Superior Hosting Flexibility and Customer Support

Liquid Web and KnownHost both offer competitive hosting solutions, but Liquid Web pulls ahead with its extensive customization options and proactive customer support.

When it comes to hosting speed, Liquid Web’s edge lies in its state-of-the-art infrastructure and next-gen VPS hosting. Their servers powered by AMD EPYC processors, coupled with NVMe or SSD storage, deliver rapid load times and optimal performance. Liquid Web also integrates various performance-enhancing plugins and services such as image compression and object caching. CDN services with Liquid Web come integrated with Cloudflare for global content delivery, while KnownHost uses LiteSpeed and LSCache frameworks to ensure fast and efficient web processing. Both providers excel in uptime, with KnownHost offering industry-best rates of over 99.99%, albeit without specific locations for their data centers being noted. Liquid Web additionally features managed file replication for seamless uptime.

Website Speed

Both hosting providers are tailored for speed, but Liquid Web stands out with its 10 Gbps network and specialized plans optimized for memory and CPU performance. Managed WordPress Hosting and WooCommerce Hosting options from Liquid Web also include autoscaling during heavy traffic and Cloudflare-powered CDN, enhancing overall responsiveness. KnownHost uses enterprise-grade NVMe storage and LiteSpeed, which offer competitive performance but doesn’t match Liquid Web’s advanced, scalable options designed for high-speed requirements.

Scalability

Liquid Web offers a flexible scaling model with easy scalability across its VPS and dedicated server options. Automatic autoscaling is available for Managed WordPress and WooCommerce Hosting, which means users do not have to manually upgrade their plans during traffic spikes. KnownHost provides a more traditional scaling approach where plan upgrades are generally necessary for increased resources. Both hosting services offer dedicated servers, but specific cost details for scaling aren’t disclosed for either provider.

🏆 Winner Liquid Web: A highly secure hosting provider.

Both Liquid Web and KnownHost, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Liquid Web offers extensive technical security measures, including SSL certificates, firewalls, DDoS protection, and multiple PHP versions. A notable feature is their F5 AIP Intrusion Detection System which provides real-time monitoring and rapid-response investigation. KnownHost also provides robust technical security with free SSL certificates, LiteSpeed with LSCache, and Imunify360 security. KnownHost’s automated backups and comprehensive DDoS protection up to 500 Gbps safeguard against attacks. Both support multiple PHP versions, but Liquid Web’s overall feature set is slightly more extensive.

Operational security measures:

Liquid Web provides continuous security with features like 24/7/365 on-site support, manned facilities, and closed circuit TV security cameras. Their physical security measures are complemented by an electronic perimeter access card system and advanced fire prevention infrastructure. KnownHost offers automated security solutions like Imunify360 and firewall setups. They also provide reverse DNS setup and guides for mod_security, offering strong operational security. While both offer thorough operational security, Liquid Web’s physical measures are more detailed.

Compliance and certifications:

Liquid Web adheres to multiple compliance standards, offering PCI, GDPR, and HIPAA-compliant hosting services. They comply with EU data protection laws and are SSAE-22 and Safe Harbor Compliant. KnownHost ensures PCI and GDPR compliance but does not specify HIPAA compliance. Liquid Web’s certifications and compliance with industry standards make it suitable for handling sensitive data within various regulatory frameworks.

🏆 Winner Liquid Web: Comprehensive hosting with managed support and high customization options.

Both Liquid Web and KnownHost provide robust hosting solutions, yet they cater to different user needs. Liquid Web shines with its fully managed hosting that includes proactive monitoring, 24/7 support, and a 59-second response time guarantee, which is crucial for users with complex environments or who need stringent compliance, such as HIPAA or PCI. Liquid Web’s offerings like managed WooCommerce and WordPress hosting, along with their VMware private cloud, emphasize the provider’s focus on performance and flexibility. While Liquid Web doesn’t explicitly mention a website builder, its managed services and hosting options offer extensive customization and scalability, making it an appealing choice for enterprises and users needing high availability and compliance solutions.

KnownHost stands out for performance and value. With LiteSpeed and NVMe storage paired with AMD EPYC hardware, KnownHost offers impressive speed and reliability. Their convenience features, such as cPanel for easy management and Softaculous for one-click app installations, cater to less experienced users looking for straightforward hosting solutions. KnownHost includes free services like domain privacy for all registered domains and free setups, which can significantly reduce initial costs. Although KnownHost is user-friendly and offers free migrations with minimal downtime, its score is marginally lower than Liquid Web. KnownHost’s focus on providing free SSL certificates, daily automated backups, and a 30-day money-back guarantee makes it an attractive option for users prioritizing security and performance at a competitive price.

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 KnownHost 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 and KnownHost both provide robust email hosting. Liquid Web includes unlimited email with its managed WordPress hosting and offers a secure, scalable email solution for businesses. KnownHost offers email hosting with free SSL certificates and integrates easily with cPanel. Both providers support transactional email capabilities and allow users to set up their email campaigns. Users looking for additional features, such as Google Workspace or Outlook integration, might need to look into third-party services since neither provider explicitly mentions reselling such services.

🏆 Winner
KnownHost: A comprehensive hosting provider offering a broad range of plans at competitive prices.

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 KnownHost, KnownHost stands out with more affordable and varied options in WordPress and Shared Hosting plans. Liquid Web offers a wide range of plans across Managed WooCommerce, WordPress, VPS, and Cloud Dedicated Servers but comes at higher price points. KnownHost provides exceptional value, especially in its WordPress and Shared Hosting plans, with rich features like unlimited premium bandwidth and NVMe storage at lower costs. Both providers offer specialized Enterprise Hosting solutions, but their approaches and pricing structures differ significantly.

Enterprise plans

Liquid Web offers extensive enterprise solutions, including managed security, databases, load balancers, and high availability hosting options. Their focus on managed, high-performance hosting makes them suitable for businesses requiring robust infrastructure with dedicated support. KnownHost’s enterprise options include semi-dedicated and VPS hosting, emphasizing affordability and scalability with support for various control panels and NVMe storage. Liquid Web’s offerings cater to more specialized needs, while KnownHost delivers cost-effective, flexible solutions ideal for growing enterprises.

🏆 Winner
[L]iquid Web: Offers user-friendly managed hosting with comprehensive support.

Liquid Web provides a range of control panel options, including InterWorx, Plesk, and WHM/cPanel, which cater to different user preferences. These control panels are known for their user-friendly interfaces, making them accessible for both technical and non-technical users. Managed WordPress Hosting from Liquid Web further simplifies setup for WordPress users by automating plugin updates and providing proactive monitoring. Overall, Liquid Web focuses on ease of use so that users can manage their websites efficiently without deep technical know-how.

KnownHost, on the other hand, provides standard control panel options like cPanel and DirectAdmin. These panels offer simplicity and intuitive design, making it easier for users to manage their websites and servers. KnownHost’s inclusion of Softaculous allows for one-click installation of various applications, streamlining the setup process regardless of the user’s technical background. Both hosting providers offer accessible admin panels, but [L]iquid Web’s broader range of options and managed services gives it a slight edge.

Both Liquid Web and KnownHost offer free migration services, which significantly ease the process of moving websites. Liquid Web provides complimentary migrations for most hosting control panels such as InterWorx, Plesk, and cPanel, handled by their team of experts. KnownHost also offers free migration services, often ensuring zero downtime. The shared hosting support staff at KnownHost manages the technical details, allowing users to migrate their sites effortlessly.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Liquid Web’s Knowledge Base is extensive, offering a wide array of articles, tutorials, and resources on topics like hosting basics, security practices, and technical support. It is known for its detailed and well-organized content, helping users address common issues independently. KnownHost’s Knowledge Base similarly provides a comprehensive collection of guides, articles, and how-tos, covering various aspects of hosting. Both providers excel in support, but Liquid Web’s industry-leading Knowledge Base and 24/7/365 human support with a 59-second response guarantee provide slightly more robust assistance options.

🏆 Winner Liquid Web: Superior in its detailed user role management and flexibility in Plesk.

Liquid Web distinguishes itself with a structured system for managing user roles within the Plesk control panel, offering a high level of granularity and customization. Users on Liquid Web can access a dedicated Users tab under their subscriptions, where they can create user accounts with specific roles such as Administrator, Webmaster, Application User, and Accountant. Conversely, KnownHost provides domain and account management through its My KnownHost panel and encourages users to refer to its Knowledge Base for managing users and organizations. Liquid Web’s approach offers more predefined roles and customization capabilities.

The graphical interfaces and tools for managing users show notable differences. Liquid Web’s Plesk interface is user-friendly, enabling quick access to user roles, detailed settings, and the ability to create and delete users and roles directly from the control panel. KnownHost requires users to navigate through the My KnownHost panel for domain and user management, relying significantly on its Knowledge Base for instructions. The intuitive access and direct management actions in Liquid Web provide a smoother and more comprehensive user experience.

When it comes to managing access control and scaling user accounts, Liquid Web proves to be more efficient. The variety of predefined roles and the option to create new roles in Plesk make it adaptable to growing user demands. Additionally, Liquid Web’s ability to add multiple administrator accounts ensures better control and delegation of responsibilities. KnownHost’s reliance on guides for user management may slow down the process as the number of users increases, potentially impacting efficiency in a rapidly growing environment.

Liquid Web user roles table:

🏆 Winner
Liquid Web: With exceptional customer service features and highly responsive support, Liquid Web stands out in the hosting industry.

Liquid Web and KnownHost both offer 24/7/365 technical support, ensuring that help is available whenever needed. Liquid Web provides a 59-second initial response guarantee for phone and chat support, as well as a 59-minute initial response time for helpdesk tickets. This quick response time and extensive documentation, webinars, and a YouTube channel make Liquid Web’s support particularly comprehensive. Additionally, customers benefit from specialized support through managed hosting advisors, strategic account executives, and enterprise engineering teams.

KnownHost also scores highly with reliable technical support and a reputation for excellent customer service. Their support team is praised for being polite and patient, and they provide various support channels such as phone, email, and live chat. KnownHost’s knowledge base and support forums are robust, helping beginners navigate hosting complexities. They offer a 99.99% uptime guarantee, but lack dedicated enterprise support found with Liquid Web.

Liquid Web vs Knownhost: 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.

KnownHost receives mixed feedback from its users. Many users praise its responsive and professional customer support, high uptime, and excellent technical infrastructure, particularly for managed WordPress and VPS hosting. However, there are significant complaints about slow server speeds, unhelpful support, and confusing user interfaces. Additionally, some users believe that the service is overpriced given the performance issues they have encountered. Overall, while KnownHost has loyal customers who appreciate its offerings, potential users should be aware of the varied experiences and evaluate if it meets their specific needs.

Liquid Web vs Knownhost: FAQ