Liquid Web review

Updated September 28, 2026 · DeployCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Liquid Web suits developers and small teams that want a self-managed VPS with DDoS protection and a support team that answers the phone. The entry server costs $5 and comes with 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD on monthly billing, and the overall score here is 7.1.

Key facts

Best for
Teams wanting a self-managed VPS at $5 with phone and chat support included.
Entry price
$5 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Entry plan
1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Bandwidth allowance
1 TB (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Billing models
Monthly (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Locations
9 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Regions
US, NL, GB, AU (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
DDoS protection
Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
SLA uptime
99.9% to 99.99% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Compliance certifications
SOC 2 SSAE-22, SOC 3, EU-US Privacy Shield, Swiss-US Privacy Shield, HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Server types
VPS, Bare-metal
Operating systems
Linux, Windows (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Liquid Web, LLC (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
1997 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Phone, Email, Chat, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Official website
liquidweb.com

Databases

Price from
$5 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Free tier
No (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Compliance certifications
SOC 2 SSAE-22, SOC 3, EU-US Privacy Shield, Swiss-US Privacy Shield, HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
SLA uptime
99.9% to 99.99% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Liquid Web, LLC (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
1997 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Phone, Email, Chat, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Apps and profiles

Listed in

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Entry price of $5 on 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD is low, and 1 TB of transfer comes with it.
  • DDoS protection is included on the plans.
  • Support runs on phone, email and chat, so a phone call is an option, not just email.
  • Data centres run in the United States, NL and GB, with 9 locations in total.

Cons

  • There is no free tier, so any test server starts as a paid month.
  • The entry plan of 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD is small on memory, and 1 TB limits transfer for busy sites.
Liquid Web

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Scored 9.4 / 10 by DeployCue.

Who it suits

  • Teams that want an unmanaged server and are happy to run linux and windows themselves.
  • Developers who need US, NL and GB for latency sensitive workloads.
  • Regulated buyers who need SOC 2 SSAE 22, SOC 3 and EU US Privacy Shield on file.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Price first buyers: Aruba lists an entry VPS at €1.99, under Liquid Web's $5.
  • Shoppers comparing entry plans only: UCloud starts at $5.34 against Liquid Web's $5, a narrow gap on price alone.
  • Aruba or UCloud readers who want to try before paying: Liquid Web has no free tier and bills monthly only.

Where it sits among rivals

Liquid Web sits in the middle of the field on the two measures readers check first. It ranks 69 of 200 providers on entry price and 65 of 239 on locations, so neither ranking leads and neither sits in the long tail. That reads as a provider competing on breadth and support rather than on a headline number.

Who runs it

Liquid Web trades as Liquid Web, LLC, headquartered in the United States and founded 1997, so it is a long established provider rather than a recent entrant. Support runs on phone, email and chat, which puts a help centre and direct contact in the same package, and that mix tends to matter for teams running production workloads.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest Liquid Web VPS and what does it include?+

The entry VPS is listed at $5 a month, and it comes with 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD plus 1 TB of transfer. That is a small box, fine for a staging server, a personal site or a build machine, and cheap enough to keep running between projects.

Can I pay hourly or per second, or is it monthly only?+

Billing runs monthly only, so hourly and per-second meters are not among the options. That suits steady workloads and keeps the bill predictable, but it does not suit anyone who wants a server for a short test and then to stop it.

Which operating systems do the servers run?+

You can run linux and windows images on the self-managed range, so either stack works without moving provider. Self-managed means you handle patching, hardening and upgrades yourself, which suits teams that already administer their own servers rather than anyone wanting a managed panel.

Where are the data centres located?+

Liquid Web runs 9 data centres across US, NL and GB. That covers the US, the Netherlands, the UK and Australia, enough to place a server near most European and Australian visitors, while Asia and South America sit outside the footprint and point to other providers.

What support and uptime do I get?+

Support runs on phone, email and chat, so a phone call, an email, a chat or the help centre are all in the same package. The uptime commitment is 99.9% to 99.99%, and the overall score on this comparison is 7.1.

Is DDoS protection included in the VPS plans?+

DDoS protection is included on the self-managed VPS plans, which matters for sites that see bursts of hostile traffic or game servers under attack. It sits alongside an uptime commitment of 99.9% to 99.99% and support on phone, email and chat, so mitigation is part of the base plan rather than an add-on.

Does Liquid Web have a free tier or a free trial?+

There is no free tier, so the smallest test is a paid month at $5 on the 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD plan. Billing runs monthly only, which keeps that cost predictable but leaves nothing to try before you commit.

Can I move up to bare metal later?+

Yes. Liquid Web sells vps and bare metal, so a VPS can be a stepping stone to dedicated hardware without changing provider. That suits teams that outgrow a shared plan but want the same account, regions and support desk for both.

Sources

Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Liquid Web

Liquid Web

Teams wanting a self-managed VPS at $5 with phone and chat support included.

9.4/10Visit