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A2 Hosting vs Liquid Web
A2 Hosting
Liquid Web
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and performance to help you choose the right hosting provider.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | A2 Hosting | Liquid Web |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | N/A | N/A |
| Price | $2.99/mo ★ | $15.83/mo |
| Renewal Price | $11.99/mo ★ | $15.83/mo |
| Storage | 15 GB NVMe SSD | 30 GB SSD |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited | 3 TB |
| Websites | 1 | 1 |
| CPU | 2 vCPU | N/A |
| RAM | 2 GB | N/A |
| Free Domain | ||
| Free SSL | ||
| Server Locations | ||
| Regions | 4 | 4 |
| Locations | US East, Michigan US West, Arizona Western Europe, Amsterdam Southeast Asia, Singapore | US East, Lansing, Ashburn US West, Phoenix, San Jose Western Europe, Amsterdam, London Australia & Oceania, Sydney |
| Plan Details | ||
| Limited plan details available | ||
| Backups | ||
| CDN | Included | |
| Email Accounts | ||
Features | ||
CMS & Platforms (7) | ||
Languages & Frameworks (9) | ||
Databases (4) | ||
Developer Tools (8) | ||
Performance & CDN (4) | ||
| Caching | ||
| CDN | ||
| LiteSpeed | ||
| SSD Storage | ||
Security (6) | ||
| 2FA | ||
| Backups | ||
| DDoS Protection | ||
| Malware Scan | ||
| SSL | ||
| WAF | ||
Support (4) | ||
Extras & Guarantees (5) | ||
| Slight discrepancies are possible. We recommend verifying details on the provider's website. | ||
| Visit A2 Hosting | Visit Liquid Web | |
Pricing & Plans
A2 Hosting Plans
Liquid Web Plans
Pros & Cons
A2 Hosting
Pros
- LiteSpeed web server on all plans
- NVMe SSD storage for fast performance
- Free website migration
- 24/7/365 expert support
- Wide range of hosting types (shared, VPS, reseller, WordPress)
Cons
- Recent rebrand from A2 Hosting to hosting.com may cause confusion
- No public dedicated server pricing (contact sales)
- WordPress plans show $1/mo promo but renewal is significantly higher
- VDS plans have no public pricing
Liquid Web
Pros
- 100% network and power uptime SLA (not just 99.9%)
- Heroic Support — 24/7/365 phone, chat, and tickets with <59s response
- Fully managed VPS and dedicated servers with root access
- Nexcess managed WordPress/WooCommerce with autoscaling
- Enterprise-grade Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC processors
- Free Acronis Cyber Backups on all plans
- Multiple US data centers (Michigan, Arizona, Texas)
- 30-day money-back guarantee on managed hosting
Cons
- Premium pricing — VPS starts at $20/mo, dedicated at $169/mo
- No shared hosting option for budget users
- Nexcess WordPress plans have promotional pricing that increases on renewal
- Windows VPS and dedicated plans cost significantly more
- Cloud Sites product has been discontinued
- No free domain included with any plan
Frequently Asked Questions
A2 Hosting
What is web hosting?
It’s the service that stores your website's files and makes them available for the world to see on the internet.
Do I need web hosting for my website?
Yes. If you want a website, you need a place for it to live online. A hosting plan provides that secure space on our servers.
What is shared hosting?
It’s the most cost-effective way to get online. Your site shares server resources with others, which keeps the price low. It's perfect for personal sites, blogs, and small businesses.
What's the difference between shared hosting and a managed server?
Shared hosting puts your site in its own isolated container on a managed, shared server — you get dedicated CPU and RAM, and we run everything. A managed server gives you the whole box: all the resources are yours, still fully managed by us. Most sites start on shared and move up when they outgrow it — same platform, same team, no re-platforming.
Can I upgrade my hosting plan later?
Yes — our plans are built to grow with you. You can upgrade easily and without downtime, all the way from shared hosting to a managed server of your own.
Do I get email with my hosting plan?
Yes, all plans come with our integrated cPanel email solution, so you can create professional addresses using your domain name.
Is technical knowledge required to use web hosting?
No. The control panel is intuitive, and Orbi plus our in-house team are on hand 24/7. Developers can still reach advanced tools like SSH, Git integration and custom cron jobs.
Is web hosting secure?
Yes. All our plans include robust security features like SSL certificates, DDoS protection, and automated backups to keep your site safe.
Can I host multiple websites on one plan?
Some of our plans do. Just check the features of each plan to see which one fits your needs. check plan specs for the site limit.
Do I get root access?
These are fully managed servers, which means we take care of all the patching, security updates and server management for you. You'll access everything through cPanel, so you can focus on running your site without worrying about what's happening behind the scenes. And if you ever decide you'd like full root access and direct OS control, our unmanaged dedicated or cloud options would be a perfect fit for that.
What's the difference between this and shared hosting?
On shared hosting, resources are spread across many customers on the same server, so performance can vary depending on what everyone else is doing. With a Managed cPanel Server, all the RAM, CPU and NVMe storage are dedicated entirely to you. You'll still get the same familiar cPanel interface, but with the added benefit of full isolation, predictable performance and resources that are yours alone.
How many websites can I run?
There's no limit on addon domains or websites within a single cPanel account, so you can host as many sites as you need. If you'd prefer separate cPanel logins for different clients or projects, whether that's for isolation, independent quotas or white labelling, you can easily add extra cPanel accounts through autoscale licensing. These are charged at the transparent cPanel pass through rate, so no markups or surprises.
What exactly does "fully managed" include?
We take care of everything on the server side for you, including initial provisioning and configuration, OS and software patching (cPanel, CloudLinux, Monarx and more), firewall setup and maintenance, 24/7 server level monitoring, daily backup configuration and website migrations. Essentially, we keep the engine running smoothly so you can focus on your sites. Things like application code, CMS plugin updates and content are yours to manage through cPanel, giving you full control over the stuff t
What happens when I need to scale up?
You can upgrade to a larger plan whenever you need to, and we'll handle the entire move for you. No migration headaches on your end.
What Is VPS Hosting?
VPS is an abbreviation for “virtual private server”. A VPS works by dividing a physical server into separate virtual machines. Each of these virtual machines, or virtual private servers, operate completely independently from one another. In other words, each VPS has its own operating system as well as allocation of resources like RAM, CPU and disk space. This provides you with an environment that closely mimics that of a Dedicated Server, without the costs associated with it.
Liquid Web
Use cases: What is a VPS used for?
The flexibility, security, and low barrier to entry make VPS servers helpful for a wide array of use cases. Some of the most common include:
What is VPS hosting?
VPS hosting is a type of web hosting service wherein a hosting provider rents a virtual private server to a client. VPS or VPS server refers to the virtual machine, and VPS hosting refers to the agreement and process of making that VM available for client use.
Is a VPS secure?
Yes, in general, a VPS is a secure hosting solution. Unlike shared hosting, where multiple users can potentially compromise each other’s security, the isolation of a VPS minimizes the risk of security breaches.
Is a VPS reliable?
Yes, a VPS is a reliable hosting solution, because it provides dedicated resources and operates independently from other virtual servers on the same physical machine.
Why would I need a VPS for my WordPress site?
For WordPress users looking for more power and control over their website, VPS hosting for WordPress is a significant upgrade from shared hosting. While shared hosting can work for small, low-traffic WordPress sites, as your site grows in terms of traffic, content, or complexity, you’ll likely need more dedicated resources to maintain optimal performance.
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What is managed hosting for WordPress?
Managed hosting for WordPress hosting is a form of web hosting that makes it easier to run a WordPress site because technical tasks are done for you. Unlike regular hosting, managed hosting for WordPress includes tailored support and optimizations that make WordPress run like a well-oiled machine.
Do I need managed hosting for WordPress?
If you’re not into web tech or are less than skilled at troubleshooting, managed hosting for WordPress is the ideal fit. Also, if you prefer to focus on content creation and business operations, managed hosting for WordPress will free up time to grow your online presence.
Is managed hosting for WordPress hosting worth it?
Managed hosting for WordPress hosting is worth the investment if you don’t have the technical experience to manage a server in-house or if those resources could be more efficiently used elsewhere. Managed hosting offloads technical responsibilities like updates, backups, security, performance optimization, and more, so you can focus on the rest of your business and website. And it frees up resources for your organization without compromising on speed, security, or performance.
Is all managed hosting for WordPress hosting the same?
Not all managed hosting for WordPress is the same. While all managed hosting for WordPress providers offer specialized services tailored to WordPress, there are significant differences among them in terms of hosting platform features, performance, support, and pricing.
How is your platform optimized for WordPress?
Hosting resources are finely tuned for WordPress with intelligent caching, layered security, and Edge computing. Additionally, our support team is well-versed in WordPress. In fact, many team members have been using it since its launch in 2003, and they’ve learned a lot along the way.
Can I host my clients with your plans for WordPress?
Absolutely. Agencies and developers can purchase client plans individually or purchase our higher-level plans with more site capacity. We also have an amazing agency partner program that offers elevated support and referral payouts.
Do you offer reseller or affiliate programs for WordPress?
We’d love to talk more about this with you. We offer several flexible partner programs designed to support how you do business and help you better serve your customers. Please contact our partner team at 1.866.210.4185 or [email protected] to get started today.
When is managed hosting for WordPress not the right fit?
While hosting for WordPress offers great features and convenience, managed WordPress hosting for WordPress may not be necessary in the following situations:Your budget is limitedIf you’re just starting out or you’re working with a shoestring budget, managed hosting for WordPress may not be the most cost-effective choice.You’re skilled in ITIf you’re comfortable managing servers and performing maintenance yourself, you can probably go with a self-managed hosting solution like a VPS or dedicated s
How does the 99.99% uptime SLA protect my store's revenue?
Downtime is a direct hit to your bottom line. Our 99.99% guarantee is a contractual commitment that your infrastructure remains reachable. If power or network availability fails beyond our threshold, we credit your account, providing professional-grade insurance for your storefront.Chat with an expert
Ready to Choose?
Both providers offer great features. Visit their websites to see the latest deals and pricing.
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US East, Michigan
Western Europe, Amsterdam
Southeast Asia, Singapore
Australia & Oceania, Sydney